Old Gammy Leg

Just got a set of Kysrium Elites. They seem very nice, but I'm surprised to notice that the freehub is virtually silent. I had Gipiemme wheels before and the freehub sounded like a billion crickets chirping, but on the Mavics it is very quiet. The clicking sounds muffled and almost 'spongy'. There are no other problems with the rear wheel, it spins with very little friction etc.

Is this just the way the hub is on Kysriums? Can I adjust the hub to affect the clicking, or is this determined by the design and is unchangeable?

Thanks

slvoid

I have a pair of mavic cosmos and they're pretty silent too compared to some people I see with campy wheels.

Phatman

I've seen SSLs that have had really loud freehubs, but come to think of it, I dont remember hearing the freehub of the guys with elites.

My dura-ace hubs are silent too, literally, no sound. the only way to hear them is to put your ear right up to them.

Old Gammy Leg

Hmmmm... maybe it's just how they're designed then? I guess there's no way of changing it?

I'm used to MTBs, where most hubs seem to click pretty loudly. On the Kysriums it's more like a soft, muffled sound than a sharp clear click. I think I prefer a loud hub tbh

DieselDan

Shimano's freehubs tick.

Mavic's freehubs purr.

Campy freehubs fart.

Joytech freehubs fail.

bamberg

My Elite freehub seems pretty loud compared to my old bike's inexpensive Tiagra freehub.

Feltup

They get louder with miles. My XTR hubs were silent but now make a clicking sound. I think it might be time to repack them.

ajst2duk

I've got Gippemes & thinking of getting elites - aside from the noise, how have you found them?? Improvement enough to warrant upgrade??

KleinRider

A friend had some White Industry hubs (on a MTB) that were super LOUD. Those things would echo, it seems, they were so loud. My Nuke Proofs are pretty quiet by contrast. I think it's just how they design the internals of the hub, along with the material of the hub itself.

Dirtbike

the Hugi hubs in the glass display are near silent. dang those things are nice... XTR is really quiet too

catatonic

my 105 hubs arent very loud at all, I can hear them if I'm riding through an underpass or in a very quiet neightborhood, that's about it.

My WTB speed-disc hub on my mountain bike is about the same.

Old Gammy Leg

Well I'm pretty new to road cycling, most of my experience is with MTBs. Have only done about 100 miles on the Kysriums so far. My impressions:

1. Obviously well made, very high quality, look cool (much cooler than the Gipiemmes IMO).

2. Much stiffer than Gipiemmes, slightly harsher ride but this is offset by the fact that the bike feels more responsive and way better power transfer.

3. Seem a lot stronger than the Gipiemmes, have gone over some unavoidable potholes at high speed, a few nasty bumps, and they are still absolutely true.

4. Lighter than Gipiemmes, maybe not by much though.

Look on these forums and on roadbikereview.com where there are loads of reviews of Elites. Some people on here will tell you that you can get better wheels for the money and maybe they're right... Like I say, I'm not a road cycling expert but they are certainly an improvement and I'm very pleased so far.

Old Gammy Leg

I wonder what makes hubs loud or silent, don't know much about the internals.

I preferred a noisy, clicking hub, but I guess I can get used to a full stealth bike

jqnj

I had both Elites and SSC Ksyriums . The SSC hub is louder than the Elite. Both good wheels.

tomcat

I thought the SL and Elite hub were the exact same?? Is this difference in sound maybe from different spokes and how they resonate (spl?).


tomcat

jqnj

Not sure about resonation(sp?) but I can assure you the SSC freewheels louder. Maybe the innards are different in that my SSCs are 02 and my Elites were 03. I actually started a thread about this very same topic and most responders were of the opinion that the louder the hub, the better. What do I know?

gpelpel

I think the clicking depends of the state of the grease inside the hub. I bought a set of Elites used with a Shimano freehub cartridge and converted it to a Campy cartridge. When the grease was new the clicking was almost not existent. Since, after many miles, I can hear the clicking quite well, nothing anormal just as loud as most wheels. Freehubs are supposed to be serviced from time to time. Use a thicker grease and it should tame that clicking noise.
At least the clicking tells you that the small springs that push the small tabs against the hub are fine, no clicking could mean they need to be changed.

blaine

It's a relatively quiet hub. I commented about this to my riding partner on Sat...I have the ssl and he has another Mavic hub...don't remember which one though

Dirtbike

No matter what, fixed gear will be quiter

catatonic

The noise are the ratcheting pawls engaging to the hub body.

Some newer hubs dont use this pawl system though, and are incredibly quiet.

But...lubrication can quiet most anything down a bit.

In my experience, Shimano hubs are pretty quiet....some of their low-end (non gruppo) stuff are stealth-like.

Old Gammy Leg

What exactly does this involve? I thought the Mavics were a sealed cartridge hub?

Feltup

The bearings are completely different than the freewheel.

vanbiker

When I serviced the freehub on my Elites, I used a lot of lube (mineral oil), and it was much quieter. I took it apart, and wiped some of the oil off, and now it is back to normal. However, I recently developed an awful chatter when coasting or worse when spinning backwards...took it apart, and it was very dry. Re-oiled again with lots of oil, now it is quiet but at least not chattering.

Yellowbeard

Not necessarily true. 8/10 fixed gears that roll past me when I'm walking make a horrible rumbling, grinding noise that makes me want to grind my own teeth.

An oiled Sturmey Archer in neutral, that's quiet. Although the ticking noise they make when in gear is better to listen to. I wish my other bikes ticked like that.

badamsjr

I have seven sets (5 700c 2 650c) of Elites, and while not obnoxiously loud, they are considerably louder than my two sets of Cane Creek Aeroheads.