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What’s the deal with the really loud wheels when coasting?

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What’s the deal with the really loud wheels when coasting?

Old 04-25-21, 08:54 AM
  #26  
JohnJ80
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Originally Posted by jaxgtr
Stupid long video, but go to the 30:30 mark, the dude took the hub body off, cleaned it really well and then added more grease on the outer part of the ratchet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb_k1gYVA-Q
Same thing with the old 240s but after a couple of hundred miles they got louder too - done it many times. This won’t last any longer than when the grease moves around inside the hub.

I think the new design is inherently noisier than the old one is what it comes down to. Probably has something to do with one of the ratchets being part of the free hub body so the noise has a more direct path outside of the hub or something.
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Old 04-25-21, 09:13 AM
  #27  
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My only use for loud hubs is for diplomatically letting the guy in front know he needs to roll off.
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Old 04-25-21, 09:18 AM
  #28  
rivers
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I have DT Swiss wheels on 2 of my bikes- E1800 and the older R23 model. Both pretty noisy. My FFWD wheels have a DT Swiss 350 hub, that is pretty quiet in comparison.
I don't mind the noise. Drives my wife batty when I ride with her.
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Old 04-25-21, 10:38 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
Do you use an 18t ring gear in your old DT240s? The new 240EXP hubs come with a 36t ring gear, which likely caused the difference.
Yup. I have a 54t star ratchet in a set of wheels with 240s hubs. Loud AF. I just overhauled it with some fresh Shimano freehub lube, still loud AF.
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Old 04-25-21, 02:21 PM
  #30  
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I don't like loud hubs and dread how loud my new bike will be with its DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs. But I will say that the angry bees of even a moderately loud hub do wonders on a MUP. Better than a bell. Better than "on your left".

Last edited by guachi; 04-25-21 at 06:40 PM.
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Old 04-25-21, 02:48 PM
  #31  
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I like my loud hub because I don't need a bell. You don't even need to announce yourself.
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Old 04-25-21, 04:55 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by rivers
I have DT Swiss wheels on 2 of my bikes- E1800 and the older R23 model. Both pretty noisy. My FFWD wheels have a DT Swiss 350 hub, that is pretty quiet in comparison.
I don't mind the noise. Drives my wife batty when I ride with her.

Yea my wife's bike has the 350 hubs...they are rather quiet.
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Old 04-25-21, 05:22 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by caloso
I like it in a big group ride or a race when I might not be able to see people stop pedaling further up the line.
I wanted quiet hubs when I raced. That way I got to choose to announce myself or not when I'd bridged up. The longer I wasn't noticed, the longer I had before I was expected to work. I used to take my SunTours apart and lightly grease the pawls. The antithesis of Chris Kings!
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Old 04-25-21, 06:21 PM
  #34  
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All you have to do is go to a heaver lube or grease. And why are you guy coasting? HTFU
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Old 04-25-21, 06:42 PM
  #35  
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We're coasting because we put out 400 Watts and have to wait for losers to get out of our way when we MUP race.
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Old 04-25-21, 07:12 PM
  #36  
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I'm part of the minority here, I like the quieter hubs. When I was ordering new wheels, I chose DT 350s for their lack of hub noise more than their pricing. It's heavier, but I don't race and it's at the center of the wheel, so the weight doesn't matter as much as the rims do in my experience.

A good friend of mine got the I9 Torch hubs and I personally find the noise a bit grating.

He also thinks that hikers on the trails can hear his hubs, but the hub sound doesn't travel through the woods as well as he thinks it does, so the hikers don't hear him anyways. He then complains to me about how hikers should just move over when they hear a mountain biker even though hikers have right of way... I offered to buy him a bell, but he refuses to put on bells on his bikes, so I get to listen to the same complaint over and over again.

Just buy hubs at or above DT 350 quality and you'll get a good, serviceable hub that'll last many years. Hell, even Formula or NovaTec hubs are pretty damn good. You can look up YouTube videos of hub noises, or visit the local bike shops to get an idea of how they sound in person.
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Old 04-25-21, 11:46 PM
  #37  
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I use them to terrorize people on the MUP.
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Old 04-26-21, 10:17 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
I wanted quiet hubs when I raced. That way I got to choose to announce myself or not when I'd bridged up. The longer I wasn't noticed, the longer I had before I was expected to work. I used to take my SunTours apart and lightly grease the pawls. The antithesis of Chris Kings!
Oh yeah. Quiet for me. Loud for the other guys.
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Old 04-26-21, 10:49 AM
  #39  
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Loud hubs are awesome.
I love rolling up to a stoplight on the group ride going all BRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW and then looking around at everyone else like "yep... high engagement".
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Old 04-26-21, 12:47 PM
  #40  
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I have bikes with loud hubs, and with quiet hubs. There are times when others have louder, or quieter hubs. This displeases me greatly. I am most at ease when the hubs of others sing in concert with mine, at the same level.

Its a level of cycling bliss that most of you poor noobs will never experience.
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Old 04-26-21, 01:01 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by JohnJ80
Have a listen:
WT%^&* that's horrible even taking into account that microphone can make the sound louder. That is like a landing jet plane or something. Completely ridiculous.
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Old 04-26-21, 01:01 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by growlerdinky
I have bikes with loud hubs, and with quiet hubs. There are times when others have louder, or quieter hubs. This displeases me greatly. I am most at ease when the hubs of others sing in concert with mine, at the same level.

Its a level of cycling bliss that most of you poor noobs will never experience.
Throw in the sound of carbon wheels and your got yourself a bike orchestra. Unfortunately, that's not music to my ears.
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Old 04-26-21, 01:07 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
I use them to terrorize people on the MUP.
I just blip the throttle on the chainsaw I always bring with me, when I want to terrorize people.
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Old 04-26-21, 01:15 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by eduskator
I like my loud hub because I don't need a bell. You don't even need to announce yourself.
My Bianchi used to have what seemed to be the loudest freehubs I'd ever heard (Fulcrum Racing 5's). After 13 years, the rear rim started cracking at the spoke holes, so I replaced them with a NEW set of Fulcrums, which are eerily silent. No more using the freehub to announce my presence.
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Old 04-26-21, 01:52 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
My Bianchi used to have what seemed to be the loudest freehubs I'd ever heard (Fulcrum Racing 5's). After 13 years, the rear rim started cracking at the spoke holes, so I replaced them with a NEW set of Fulcrums, which are eerily silent. No more using the freehub to announce my presence.
There's always that option, but it will cost you a few watts because of the increased drag.

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Old 04-26-21, 03:25 PM
  #46  
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I hope someone does a study on how much drag noisy hubs make. Then quiet hubs will be all the rage for "free" energy - except then the quiet ones will be the expensive ones.

Might be worth it to stop the madness.

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Old 04-26-21, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by eduskator
There's always that option, but it will cost you a few watts because of the increased drag.

I don't care about drag. That looks so pro!!
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Old 04-26-21, 04:29 PM
  #48  
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I just picked up a used Canyon Aeroads that has the DT Swiss hubs with the 54 tooth star ratchet upgrade installed. For me, it was too loud for the group rides, cool sound, but too loud for social group rides. Luckily the previous owner included the stock 16 tooth star ratchet and springs. Five minute swap and it now purrs like a kitten! The higher the tooth count on the star ratchet the stronger the springs need to be to ensure it can engage with the shorter ramps....the stronger the springs, the louder the hub! The cool thing about the DT hubs with the star ratchet is I could swap it back in five minutes, no tools needed...slick setup!
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Old 04-26-21, 04:57 PM
  #49  
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Interesting, I would have thought that more teeth means finer mechanism and so quieter operation but I think your explanation holds water.
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Old 04-26-21, 05:05 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by guachi
I don't like loud hubs and dread how loud my new bike will be with its DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs. But I will say that the angry bees of even a moderately loud hub do wonders on a MUP. Better than a bell. Better than "on your left".
Even a loud "hi" as you approach works better than "on your left." Most pedestrians and casual cyclists interpret that as a command to swerve to their left right in front of or into you.
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