High-end road bikes : very noisy freewheeling - why?

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Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
It just seems so weird that if you're buying a bike for like 3k+ , you also get to freewheel making a noise like a 1950s football rattle 😆
It's designed to draw other riders' attention to your £3000 bike so they can admire it and your wallet ^_^
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
How do you know you'll be getting a quiet freehub? I've not owned a "quiet" freehub in a very long time, aside from a pair of cheap shimano wheels that weren't very nice, and fell apart after hitting a pothole once.
Fap knows tbh; would be good to have some idea however so that I can avoid the bloody things in future!

It seems to be the greater number of engagements means it turns more from a clack/click (Hope - 4 pawls) to a buzz (Industry Nine - 6 pawls) with both as noisy as each other
That's interesting as I'd expect more pawls to be quieter as they're smaller; however I guess there's still plenty of room for them when shifting from four to six; less-so when going for many more.

a noisy freehub paired with deep section carbon rims, gives you a "buzz" when freewheeling and a "whoosh whoosh" when pedalling!
A bit like one of those toys for toddlers that makes all sorts of noises when you push / poke / spin various bits of it... only for MAMILs :tongue:
 
OP
OP
Mazz

Mazz

Senior Member
Location
Leicester
So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

Hub, mine are clickety on steel, Ti and carbon (and historically alu, the Superstar ones!)
I don’t have high profile (deep section)rims xx(
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

Its the freehub. My friend who i mentioned previously with the stupidly loud freehub rides Ti on normal size metal rims.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
A while ago I bought myself some wheels from DCR for my birthday. As it was a special treat I chose the snazzier/more expensive Hope hubs.

It didn't occur to me that the freehub would be noisy. And it isn't. It makes a different sound to the Shimano ones, but it's not one of those loud clacky ones.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
A while ago I bought myself some wheels from DCR for my birthday. As it was a special treat I chose the snazzier/more expensive Hope hubs.

It didn't occur to me that the freehub would be noisy. And it isn't. It makes a different sound to the Shimano ones, but it's not one of those loud clacky ones.

I got two sets of hoops form DCR. Both with the same Novatech hubs. I pair has a nice low buzz to them, the other near silent.
 
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