Change the sound of your hub

[@secretagent86]

Hats off for several reasons. 1) a topic not covered elsewhere; 2) thorough detail unlike many videos which skip or assume things are known to viewers; 3) excellent camerawork. While I strongly prefer a quiet bike, my is not so loud that i need to change anything. Hint to have zero clutch noise: never stop pedalling or get a fixie 😅😅

[@crossroads4762]

I think it's an annoying sound but it is a subtle way of alerting pedestrians on bike paths.

[@wazzup105]

When riding solo .. maybe (although I manage to do fine without for the last 50+ years).. but when riding in a pack of 20+ all having that loud obnoxious sounds for hours on end.... please no.

[@zoladkow]

more annoying and less subtle are contaminated disk brakes - annoying but so much satisfying for that purpose 😁🙃

[@joshuabuilds3051]

Learn to whistle? Buy a bell?

[@rangersmith4652]

Until those pedestrians put in their earbuds.

[@benoitbvg2888]

Letting them think they have a swarm of angry bees coming behind them does work quite well, indeed.

[@t00fless66]

Thx!! Was about to replace my Hope Pro4 rear hub because the noise was like nails on a chalkboard. 1000% improvement!

[@fabianmolyneux2308]

Very timely vid as I'm just looking to upgrade my wheel hubs. Another fantastic job on your part with a very clear and well explained approach

[@hughjanus7354]

Good tip on using any grease you want from a range of thickness, rather than sticking with what manufacturers advise based on their long term testing.

[@saidimon]

Damn!! This video was a hell o a class, Mr. Oz 👏👏👏💪🤓! I prefer a quieter hub and my friends hat-me because of this 😹🙈

[@darrenst441]

Brilliant timimg on your video - i have 2 sets of wheels i am planning on servicing in the next few days and i was wondering how to quieten the set with the DT Swiss hub - then this video comes along ! Thankyou so much 👏👏😆

[@kccheng604]

Such a great and informative video especially for the average weekend warrior. Thank you very much!

[@meibing4912]

Amazing as always! Hate the loud noise myself - but I have it on all my new carbon wheels as it apparently "the thing" when you buy a quality wheel set. 🤣

[@ralfmimoun2826]

In some clutch freehubs you can easily add pawls. Sometimes that's the only difference between the cheap and the pricey hub models of that manufacturer. Older Bontrager come to mind.

[@stuartmurray7876]

Brilliant video. My Mavic Aksium hub that I've had since new sounds like a chainsaw, so it's good to hear that it's not too dissimilar to some of the hubs here.

[@stephanematis]

Learned so much! Thank you!

[@awdtw]

My road bikes all run very thick grease, keeps it quiet, and my MTB's I run thin for maximum noise to alert others on the track. I realised people don't listen too well in urban environments so the loud ratchet noise didn't help vs a bell.

[@sorooshusa]

I dont understand why people like that annoying loud sound of the free hub. I wish it was silent. Even when i ride alone, I dont wanna hear a buzzing noise in the background.

[@Adlemtbadv]

I agree. That's super annoying. But some people get a buzz out of producing annoying sounds. Like people who ride Harley's etc.. No shame. Then again, if you ride road, you'd probably want to bring attention to yourself due to the risks presented by third parties. But while I'm out cycling in the peaceful bush, I'd rather listen to bird song and the wind in my helmet.

[@Gledii]

@@Adlemtbadv yeah, for me its like "bell", just stop pedalling to bring awareness that you are coming. some people got more annoyed if you ring a real bell. i think its sounds cool too. however the lifetime of the hub will be compromised with no grease..how bad? i dont know

[@motogp9253]

If you want a silent hub, pedal more.

[@ovedium]

@@motogp9253 savage

[@ace12699]

They called it. Show off or need attention

[@ariezcapistrano7212]

Love the onyx. Silent! ❤️ I usually repack grease on my Shimano hub and it silences even more ❤️

[@Tucsky]

by far the best video about hub sound I have ever seen !

[@mariog4707]

Excellent video - very informative and straight forward.

[@kris2435]

Thanks for sharing 😊 Found your channel this weekend. Subbed. Now watched 5-ish vids. You Sir may very well run the best🚴channel out there. Well done.

[@Veloasia]

New favorite channel.

[@markrushton1516]

Mapdec featured Corima wheels recently. Completely silent. Beautiful set of wheels as well.

[@lockie3075]

I find it cheaper and easier to use a playing card and clothes peg...

[@wazzup105]

OMG that's what I use to have 50 years ago :-) Good things never die !!

[@sultanabran1]

great video! definitely putting soe 000 grease in my dt swiss hubs. coming from hope pro 4, dt swiss are essentially silent

[@dontpanic7940]

thank you! That video helps me a lot.

[@jojoanggono3229]

I like quiet ticking freehub like those of Shimano Sora. Recently I had my Novatec hub serviced after 5000 km. Replaced all bearing with mix of NTN and Ezo semi contact type, and re-grease the freehub with Finish Line lithium grease. Now it is quieter and roll very smoothly. This is after I noticed there is play in rear wheel and freehub was louder than when first installed. I think NL 1 grease is perfect for freehub, not too heavy and not overly light, like those made by SKF.

[@mr.bianchirider8126]

I’ve been using Phil’s Tenacious. It keeps it fairly quiet. From your video I need to up the thickness.

[@john_john_john]

I've recently bought a bike with a DT Swiss pawl hub, whereas I've had a Mavic ratchet hub before. The points of engagement difference is very noticeable for mountain biking, however the DT Swiss is literally almost silent and, to be honest, I'm willing to sacrifice the points of engagement for the ability to go down a trail and only hear the wind and the tyres.

[@allenjanes5976]

You might like onyx vespers. It's what I use. They are quiet as a church mouse with instant engagement. Only drawback is the price

[@anthonystriglia3533]

With thick enough grease you can make any hub very quiet

[@sloprun]

Thank you. I thought there was no cure for screaming rear hubs.

[@marct9942]

There was a time when the better the freewheel, the quieter.

[@iamcyberpunk68]

I PREFER ZERO NOISE. IT IS OK FOR 15 MINTES OR SO THEN IT BECOMES A PISS OFF.

[@jono1457-qd9ft]

Noise = wasted energy. And it's f'in annoying.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

@@jono1457-qd9ft It is a balancing act . NL GI one grade grease is worth trying .

[@NewEnglandDirtRoadie]

definitely going to do this with an Easton Echo hub. cows stop giving milk when i ride by

[@NewEnglandDirtRoadie]

that worked BRILLILANTLY!!! thanks Oz

[@wtfiswiththosehandles]

I have a pawl and spring hub with 72 points of engagement. And I really regret buying those wheels, it sounds so loud and obnoxious. I will definitely try taking the hub apart to quiet it down using your method, thanks for this video!

[@victorrodriguez2806]

A very good informational video. The sound that a person desires should have absolutely no bearing ( no punn intended ) on the final result of proper maintenance.

[@Jon-Jon53]

Wheel bearing grease or motor assembly grease is best for use in freehubs. It's designed to stay in place and will take much longer to thin out needing more.

Great video, just one thing... Better to use a small brush instead of cotton swab, cause swab leave cotton hairs behind, as seen on 9:00

[@festerofest4374]

For certain. With cotton swabs it's nearly impossible to not transfer some of the fibers (hairs) into the grease and mechanism -- not good.

[@channul4887]

@@festerofest4374only a complete amateur would use a cotton swab aka q tip to apply grease.

[@Raisen1992]

Excellent content!

[@As2ronaut]

Viscous grease is not recommended at low temperatures; the hub may spin without engaging.

[@AK-oz4ew]

Some industrial greases are rated for very low temps and work better than repackaged overpriced "bike" greases that are nothing more than regular thin grease, often low quality

[@53glowe]

Great technical video. But here's the elephant in the room...cyclists who want louder rear hubs are no different to motorcycle riders with loud exhausts, particularly Harley riders. It's a hear me, look at me ego driven attitude. They think it's great, but everyone else thinks they're a tosser. So if you want to be a tosser, or heaven forbid a wanker, go loud. If you think it's for safety reasons, you're hiding behind the real reason you want noise 🤔

[@richardmiddleton7770]

If your freehub body has 4 or 6 pawls, you can shorten 2 or 3 opposing pawls on a grinder by half of the distance between the ratchet teeth. This adjusts the 'phase' that opposing pawls engage. Ali Clarkson has a video on doing this.

[@khamposs]

Un gran trabajo, muchas gracias, saludos desde Chile

[@toriushauser7143]

Outstanding content. Thanks a lot

[@derekhobbs1102]

I've started using those foil BBQ trays for when I'm servicing hubs or anything with small parts that can fall.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

good idea

[@jeffs5519]

What a great vid, thanks mate!

[@dperreno]

Just an observation, the thick grease will get dispersed from the star ratchet face over time, so you will need to reapply periodically to keep the noise down. Also, too much grease can also prevent the ratchet from engaging, so don't dump the whole container of grease in there.

[@dereknovaes4217]

A few years ago I used synthetic spray oil for my BMX hubs! What a beauty that was

[@richardportelance7810]

Oz - thanks again for a great video. Wondering if you have a recommendation for an affordable set of 700c wheels for rim brakes with decent aero profile. Thx!

[@richardjones1777]

Thanks the the video!

[@JohnDoe-oe3dg]

I'd add that -if your hub has like 6 or 4 pawls, removing even half of them while keeping balanced spread of pawls on the hub - won't do anything bad, and decreases the sound significantly. -using thick grease should work, but only temporary, until grease layer won't be spreaded by engaging pawls. If it's too thick and stays to prevent spreading, I think there could be risk of not full pawl engagement. Also, sometimes finding the exact thickness value of the grease is major PITA

[@ThisGuyRides]

depends on the hubs, but removing half the pawls in Bontrager hubs would reduce engagement points from 108 to 54.

[@ukaszwrobel8153]

Greta video. Thanks.

[@m2xtv]

Nice Video! What you say is a good grease for max. Sound like 00 or 000? Which one exactly can you recommend?

[@phillycheesetake]

I'd quite like my hub to be silent. When I can justify one of those sprag clutch hubs I will, but grease is cheaper last time I checked ebay.

[@saifulazlin4185]

very well explained; thumbs up

[@skottIMtri]

Great info again Steve, a question though. My star ring from Elite only contains one spring but the star ring you showed had two.

[@stevenleffanue]

Just use whatever was in the clutch. If there was only one spring then put back one spring in the same place. Different hubs have different arrangements.

[@wrussum1]

Great for Mtn. Biking: In 1985 one of my riding buddies pointed out that one can get close to wildlife much easier with a heavily greased hub.

[@donwinston]

Great video! 👏

[@KP-tf6lf]

I changed mine thanks to playing card and a clothes pin- when i was 7🙄

[@christopheroliver148]

I wonder how much the loudness of the spring sound boils down to the amount of force in the engagement springs. If the opposing teeth were slightly undercut, I think you wouldn't even need that much engagement to guarantee total engagement on pedaling. In that case, the only click would be from the tips of the opposing teeth passing over each other rather than the teeth hitting their full engagement points.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

You are referring to the loudness of the engagement "PAWLS" .

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Pawl tip shape changes harmonics and resonant frequency slightly . I have experimented with this in a machining shop producing pawls on CNC .

[@davidpottage6402]

Are the two star rings interchangeable or do I need to keep track of which is which when I disassemble my hub? Are the two springs different?

[@ironray123]

I find this video "a-pawl-ing".

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

With a motorcycle mechanic friend , I ground a second set of cavities into a Novatec D042SB freehub at positions one third away , or 30 degrees away from the existing ones on CNC and we doubled the increments from 26 ( unmodified ) to 52 points per revolution as a result . We then added a second set of matched pawls .The conversion was successful and another friend is riding with those hubs in - situ with success . A NL- GI no 1 grade grease was applied before re - assembly at the beginning of this year .The hubs are still going strong today .

[@anthonystriglia3533]

I’ve been wondering if this is possible

[@jozefsk7456]

11:42 - nah you will find those small parts again, but it will be a year later or when moving shop. Those buggers will haunt you on purpose. thx for a very informative video

[@SwitchyCrystals]

Louder hub = safer for pedestrians. I commute along the canal and when its windy sometimes my bell doesn't cut through the wind. Winding the pedals in reverse let's them know there's a bike coming

[@timothysinclair8724]

Loud hubs are as annoying as my neighbours barking dog

[@davidhakes5141]

They sound like a fishing reel, with a big bass on the hook, and it's stripping the drag.

[@andrewm6192]

DT Swiss always advise to use their red grease but greese is grease at the end of the day. Been using regular grease on my DT Swiss Pawl type hub for a while nice and quiet 😀

[@henrybikeman]

…grease is grease……Hahaha. Funny guy.

[@thomulcahy]

Good to know that thicker grease will dull the annoying sound.

[@AK-oz4ew]

Unfortunately, the sound reduction is nothing but a temporary thing. You can have better success with thin industrial greases, just make sure they are cold weather rated

[@DannysMyNanny]

I love me some noisy hubs. Have the Zipp ZR1 hubs on a set of 404s

[@Alex-bl6oi]

Great video! I've read other places that grease is only a temporary quieting/fix. Is that true? If so, how long does it stay quiet?

[@stevenleffanue]

Should stay quntill you next need to clean and regrease the clutch....usually after winter.

[@krissk77]

The noise is nice.. alerts others road or trail users u r coming.... fast... slow riders to give way.😂

[@thejuampi]

Master class thanks

[@venombicycle9105]

This has been the unsolved mystery after I saw a guy using DT Swiss 240EXP hub(which is same as mine) but his hub was completely silent. Thanks, guru!

[@tz1]

I have dt swiss 240's with 54t ratchet. put some ceramicspeed long life grease in and it barely makes any noise now. too quiet. hoping it will get a bit noisier soon.

[@Adonis-qj1nq]

@@tz1 How long did it last and did you ever have issues with engagement/slipping? I’d really like to quiet my hubs but don’t know how it works over time.

[@tz1]

@Adonis-qj1nq starting to get noisy again, but i dont mind. Lasts for quite a while. I only noticed a bit of slipping when I put too much ceramic speed all round grease.

[@Adonis-qj1nq]

@@tz1 thx

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Is Slickoleum okay for hub pawls ?

[@christianpaulroldan4010]

I like it

[@Leo-gt1bx]

Are those Contact Speed tyers?

[@akissparaskevopoulos]

Thank You

[@jameschege5360]

Hi kindly help, I need the loudest hub which is the best and where can I buy.

[@insanegixxerdude486]

Thanks for the video. Can you provide the link for the super team carbon wheels star racket upgrade kit?

[@stevenleffanue]

Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out! AU$37.19 30%OFF | Bicycle Hub 60T Star Ratchet Bike Hub Service Kit Ratchet For DT Swiss Ratchet System Freehub Repair Tool Bike Parts Accessories a.aliexpress.com/_mOqDU3K

[@pompeymonkey3271]

I remember stripping down my screw-on freewheels "blocks" in the eighties. This was usually because I'd need to replace a broken pawl and, as a self-funded teenage racing cyclist, the cost of a new block justified the time it took to do the repair! Just don't ask me about tying cotton loops around the pawls to keep them in place for re-assembly... lol :)

[@stevenleffanue]

Yep and loosing those tiny loose ball bearings 😃

[@tobiasmuller5522]

Is it the old 370 Hub on the BMC?

[@dzezydzerk]

it would be great to get links for it.

[@Doeff8]

Very much bikes make a ridiculous loud noise. Do people like this? It's annoying, I'd say typical asocial behaviour. The story that it warns pedestrians proves this: yhou shoudl watch out for them, not the other way around! My bike is very silent, I really love it, but I seem one of the last bikers who love to be swift, silent, and attentive to my environment.

[@speckles9251]

Well done video

[@joshuabuilds3051]

Boy this thumbnail can be hard to look at. I dont think enough was said about drag, and wear. The lighter oil will offer less drag, way more noise, and increased wear on the clutch, when compared to a heavy grease with good anti wearing properties. I think loud hubs became a trend because of younger people entering the sport and perceiving a loud hub to be "high performance" and the louder the more money you can justify spending on it. And then you have a company as old as time like shimano, and they patented a literally silent rear hub. Because cyclists know a quiet bike is a fast bike, no rubs, no squeaks they prioritize quiet and smooth components. I mean even shimano Deore is named that because someone admired the way deer move silently and quickly through thick woods, and thought that was an appropriate name for a mtb groupset.

[@pmbdk]

sound = wasted power

[@E.T_rode_bikes_As_well]

Thicker grease leaves the pawls sticking so for safety purposes I use a lighter one.

[@philippejoseph8604]

There is eventually an other option : Keep on pedaling always ( humour ). It's a joke, I appreciated the very professional video.

Onyx Vesper, how can it be that quiet ? how nevermind they are very expensive

[@pinoyeh]

ahhh, no need for me to change the internal parts just to get a louder sound. I will still stay with my stock set-up. There will be no performance benefits to my riding should I make any changes.

[@40mes]

Energy is required to make noise, and this energy is coming from the rotating wheel. Hence all the hub-chatter is slowing down wheel rotation. Maybe not a lot, but some. With all the concern about saving a few Watts here and there (e.g. aerodynamic socks), I don't understand why wheels that make such noise are commonplace.

[@SlingsAxes]

Are any of those modern hubs made for rim brake wheels?

[@DerFilmgucker]

The freehub systems do not differ between rim and disc brake wheels. These differ by manufacturer & might change over time.

[@molak34]

7:13 you need a ratchet EXP kit

[@duathlete827]

Loud freewheel hubs are absolutely annoying and unnecessary. What reason, other than attention, would you like an annoying noise while your riding.

[@highanddryful]

A fantastic tutorial as always so thanks. Personally I enjoy the loudest clutch as it sure scares the hell out of drifters walking in the middle of a shared path.

[@tomnanD3]

Some of the people I ride with have bikes with freehubs that sound like a bagful of pissed off rattlesnake.

[@benm9469]

The freewheel with thick grease full, to lubricate is not recommended. It can happen that the pulleys suddenly no longer grip. Then you step forward into the void and if you're lucky, you do not fly on the face.

[@christopheroliver148]

Use a .light grease then. I put RockLube SuperWeb in my early 2000 era Campag freehubs, and the palls work well but with only a very soft clicking. I would find the sound of most of these _modern_ freehub mechs very grating.

[@cherish1382]

can you recommend me rd-07 hub grease ? want to reduce noise

[@stevenleffanue]

Because of its 72POE avoid grease that slows the pawl return too much. Lithium complex or lithium polyurea grease would do it nicely.

[@KidFury27]

I don't understand why guys like a noisy free hub these days. When I used to race, I always lubed my hubs to be as quiet as possible so I could silently freehub in the draft and not let the guy in front think I was getting a free ride. Otherwise, I'd get a flicky of the 'ol elbow to take my turn.

[@mauricefrosler5495]

Could you provide a link to the exact kit you bought for the sueprteam wheels I would like to purchase the 60th kit

[@stevenleffanue]

Just found this amazing item on AliExpress. Check it out! AU$37.19 30%OFF | Bicycle Hub 60T Star Ratchet Bike Hub Service Kit Ratchet For DT Swiss Ratchet System Freehub Repair Tool Bike Parts Accessories a.aliexpress.com/_mL13FSe

[@mauricefrosler5495]

@@stevenleffanue thank you very much , this was a great video hopefully no can recognise you when I’m out riding to say hi in person !

[@mauricefrosler5495]

@@stevenleffanue Thanks , recieved the ratchet, would you recommend using the springs supplied or the original springs ? also i have noted the aftermarket one does not move freely as the original when fitted to the hub, its a tight fit ? should i use double springs, is that even possible sorry for the questions, noob at this and i just do not want to damage anything as the space in the freehub is already deformed and waiting for new one from superteam

[@stevenleffanue]

If it's not fitting right, then yes , try different springs or even the washers it came with. Mine fitted with either springs.

[@hinnerkpaulsen3123]

I don´t like loud freehubs. On one of my bikes i have a Shimano NEXAVE FH-IM70 roller freehub wich is absolutely quiet, but unfortunately they don´t build it anymore

[@keacoq]

Useful vidéo. Now to look at my freewheel so loud that itend to keep the pedals turning to avoid hearing it.