High-end road bikes : very noisy freewheeling - why?

[Jameshow]

Yep, plastic aero bike, deep section wheels, Rapha clothing, with a brown stripe up their back in wet weather

I quite like my classy clickety Hope, Novatech and Fulcrum hubs, good for alerting peds. I didn’t like the Superstar ones though, a rather loud cheap, classless, clickety sound

Im a subtle classy quiet Shimano man myself!

 

[Jenkins]

It just seems so weird that if you're buying a bike for like 3k+ , you also get to freewheel making a noise like a 1950s football rattle 😆

It's designed to draw other riders' attention to your £3000 bike so they can admire it and your wallet

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It’s to stop wheel suckers sitting behind you. If you get an expensive bike you have to race, which means pedalling at all times, and cut out the wheel sucking because you are not fit enough to overtake.

 

[Jameshow]

It’s to stop wheel suckers sitting behind you. If you get an expensive bike you have to race, which means pedalling at all times, and cut out the wheel sucking because you are not fit enough to overtake.

That's me on my £500 carbon bike against £10000 tarmacs and pinnerallo!!🤣🤣

 

[Fredo76]

Personally I think noisey hubs have just been used as a marketing tool to drive profit off the backs of those who feel the need to draw attention to themselves.

Bingo.

Plus, the poor innocents who are unaware, and just have to get used to it. Then, perhaps, learn to love it and become an influencer.

Every day, in every way...

 

[wafter]

How do you know you'll be getting a quiet freehub? I've not owned a "quiet" freehub in a very long time, aside from a pair of cheap shimano wheels that weren't very nice, and fell apart after hitting a pothole once.

Fap knows tbh; would be good to have some idea however so that I can avoid the bloody things in future!

It seems to be the greater number of engagements means it turns more from a clack/click (Hope - 4 pawls) to a buzz (Industry Nine - 6 pawls) with both as noisy as each other

That's interesting as I'd expect more pawls to be quieter as they're smaller; however I guess there's still plenty of room for them when shifting from four to six; less-so when going for many more.

a noisy freehub paired with deep section carbon rims, gives you a "buzz" when freewheeling and a "whoosh whoosh" when pedalling!

A bit like one of those toys for toddlers that makes all sorts of noises when you push / poke / spin various bits of it... only for MAMILs

 

[Mazz]

So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

 

[vickster]

So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

Hub, mine are clickety on steel, Ti and carbon (and historically alu, the Superstar ones!)
I don’t have high profile (deep section)rims

 

[ianrauk]

So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

Its the freehub. My friend who i mentioned previously with the stupidly loud freehub rides Ti on normal size metal rims.

 

[wafter]

So what's the consensus here (if there is one)?
Are they noisy because the carbon frame and high profile rims propagate and amplifiy the noise? Or is it the design of freehub or something else?

They're noisy because of marketing dickheads seeking to exploit the desires of soft-headed attention whores..

 

[matticus]

They're noisy because of marketing dickheads seeking to exploit the desires of soft-headed attention whores..

Please don't beat around the bush.

 

[Dogtrousers]

A while ago I bought myself some wheels from DCR for my birthday. As it was a special treat I chose the snazzier/more expensive Hope hubs.

It didn't occur to me that the freehub would be noisy. And it isn't. It makes a different sound to the Shimano ones, but it's not one of those loud clacky ones.

 

[ianrauk]

A while ago I bought myself some wheels from DCR for my birthday. As it was a special treat I chose the snazzier/more expensive Hope hubs.

It didn't occur to me that the freehub would be noisy. And it isn't. It makes a different sound to the Shimano ones, but it's not one of those loud clacky ones.

I got two sets of hoops form DCR. Both with the same Novatech hubs. I pair has a nice low buzz to them, the other near silent.

 

[Bollo]

They're noisy because of marketing dickheads seeking to exploit the desires of soft-headed attention whores..

I don't think I've ever seen hubs marketed as "noisy". Or for that matter any sort of noise a bike makes. I'm not getting the noise = expensive = attention-grabbing argument at all.

 

[Jody]

They're noisy because of marketing dickheads seeking to exploit the desires of soft-headed attention whores..

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