Need help understanding why some bikes are silent
04-20-18, 01:51 PM
#26
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With my Shimano freehubs, I put a drop of grease behind the freehub, and it makes them nearly silent. I presume eventually the grease will work through the seals and cause issues, but so far, they've held up well.
PowerCranks use some kind of a roller bearing pawl on their cranks which I believe is essentially silent, but the technology hasn't been widely used for freehubs.
PowerCranks use some kind of a roller bearing pawl on their cranks which I believe is essentially silent, but the technology hasn't been widely used for freehubs.
04-20-18, 03:25 PM
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On the other hand, as I think of it, if the welcome rumble of a V8 is the product of the combustion engine, then, to be consistent, bicycle hubs should create the..ahh..'rumble' that is the product of the human 'engine'...seems reasonable.
04-20-18, 03:58 PM
#28
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..well..have a hub give off the rumble of a V8 and many may not have an issue with it. But the noise..racket some hubs create, regardless of price, is obnoxious. Couldn't give me one of those hubs...but that's me..everyone's mileage varies..some need the mental boost of designer 'names'.
On the other hand, as I think of it, if the welcome rumble of a V8 is the product of the combustion engine, then, to be consistent, bicycle hubs should create the..ahh..'rumble' that is the product of the human 'engine'...seems reasonable.
On the other hand, as I think of it, if the welcome rumble of a V8 is the product of the combustion engine, then, to be consistent, bicycle hubs should create the..ahh..'rumble' that is the product of the human 'engine'...seems reasonable.
04-20-18, 04:49 PM
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04-20-18, 05:02 PM
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04-20-18, 06:05 PM
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I like the way my DT Swiss hubs (in Bontrager RXL and other wheels) sound. They use a double saw tooth instead of sprung pawls. Not silent, but pretty quiet. When they get louder, it's time to grease them again.
04-20-18, 06:12 PM
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Not really. The Continuum Onyx is primarily a commuter bike and comes loaded with lights, fenders, rack, etc. in addition to a Nuvinci CVT internal gear hub and a silent carbon fiber belt drive. At $999, you get a lot for your money.
But if all one wants is the silence of a belt and CVT without all the extra equipment, the Glide from the same company (www.prioritybicycles.com) currently sells for $749 and is more of a recreational or trekking bike.
But if all one wants is the silence of a belt and CVT without all the extra equipment, the Glide from the same company (www.prioritybicycles.com) currently sells for $749 and is more of a recreational or trekking bike.
Last edited by Bill Gem; 04-21-18 at 02:22 AM.
04-20-18, 07:03 PM
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04-20-18, 07:07 PM
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At least they aren't silent to avoid a grand jury or something. But it they don't make a racket, they can't be too bad off.
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04-20-18, 08:12 PM
#35
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I have an old 80’s 7 speed which is pretty quiet. Don’t care for all the noise. Lightly greased, both pawls and bearings.
04-21-18, 06:30 AM
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What's with all this "noise"? Is it one of those obsessive compulsive things? I'll trade that kind of noise with the squeaky disk brake noise any day.
04-21-18, 07:20 AM
#37
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I picked up a Kestrel SL-1000 Di2 last year, and it sounded like killer bees when freewheeling. I upgraded the wheels to HEDs, with a Dura Ace cassette, and it's much quieter. I gave the old wheels to my son, and now I can tell when he's not pedaling, from all the noise. That's even WORSE, because that's when I'm not going fast enough for him to be pedaling!
04-21-18, 07:38 AM
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04-21-18, 09:46 AM
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Internally geared hubs (as mentioned in the original post) will have multiple sets of freewheel pawls inside them, so it's common for those hubs to make a ticking sound while pedaling in some gears. Sturmey-Archer 3-speeds, for example, will be quiet while pedaling in 1st gear, and tick in 2nd and 3rd. Shimano Nexus 3-speeds do something similar. The ticking comes from the "extra" pawls not being engaged in certain gears.
04-21-18, 10:05 AM
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Internally geared hubs (as mentioned in the original post) will have multiple sets of freewheel pawls inside them, so it's common for those hubs to make a ticking sound while pedaling in some gears. Sturmey-Archer 3-speeds, for example, will be quiet while pedaling in 1st gear, and tick in 2nd and 3rd. Shimano Nexus 3-speeds do something similar. The ticking comes from the "extra" pawls not being engaged in certain gears.
04-22-18, 06:44 PM
#41
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At $999, you get a lot for your money.
But if all one wants is the silence of a belt and CVT without all the extra equipment, the Glide from the same company (www.prioritybicycles.com) currently sells for $749 and is more of a recreational or trekking bike.
But if all one wants is the silence of a belt and CVT without all the extra equipment, the Glide from the same company (www.prioritybicycles.com) currently sells for $749 and is more of a recreational or trekking bike.
which is a hair under $500 (for the hub - the rest of the wheel is not incuded in that price - nor is the rest of the bike).
Last edited by athrowawaynic; 04-22-18 at 06:57 PM.
04-22-18, 09:35 PM
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I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with the cable, it shouldn't contact against the frame/ another cable. I hope this helps reduce the noise tho 
04-23-18, 03:24 AM
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silent rear wheel reminds me of electric cars. I like things to make sound while it moves. I think I lose quite a bit more calories on a loud bike since sound is like a form of energy.
04-24-18, 12:47 PM
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Reality is that designs with more points of engagement are typically nicer to ride. It's not a thing you notice with continuous power, it's when changing gears on a climb, sprint, or starting from a stoplight.
04-24-18, 02:31 PM
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