dose

I am entertaining the thought of getting an Onyx Classic rear hub, but I can't judge whether they are suitable & reliable. On the suitability part, specifically, I enjoy riding technical stuff (let's call it trials). Are they too spongy for that? I understand they are supposedly "instant engagement", but it takes a bit for the sprags to erect from what I understand. Any estimates of how many degrees of pedal movement we are talking? What about longevity, especially considering frequent engagements of the freehub on technical rides and, presumably, a fair amount of torque? Any experience that you can share?

It seems no bike shop in the area has them on a bike for a test ride, reviewers are basically just echoing the marketing induced speech bubbles or providing their opinion after unboxing, and I am reluctant to buy yet another "high-end" hub that is basically useless after less than a year -- my experience with Industry Nine's Hydra.
If you are running them, can you please share your experience?

prj71

Instant engagement. Practically zero degrees of pedal movement. I have a few friends that have them and love them. No problems.

Bikes shops probably don't have them due to the cost. They will be used for a custom wheelbuild.

dose

Thanks for your reply.

Kapusta

I considered these, but for the cost I could have gotten I9 Hydras, which for all practical purposes are instant engagement, and from the feedback I got from numerous wheel builders, the I9s are more reliable (or maybe support was better… I don’t remember which) though the onyx are not bad in that regard.

I think the selling point for the Onyx is the fact that they are so silent.

I ended up going with the I9 1/1 hubs with 90 poe (4deg). To save a few hundred bucks.

unterhausen

My LBS sells plenty of Onyx hubs, but one of the mechanics told me not to get them because of reliability. It was for my gravel bike though. I ended up getting a hope.

If you do get an onyx, you can get a custom graphic engraved on it.

Jukka4130

The Onyx hubs are quite special. The Classic model is nearly bombproof and will serve one for years with minimal or no maintenance at all. When it comes to reliability, Onyx hubs are up there – maybe even the best ones around. They can't even be compared to I9 Hydras which seem to have a lot of problems.

The instant engagement is feature that one don't want to live without after getting used to it. The silence and super-low rolling resistance are a big plus.