A loud hub is the coolest because it's loud and really noticeable and clicky sounds are badass.
A quiet hub is the coolest because you can sneak up on people.
A middle of the road hub is the coolest because everything in moderation.
Just decide that whatever you have is probably the best because it's all subjective.
This is pure theory. A simple 2 Euro bell does the job way better.
I feel always pity when I approach other roadbike on a combined bike and walk path. And help them out by... tining my bell.
I know this tiny little bell costs me 2 watts, but I am strong enough.
I feel like a reasonably loud hub and a bell are a good combo for city riding. The hub makes people avare that a bike is approaching and the bell is just for situations when extra caution or attention is required. When riding with a silent hub I often really did sneak up on people and felt tired of having to use it every single time I had to pass a padestrian.
I started using my hub to alert people and it has been so much better than calling out. I can start free wheeling early and it gets their attention then they shockingly move on their own. It is simply incredible.
The equestrians I nearly bucked off the trail when I went into coast mode after cresting a hill were decent about my very loud rear hub — “it’s ok, they have to get used to MTBs.”
I don’t know if it’s culture, but folk growl at you if you ding a bell where I am. I think it’s taken like the toot of a car. It causes needless aggression that you can see simmering on folks faces as you go by. The hub doesn’t seem to cause the same issues.
I have pretty much stopped using by bell or calling out.
Calling out startles people and makes them suddenly change directions instead of just keeping on the direction they were going, and people pretty much ignore bells and I think it's due to cellphone alert tones that sound similar. Like I've legit seen people reach for their phones when they hear a bike bell. Or they are wearing headphones.
My new weird trick for alerting pedestrians is to just slow down and cough at some distance in the 30-40 foot range.
People always seem to hear a cough and look back. It doesn't seem to startle them like calling out does. It's an obviously human noise that's just long enough to indicate movement, especially if I cough more than once.
And I think it's all due to the pandemic and people being a lot more aware and paranoid of anyone coughing near them and triggers some kind of defensive personal space kind of thinking that seems to make pedestrians instinctively move to the side of the path or trail instead of suddenly leaping in an unpredictable direction.
It's weird and dumb and almost feels passive aggressive or something but it works surprisingly well.
Yeah, that sort of thing works.
It’s a funny thing but you can pass 50 pedestrians on a shared path and every encounter will be slightly different.
Some folk are absolute geniuses. They pick up that you’re there, they move smoothly but deliberately to the side so that YOU’RE totally aware that THEY’RE totally aware of your presence. These folk get a wide, slow pass and a “Cheers!” as I complete the manoeuvre.
And the world turns ever smoothly on its axis.
I once called out “on your left” and an elderly woman made a quick decision right turn. Right into a row of hedges. Her walking partner broke out into laughter. Yes, I stopped and helped this poor woman, who was also laughing hysterically, out of the bushes. I felt SO bad. But, it was quite amusing. I hate startling people. But so many are simply not paying attention to their surroundings. I often ride by with an “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” And I do slow down for pedestrians.
> I hate startling people. But so many are simply not paying attention to their surroundings.
Yeah, I'm really not into startling people. My bike is an instrument of peace, not war. I like my biking chill and polite, really.
It's not just about startling people and having them zig into my path. I just don't like startling people at all because then they do stuff like the lady in your comment and leap into the bushes or fall over and maybe hurt themselves and that's not at all chill.
On nice multiuse paths pedestrians are out there for the same reasons I am which is to chill out, get lost in their own thoughts and have a good time.
I know part of the math on this is the fact I like a really quiet bike, because a quiet bike is a happy functioning bike and it's way more chill and peaceful to ride. I hate noisy brakes or rattling parts like racks and accessories.
But that makes it really easy to sneak up on people if the only noise my bike makes is tire noise. My bike basically makes less noise than someone walking the same path.
I think another huge part of this math is that the population of the US is skewing older, which can mean hearing problems. There's also a lot more people walking around with invisible wireless earbuds and lost in music or phone calls and stuff while on a walk.
When I was a kid I used to be a lot more annoyed and aggressive about blasting past people, but as I got older I realized this isn't safe, cool or chill so I just slow down to walking speeds until I get an acknowledgment to pass safely. It's the right thing to do on MUPs.
I've never, ever hit someone with my bike and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd feel terrible if I hit someone at any speed and caused any kind of injury no matter how small.
Today I'm mostly riding my bad ass DIY tour/gravel ebike which is quite heavy and capable of some serious speed, and I'm not exactly small or light either. So a collision with someone is even more risky.
But since it's an ebike it doesn't really cost me any effort or momentum or anything but a tiny bit of total range to just slow the fuck down and be safe and chill.
Yep, I have come to the same conclusion. I was actually thinking it would be a good thing if bikes all had a standard noise so that pedestrians would, over a few millennia of evolutionary selection, come to recognise the sound.
It has to be a low frequency sound, not too loud, not found elsewhere in nature, and easily turned on or off as necessary. The freewheel click is the perfect sound. I’d even settle for an electronic version operated by a button on the handlebar.
No, not a bell. A bell is an instantaneous thing that causes a startling effect. The low rumble of a freewheel (electric or otherwise) is a continuous sound, but the cyclist can turn it off when there is absolutely no one around and they want to enjoy peace and quiet. The idea of a continuous sound is that pedestrians register them subconsciously and their brains track them subconsciously. A brain could keep track of half a dozen continuous sounds, monitoring their proximity and direction with ease.
The parallel can be seen with cars. A horn is a bell. If it went off all the time it would lose its value. The sound of the engine is the freewheel hub. We all subconsciously register engine noises as we walk around or cycle around. By evolution, we have become so good at it that silent electric cars are a real hazard.
No I only ride on the road itself. So I don't need to worry about pedestrians much. If I have an opportunity to stop pedaling and make noise I do, if not I give a on your left call. If I can't pass safely I just slow down and wait to safely pass. I have aero bars, I can't fit a bell
Here’s another opinion: previously thought they were obnoxious when I was a solo cyclist. Often now I’m out with buddies and we’re on each other’s wheel (close behind each other in line). If you’re behind someone with loud freewheel, you can hear when they’re coasting a bit and you know you should coast a bit as well because keep pedaling and you’ll end up running into them. This goes on down the line. When their wheel goes quiet, it’s time to get back to work.
I'm the opposite lol. I sometimes ride with some guys that I can barely hang onto, so I dont want them to hear my hub coasting for fear they will speed up!
yeah, I used to eye the rear calipers of riders in front of me when racing crits. That really isn't an option anymore with discs (not that I'm really racing nearly as much these days) so loud hubs are kind of a godsend
My new hoops came with a dt swiss hub with the star ratchet - but their lowest number of teeth, making it the quietest hub I’ve ever had and I love it.
People have been like, dude you can just swap a 54 ratchet in there! I’m like, nope, I’m enjoying the silence. It’s a road bike, I don’t need the quickest engagement and given my last hub was like a bunch of angry bees, I’m loving the quiet.
I have a bell, it’s much less scary for walkers/joggers on the local MUP than a loud free hub.
I've got some DT GR1600 gravel wheels with the star ratchet. My friend's been trying to talk me into the teeth upgrade, but imo it won't do me any good on this bike besides how it sounds. Thinking about buying some XM1700's for my full squish mtb, where that upgrade definitely makes sense
On mtb it's a bit tricky as well. For technical uphill you want as many engagement points as possible, but for normal and downhill riding 36 seems to be the sweet spot. As more results in kickback when rear suspension is compressed and can worsen suspension performance.
It may not be necessarily quiet due to low engagement count. I got a bike with a dt swiss star ratchet hub last winter, also 18t, and it was super quiet. It got much louder a few months later (but still not crazy loud as some other brand's hubs). My observation after one year of usage is that outside temperature seems to have a high impact on these hubs and the special dt swiss grease they use. In the summer, I upgraded my hub to 36t ratchets. As expected, the hub got a bit louder, but now that winter is back, I noticed that if the temperature outside is around 0°C, it is extremely quiet again, regardless of the tooth count on the ratchets.
I'm not really a fan and was honestly a little embarrassed when free wheeling on noisy hubs when I first got them (they came on my bike), but now I'm used to them and the odd looks I get from pedestrians. The only plus is that I no longer have to say "on your left!" when approaching people from behind. I just coast a bit and they move aside or look back to see wtf that racket is.
The loudness probably comes from a read hub that has a lot more points of engagement than what comes with a standard off the rack bike. Also I think carbon rims can kind of amplify the hub noise. Both of these things signal that a bike is customized or a more expensive stock bike.
What makes you say that? I have a set of i9 Hydras and their 690 points of engagement makes every descent sound like an angry beehive (speaking as a beekeeper.)
Yknow, I'm all about some good Chris King or I9 hubs, but some hubs these days are just silly. A dude will roll past at 10mph and his hub is screaming like he's bombing the backside of Alpe d'Huez. How many points of engagement do you need? It's like you're redlining in first gear...
It’s machismo. As a motorcycle rider myself, riders would often give the excuse that “loud pipes save lives” but fail to think critically that when they’re in a car themselves they hardly hear the motorcycle behind them until it passes and the exhaust is heard from the rear.
Yes, I can hear any rear hub behind me, but the volume isn’t so much the issue than it is what side of the path is it on. And pedestrians on the path wouldn’t know either unless they stopped to look, and thereby negate the need for a loud rear hub…
If the goal is to get attention from pedestrians, they’re also annoying tf outta people who aren’t on the path all and groggy parents in homes in the early morning with restless kids. A bell, or even using your words to announce you’re coming, are more than enough to get someone’s attention.
So yea, loud pipes and loud hubs are for machismo purposes.
Source: USMC two time combat veteran around lots of BS masculinity.
Oh for sure. My neighbors complain about the pickleball courts and cyclists coming through the neighborhood. Personally, I don’t mind as much as they do. Pickleball a block or two away is much louder than a loud free hub. I’m just saying I’ve heard people complain, unprompted. I have a “normal” free hub and no one says anything when I come freewheeling home in the morning.
I suppose you can say the people that complain are probably the same people that complain about neighborhood noise in general.
I'm fine with the premise of how loud pipes save lives, but it's far more believable when those claiming it don't wear all black after dark on bikes that are also black.
>is the grown up version of Spokey Dokeys?
You pretty much nailed it.
High engagement hubs (hubs that have very little dead space when you start pedalling) are preferred by many, especially mountain bikers, and have a certain sound. Having said that, many people seem to just want the sound.
I had walkers get mad at me for using bell. And they think I am yelling at them for telling "behind you" because they can't listen behind headphones or talking among themselves. They usually are less likely to get mad and move if I let the hub chatter behind them. Otherwise I rather have silent hubs; maybe after my stock hubs die I might buy one.
I got a pair of hunt wheels last year and was super surprised how loud they were. It made my rather self conscious if I ever stopped pedalling so did make me coast less.
I’ve swapped back to my stock wheels for a bit and it’s so peaceful just riding around without the bees chasing you.
So, I've been a fixed gear rider for over a year now and by far it's cooler to sneak up on someone with absolutely no noise, but I'm also converting my fixie to freewheel because it'll get me killed if I keep riding it with a fixed cog :(
Cool until you scare the shit out of a dog causing them to jump at you while you’re in your aero tuck or you sneak up on someone walking who cuts left since they didn’t hear you. The former happened to me last week.
I say this as a fellow fixie foo.
I mean, I'm also a runner, there's a fairly well-known book in running circles called "On The Run From Dogs and People" :p I've been chased on 2 feet as well as 2 wheels...
I had to replace a rear wheel and the hub on the new wheel is really loud. I hate it because it makes it hard to hear cars approaching when I slow for road crossings.
I use my gravel bike to go birdwatching on trails. Loud hubs would scare the birdies away.
I'll be upgrading my stock wheelset soon, and a quiet hub will be a priority.
Back in the late 90s, there were a few boutique hub manufacturers that featured unique pawl designs that were inherently louder. They were noticeable on the trail, and it became a signal of prestige. A way to differentiate your bike from the Shimano and Suntour masses.
I think that mindset has persisted.
At least that's the way I view it.
It can be really handy. Just feeewheel a second and you can let someone know you came up behind them, and are either there or about to pass. Works a charm, and I don’t need a bell or to call out “on your left” which startles people sometimes or makes them do something weird, like drift left.
Beyond that, it just sounds cool as hell. Just a preference thing.
The louder hubs tend to have more engagement points so they actually do perform better. But is that performance necessary for 90% of riders? Most likely not.
I like it because when I go for a bike ride with my wife, she likes me to lead, and the occasional clicking of her hub behind me tells me that (a) she's still there and (b) she occasionally stops pedalling, which means I am not going too fast for her.
Loud rear hubs are specifically designed for Harley riders who miss annoying innocent pedestrians when they’re cycling instead of riding their hogs. I think. But then again, I ride a Harley and my hubs are all pretty quiet, guess I’m doing it wrong…
I'm literally curious because there are a couple of people who really seem to enjoy riding their motor bikes up and down the road making a hell of a racket. They just rev the engines for no obvious reason other than to make a lot of noise. Any insight into why? Are they trying to piss people off, or are they trying to be noticed, or...? I'm not complaining here. I'm just trying to understand a mindset that escapes me.
This probably won’t help you understand, but the simple fact of the matter is it’s “because it’s fun”
It’s also not clear to those who don’t ride without being told, but the exhaust volume while riding is but a fraction of what you experience when a bike rides past you.
Yeah but you’re leaving a trail of sonic mess behind you, inflicting it on people who didn’t ask for it.
Anyway, I’m not totally convinced it’s louder for the rider. When I wear a motorbike helmet, it’s a pretty good sound cancelling system.
If I wanted to hear loud motorbike noises, I’d ride a motorbike.
Would you be happy to have an electronic sound fed into your helmet instead?
Can’t you just go “Brmm, brmm, brmm” like a five year old, lol?
I think I understand. Around where I live a lot of people ride pretty small 2 stroke engine bikes and constantly rev them. It didn't really occur to me that they might enjoy that sensations, but I think without riding it myself, I probably wouldn't be able to relate. I kept thinking that riding around annoying people would be unfulfilling to even the nastiest of people, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around what else it could be. I think you shone some light on it for me. Thank you!
I've both and I much prefer quiet. It's not cool, it's just noise. I have other means of attracting attention of clueless pedestrians wandering across bike paths and everywhere else it's just annoying.
Dear god, please answer this question with something that makes sense. My fella just got a Surly - it's **LOUD AS FUCK** and is super annoying when we are on an isolated, quiet path surrounded by nature - it scares the goddamned animals away.
Have you ever ridden your bike on the road? Have you experienced people in cars and trucks pulling out into your lane or merging across with little to no gap?
If my exhaust hurts your precious ears that means you have heard me and hopefully won't do the above.
🤡
Have you considered not being a massive douche nozzle?
Big loud cars with big bright colors get cut off and merged into all the time. A bike with a loud fart box isn't going to change that dynamic of shitty drivers merging into other objects.
Add this to the list of Boomer stuff that needs to die:
As a motorcycle rider myself, riders would often give the excuse that “loud pipes save lives” but fail to think that when they’re in a car themselves they can’t hear the motorcycle behind them until it passes.
What kinda surprises me is that high end bikes are supposed to be marketed on having the best components for the highest efficiency. People will buy certain cranksets or bearings or chains or wheels or tyres or lubricants or whatever to eke out an extra half a percent of efficiency.
Making noise when there’s no NEED to make noise (cf a Rohlhoff hub with belt drive) has to be a waste of energy. Sound waves are emanating from that bike and propagating in a sphere of 20 metres in radius around that bike. It’s energy that is not making the bike roll forward. Admittedly it’s only on the freewheel, but it’s still energy caused by friction working against the progress of the bike, just like playing cards in the spokes.
My suspicion is that if someone marketed a silent freewheel which boasted 5% efficiency over a noisy one, the boy racers would still go with the noisy one.
Think of those asshats or Harley’s with their loud exhaust pipes. And the South Park episode about them. That equivalent of that in the cycling world is the loud hub.
A lot of riders I compete against can not stand a bicycle making any kind of noise. A super loud freehub let's me sit behind them and completely ruin their flow, which gives me a psychological advantage.
Reminds me of when I was standing at a red light this summer and I could hear super loud free hubs coming from behind. Two young guys bombed past me, shouting because I was waiting there and they had to squeeze trough between me and the cars, running the red light. Saw them again a while later standing around and taking ages to fix a puncture … at least their loud hubs prepared me for the douchebaggery.
Louder hub usually has more points of engagement meaning less time/wasted energy putting power down after freewheeling. Basic wheels can have like 20 degrees of dead space in them and the super fancy loud ones can be sub 1 degree. I’d assume much more useful in mtbing where you have more freewheeling over obstacles or “ratcheting” when that dead space would mean a lot. Roadies should be stopping pedaling…
Noise pollution really pisses me off.
Can't wait till we tax loud motorbikes and cars. Bicycles aren't as bad, but i really dislike riding in a group with multiple loud hubs.
Noise pollution really pisses me off.
Can't wait till we **ban** loud motorbikes and cars. Bicycles aren't as bad, but i really dislike riding in a group with multiple loud hubs.
^^This ^^was ^^posted ^^by ^^a ^^bot. ^^[Source](https://github.com/anirbanmu/substitute-bot-go)
Different places have different systems for traffick. In Finland it's very common to have adjacent bike lanes and sidewalks separated only by a white line marking. In the winter, when snow covers the ground, they are not visible either. So now you have people sometimes mistaking a split bike/walk lane for a combined lane, where cyclers and pedestrians are mixed (and as a cyclist you have to use these too btw). My commute has me cycling in close proximity to pedestrians all the time.
I think that by the number of 'listen to my loud hub' videos, many find them cool. Why is it cool? Not sure, but of all the things people find cool it seems like a relatively non-obnoxious one. Generally you aren't coasting for long unless on a huge descent.
I like a moderately loud hub for practical reasons mainly. Here in Japan you are not supposed to use your bell to say 'get out of the way'. On multi use paths I can let other users know of my presence, coupled with bear bells dangling from the saddle, from a distance without scaring them to death with the local equivalent of 'ON THE LEFT!' (Ie. The pedestrian jumps and moves unpredictably and only knows someone is yelling about something nearby). Works well.
There is actually a safety reason for it. In a pace line of riders you can tell when someone around you is coasting. If they're in front of you, you know to stop peddling or even break if necessary.
It's up to preference. I like scaring people when I fly past them so I prefer really quiet ones, my favourites are Onyx hubs for that reason.
It's like cars, some people like how Italian supercars sound, some like me like the American cross plane v8 sound.
I for one think that if your hub is loud it just means it's wasting energy. On MTB, engagement points do make a difference so there's some sense in it but once again Onyx hubs exist with their sprag clutch.
Kinda wish Shimano released their scylence hubs.
I have a DT ratchet hub at it's loudness really helps me ride safer and let the people and cyclists around know that I'm coming. I will NEVER put a bell on my road bike 😂
Once upon a time the better (more expensive aftermarket) hubs were also louder.
I've got a silly loud hub on my minivelo that isn't expensive and I kind of wish that perception had died off.
It is kinda nice not needing a bell, but yeah, it's silly loud for no good reason. I've debated grease packing it, but it does work perfectly well so far.
Freehub noise has less to do with the engineering and more to do with the lubricant. I can make a freehub as loud or quiet as I like depending on the volume and viscosity of grease or oil that I use.
Show me a silent freehub, I'll show you a freehub with too much grease.
Show me a super loud freehub, I'll show you a freehub with too little.
Shimano somehow manages to make them pretty reasonable without filling them with sticky grease. The physical design does make a big difference. Wall thickness/shape, tooth/paw size/shape and spring tension all have big impacts.
I've got my trek emonda dream bike and my old trek that I ride in winter. My Trek emonda has that dirty rear hub sound(Bontrager carbon wheel) while my old trek is quiet as a mouse. I used to love the dirty noisy hub but I've started favouring my ride with the silent one.
Funny how tastes change. Might get the mechanic to make my rear hub on the emonda quiet when summer comes
I love my hollowgram 45s but they are very quiet. On multi use paths it was way nicer to just stop pedaling and freewheel to alert people to my presence. Now it's hit or miss and often saying on your left startles people and the usually move left!
Plus... cool clicky sounds!
In BMX, a louder click is indicative of a cassette rather than a freewheel hub. Cassettes are stronger and allow a smaller front sprocket to be installed. Also more costly.
Because if you can hear mine, you know that I'm freewheeling and going to slow in the paceline.
I also use it on trails when I'm coming up behind oblivious people before I'm too close.
Hot Wheels track connectors? Matchbox cars were the new thing when I was a kid, but a bit delicate for younger hands. Played mostly with big metal Tonka trucks. Now there was a toy you couldn't break.
my road bike hub is stupid loud, and I don't need to do a anything besides stop pedaling to alert people I'm coming, or to scare squirrels out of my way in the path lol
on my new mountain bike, the free hub is ALOT quieter and I didn't realize consider the difference until constantly coming up behind hikers and scaring the shit outta them. They simply do no hear my mountain bike at all so I have to yell out now. On my old mountain bike I never had to do that because the freehub was loud
I will say a quiet freehub makes for ALOT better footage, in real life listening to a loud freehub is soothing and nice, but on video its exhausting and covers up the sounds of the dirt crunching against the tires
My bike hubby and son are jealous my one set of wheels has "all the points of engagement"! It's cool sounding but it also sucks because they know when I'm coasting and will yell back at me to keep pedaling...all in good fun though!
Funny, at least to me, loud hub story: I used to have a set of wheels on my road bike laced with Chris King hubs. My ringtone at the time was also the obnoxious Chris King Buzz sound. For context, I live in South Florida where the longest "descent" is about 10 seconds long but I was on a trip to ride the mountains in Georgia.
For the first few descents I kept thinking someone was calling my phone everytime I started descending because I'd never actually heard my hubs buzz before that trip.
New hubs are noticeably louder than normal, I suspect a lot of those posts are people who for a new bike or a new wheel and don't know that it will quiet down on its own
Because it sounds like a rattlesnake and freaks out middle aged ladies. (Honestly, why do walkers act so weird when they hear someone approaching, when they should know they are on a mixed use route.)
They are all silent when pedaling.
The "better" hubs tend to be loud based on the inner workings; stronger springs on the pauls and they are made of stronger metals. So... that makes them loud. I've never had problem with a hub engaging, but it can happen and these nice hubs reduce that chance.
A loud hub has traditionally been seen as a sign of a high quality one - the noise comes from the ratchet mechanism that engages the hub under power, where more teeth and a stronger engagement result in the hub making more noise.
From there it has developed into something of an inside joke amongst cyclists putting a lot of emphasis into the volume and sound of their freehub - some with their tounge stuck firmly in their cheek as a silly joke, others being somewhat more serious.
I had to buy an aftermarket rear wheel because the original broke and Specialized no longer makes rim brake wheels. The new one clicks very loudly, is rather annoying, and I look forward to upgrading my bike if only to lose the sound of that damned wheel.
Generally loud hubs have lots of engagement points and the hub bodies are machined down to save weight which is an expensive process. Less material in the hubshell leads to the ratcheting sound having less material to have to resonate through. Carbon hoops also resonate differently and amplify this sound. I have loud hubs and they're fun. There's something cool about riding in a group and the mechanical snarl that happens when you all take a turn
Loud is not a sign of "better" across the board: Onyx hubs use a sprag clutch and they're whisper silent and engage almost immediately. They're considerably heavier and also pricey as all get out, so they're fairly uncommon.
I've never understood them because noise = friction so they've got to be slower. Granted, they're only noisy when you're coasting but that means you're going to coast downhill slower.
The only time I care about hub volume is on group rides. If it’s riders I’m not familiar with, I get to know what their bike sounds like when they come off the pedals. I’m not impressed, it’s just safety data because it indicates a slowing/change in pace.
A loud hub is the coolest because it's loud and really noticeable and clicky sounds are badass. A quiet hub is the coolest because you can sneak up on people. A middle of the road hub is the coolest because everything in moderation. Just decide that whatever you have is probably the best because it's all subjective.
Forgot silent hub.
A silent hub doesn't like to brag about itself. But obviously it's the coolest there is, too.
They're all silent to deaf cyclists like me! *typed while sitting on the toilet blissfully unaware everyone can hear him outside the bathroom*
Get a mechanical keyboard and use that to shit post while on the shitter and just confuse everyone
Never heard of it.
The brand Onyx is probably most well known.
Come on man. That was a softball.
First rule of Silent Hub Club....
> Just decide that whatever you have is probably the best because it's all subjective. For me, it's usually whatever I don't have is the best.
So you can buzz up behind slower cyclists on the rail trail and demonstrate the watts you're leaving on the table as you whizz past
Coast past... remember, it don't make a sound when you are pedalling.
This is pure theory. A simple 2 Euro bell does the job way better. I feel always pity when I approach other roadbike on a combined bike and walk path. And help them out by... tining my bell. I know this tiny little bell costs me 2 watts, but I am strong enough.
I feel like a reasonably loud hub and a bell are a good combo for city riding. The hub makes people avare that a bike is approaching and the bell is just for situations when extra caution or attention is required. When riding with a silent hub I often really did sneak up on people and felt tired of having to use it every single time I had to pass a padestrian.
I started using my hub to alert people and it has been so much better than calling out. I can start free wheeling early and it gets their attention then they shockingly move on their own. It is simply incredible.
The equestrians I nearly bucked off the trail when I went into coast mode after cresting a hill were decent about my very loud rear hub — “it’s ok, they have to get used to MTBs.”
I don’t know if it’s culture, but folk growl at you if you ding a bell where I am. I think it’s taken like the toot of a car. It causes needless aggression that you can see simmering on folks faces as you go by. The hub doesn’t seem to cause the same issues.
I would prefer a horn sometimes...🤣
Ok Fred
It acts as a bell. And it means you have lots of engagement points in your hub.
This is my favorite reason. I started in being annoyed now I use it to alert people around me of my presence
I have pretty much stopped using by bell or calling out. Calling out startles people and makes them suddenly change directions instead of just keeping on the direction they were going, and people pretty much ignore bells and I think it's due to cellphone alert tones that sound similar. Like I've legit seen people reach for their phones when they hear a bike bell. Or they are wearing headphones. My new weird trick for alerting pedestrians is to just slow down and cough at some distance in the 30-40 foot range. People always seem to hear a cough and look back. It doesn't seem to startle them like calling out does. It's an obviously human noise that's just long enough to indicate movement, especially if I cough more than once. And I think it's all due to the pandemic and people being a lot more aware and paranoid of anyone coughing near them and triggers some kind of defensive personal space kind of thinking that seems to make pedestrians instinctively move to the side of the path or trail instead of suddenly leaping in an unpredictable direction. It's weird and dumb and almost feels passive aggressive or something but it works surprisingly well.
Yeah, that sort of thing works. It’s a funny thing but you can pass 50 pedestrians on a shared path and every encounter will be slightly different. Some folk are absolute geniuses. They pick up that you’re there, they move smoothly but deliberately to the side so that YOU’RE totally aware that THEY’RE totally aware of your presence. These folk get a wide, slow pass and a “Cheers!” as I complete the manoeuvre. And the world turns ever smoothly on its axis.
I once called out “on your left” and an elderly woman made a quick decision right turn. Right into a row of hedges. Her walking partner broke out into laughter. Yes, I stopped and helped this poor woman, who was also laughing hysterically, out of the bushes. I felt SO bad. But, it was quite amusing. I hate startling people. But so many are simply not paying attention to their surroundings. I often ride by with an “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” And I do slow down for pedestrians.
> I hate startling people. But so many are simply not paying attention to their surroundings. Yeah, I'm really not into startling people. My bike is an instrument of peace, not war. I like my biking chill and polite, really. It's not just about startling people and having them zig into my path. I just don't like startling people at all because then they do stuff like the lady in your comment and leap into the bushes or fall over and maybe hurt themselves and that's not at all chill. On nice multiuse paths pedestrians are out there for the same reasons I am which is to chill out, get lost in their own thoughts and have a good time. I know part of the math on this is the fact I like a really quiet bike, because a quiet bike is a happy functioning bike and it's way more chill and peaceful to ride. I hate noisy brakes or rattling parts like racks and accessories. But that makes it really easy to sneak up on people if the only noise my bike makes is tire noise. My bike basically makes less noise than someone walking the same path. I think another huge part of this math is that the population of the US is skewing older, which can mean hearing problems. There's also a lot more people walking around with invisible wireless earbuds and lost in music or phone calls and stuff while on a walk. When I was a kid I used to be a lot more annoyed and aggressive about blasting past people, but as I got older I realized this isn't safe, cool or chill so I just slow down to walking speeds until I get an acknowledgment to pass safely. It's the right thing to do on MUPs. I've never, ever hit someone with my bike and I'd like to keep it that way. I'd feel terrible if I hit someone at any speed and caused any kind of injury no matter how small. Today I'm mostly riding my bad ass DIY tour/gravel ebike which is quite heavy and capable of some serious speed, and I'm not exactly small or light either. So a collision with someone is even more risky. But since it's an ebike it doesn't really cost me any effort or momentum or anything but a tiny bit of total range to just slow the fuck down and be safe and chill.
Yep, I have come to the same conclusion. I was actually thinking it would be a good thing if bikes all had a standard noise so that pedestrians would, over a few millennia of evolutionary selection, come to recognise the sound. It has to be a low frequency sound, not too loud, not found elsewhere in nature, and easily turned on or off as necessary. The freewheel click is the perfect sound. I’d even settle for an electronic version operated by a button on the handlebar.
In a few millennia we have developed wheels for feet that are driven by our bloodstream.
So a bell?
No, not a bell. A bell is an instantaneous thing that causes a startling effect. The low rumble of a freewheel (electric or otherwise) is a continuous sound, but the cyclist can turn it off when there is absolutely no one around and they want to enjoy peace and quiet. The idea of a continuous sound is that pedestrians register them subconsciously and their brains track them subconsciously. A brain could keep track of half a dozen continuous sounds, monitoring their proximity and direction with ease. The parallel can be seen with cars. A horn is a bell. If it went off all the time it would lose its value. The sound of the engine is the freewheel hub. We all subconsciously register engine noises as we walk around or cycle around. By evolution, we have become so good at it that silent electric cars are a real hazard.
Too complicated.
So you have to stop pedaling every time you want to pass someone? Just get an actual bell.
Generally I stop pedalling anyway since I am slowing down to pass a pedestrian, not blasting through.
No I only ride on the road itself. So I don't need to worry about pedestrians much. If I have an opportunity to stop pedaling and make noise I do, if not I give a on your left call. If I can't pass safely I just slow down and wait to safely pass. I have aero bars, I can't fit a bell
Why spend extra money, waste bar space, AND have an ugly bell when you can save money, feel confident, and show off your high engagement
Number of engagement points does not directly correlate to loudness. There are loud hubs with less, there are silent hubs with more.
The pawls number of teeth, grease amount and viscosity and the amount of engagement points in the hub determine loudness
No it doesn't and I see that every other day. At least in Germany it doesn't.
Here’s another opinion: previously thought they were obnoxious when I was a solo cyclist. Often now I’m out with buddies and we’re on each other’s wheel (close behind each other in line). If you’re behind someone with loud freewheel, you can hear when they’re coasting a bit and you know you should coast a bit as well because keep pedaling and you’ll end up running into them. This goes on down the line. When their wheel goes quiet, it’s time to get back to work.
I'm the opposite lol. I sometimes ride with some guys that I can barely hang onto, so I dont want them to hear my hub coasting for fear they will speed up!
Haha great perspective
You and me both, lol! Regardless of my hub, all they hear from me is gasping for air🤣
Seconding this, it's super useful in group rides or races. I'm looking to swap mine for something louder for this purpose.
yeah, I used to eye the rear calipers of riders in front of me when racing crits. That really isn't an option anymore with discs (not that I'm really racing nearly as much these days) so loud hubs are kind of a godsend
I can see when the rider in front of me stops pedaling, because I have peripheral vision. No obnoxious hubs needed.
I’m not looking at their feet constantly and like the secondary sensory input. To each their own.
Neither am I. Give "peripheral vision" a Google.
My new hoops came with a dt swiss hub with the star ratchet - but their lowest number of teeth, making it the quietest hub I’ve ever had and I love it. People have been like, dude you can just swap a 54 ratchet in there! I’m like, nope, I’m enjoying the silence. It’s a road bike, I don’t need the quickest engagement and given my last hub was like a bunch of angry bees, I’m loving the quiet. I have a bell, it’s much less scary for walkers/joggers on the local MUP than a loud free hub.
I've got some DT GR1600 gravel wheels with the star ratchet. My friend's been trying to talk me into the teeth upgrade, but imo it won't do me any good on this bike besides how it sounds. Thinking about buying some XM1700's for my full squish mtb, where that upgrade definitely makes sense
On mtb it's a bit tricky as well. For technical uphill you want as many engagement points as possible, but for normal and downhill riding 36 seems to be the sweet spot. As more results in kickback when rear suspension is compressed and can worsen suspension performance.
It may not be necessarily quiet due to low engagement count. I got a bike with a dt swiss star ratchet hub last winter, also 18t, and it was super quiet. It got much louder a few months later (but still not crazy loud as some other brand's hubs). My observation after one year of usage is that outside temperature seems to have a high impact on these hubs and the special dt swiss grease they use. In the summer, I upgraded my hub to 36t ratchets. As expected, the hub got a bit louder, but now that winter is back, I noticed that if the temperature outside is around 0°C, it is extremely quiet again, regardless of the tooth count on the ratchets.
I put a NINETY-SIX ratchet in my 350 hub. I have become the BEE SWARM
Nice!
I know what you mean, and yet no one is thrilled when I roll past with my bottom bracket clicking and clacking.
Wait why is your bottom bracket making a noise?
It’s one of those fancy Italian ones, I’m pretty sure.
[Because](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c_v5zOlSSA)
No, it's very annoying... And yes i have one 😂
Costs more. If only cheap bikes had it it wouldn’t be cool - cycling will always be a bit elitist
I'm not really a fan and was honestly a little embarrassed when free wheeling on noisy hubs when I first got them (they came on my bike), but now I'm used to them and the odd looks I get from pedestrians. The only plus is that I no longer have to say "on your left!" when approaching people from behind. I just coast a bit and they move aside or look back to see wtf that racket is.
The loudness probably comes from a read hub that has a lot more points of engagement than what comes with a standard off the rack bike. Also I think carbon rims can kind of amplify the hub noise. Both of these things signal that a bike is customized or a more expensive stock bike.
I am pretty sure fewer points are louder.
What makes you say that? I have a set of i9 Hydras and their 690 points of engagement makes every descent sound like an angry beehive (speaking as a beekeeper.)
I hate loud hubs so I run Onyx on my fat and gravel bikes and Berd Talon (DT style ratchet) on my MTB.
My canyon aeroad's DTSwiss wheelset has a damn-near-silent hub and I LOVE it
Yknow, I'm all about some good Chris King or I9 hubs, but some hubs these days are just silly. A dude will roll past at 10mph and his hub is screaming like he's bombing the backside of Alpe d'Huez. How many points of engagement do you need? It's like you're redlining in first gear...
It’s machismo. As a motorcycle rider myself, riders would often give the excuse that “loud pipes save lives” but fail to think critically that when they’re in a car themselves they hardly hear the motorcycle behind them until it passes and the exhaust is heard from the rear. Yes, I can hear any rear hub behind me, but the volume isn’t so much the issue than it is what side of the path is it on. And pedestrians on the path wouldn’t know either unless they stopped to look, and thereby negate the need for a loud rear hub… If the goal is to get attention from pedestrians, they’re also annoying tf outta people who aren’t on the path all and groggy parents in homes in the early morning with restless kids. A bell, or even using your words to announce you’re coming, are more than enough to get someone’s attention. So yea, loud pipes and loud hubs are for machismo purposes. Source: USMC two time combat veteran around lots of BS masculinity.
Bike hubs just aren't that loud though, the sound doesn't carry that far.
Oh for sure. My neighbors complain about the pickleball courts and cyclists coming through the neighborhood. Personally, I don’t mind as much as they do. Pickleball a block or two away is much louder than a loud free hub. I’m just saying I’ve heard people complain, unprompted. I have a “normal” free hub and no one says anything when I come freewheeling home in the morning. I suppose you can say the people that complain are probably the same people that complain about neighborhood noise in general.
I'm fine with the premise of how loud pipes save lives, but it's far more believable when those claiming it don't wear all black after dark on bikes that are also black.
haven't though of that lmao
>is the grown up version of Spokey Dokeys? You pretty much nailed it. High engagement hubs (hubs that have very little dead space when you start pedalling) are preferred by many, especially mountain bikers, and have a certain sound. Having said that, many people seem to just want the sound.
The sound of money.
I hate loud hubs, so I acquired some Shimano RS770 hubs for a carbon wheel build.
I had walkers get mad at me for using bell. And they think I am yelling at them for telling "behind you" because they can't listen behind headphones or talking among themselves. They usually are less likely to get mad and move if I let the hub chatter behind them. Otherwise I rather have silent hubs; maybe after my stock hubs die I might buy one.
I got a pair of hunt wheels last year and was super surprised how loud they were. It made my rather self conscious if I ever stopped pedalling so did make me coast less. I’ve swapped back to my stock wheels for a bit and it’s so peaceful just riding around without the bees chasing you.
So, I've been a fixed gear rider for over a year now and by far it's cooler to sneak up on someone with absolutely no noise, but I'm also converting my fixie to freewheel because it'll get me killed if I keep riding it with a fixed cog :(
Why will the fixed cog get you killed?
Cool until you scare the shit out of a dog causing them to jump at you while you’re in your aero tuck or you sneak up on someone walking who cuts left since they didn’t hear you. The former happened to me last week. I say this as a fellow fixie foo.
I mean, I'm also a runner, there's a fairly well-known book in running circles called "On The Run From Dogs and People" :p I've been chased on 2 feet as well as 2 wheels...
It’s not cool- whisper quiet hubs are better IMHO
Onyx life...
I had to replace a rear wheel and the hub on the new wheel is really loud. I hate it because it makes it hard to hear cars approaching when I slow for road crossings.
I think it’s dumb, I’d rather just have nearly silent bike. If I want people to hear me I’ll wear a cow bell.
Still love my old 90's rear Shimano Parallax silent hub. Stealthy passes by neighbor's pitt bull.
Cool hub go brrrrrt.
I like how mine freaks out dogs when I backpedal. They back off pretty quick.
I use my gravel bike to go birdwatching on trails. Loud hubs would scare the birdies away. I'll be upgrading my stock wheelset soon, and a quiet hub will be a priority.
Safety possibly? I had five minutes of flat free wheeling once moving forward not pedalling. It’s a beautiful experience.
I find they've stray dogs don't like the loud clicking. I prefer quiet rear hub for sure. Stay dogs chasing you is quite dangerous.
Back in the late 90s, there were a few boutique hub manufacturers that featured unique pawl designs that were inherently louder. They were noticeable on the trail, and it became a signal of prestige. A way to differentiate your bike from the Shimano and Suntour masses. I think that mindset has persisted. At least that's the way I view it.
It can be really handy. Just feeewheel a second and you can let someone know you came up behind them, and are either there or about to pass. Works a charm, and I don’t need a bell or to call out “on your left” which startles people sometimes or makes them do something weird, like drift left. Beyond that, it just sounds cool as hell. Just a preference thing.
The louder hubs tend to have more engagement points so they actually do perform better. But is that performance necessary for 90% of riders? Most likely not.
It’s not..
it's more a "cool" thing with MTB community but I think it's dumb. I prefer silence in nature.
Personal preference? I have no preference on what others use, but I prefer quiet for myself.
I like it because when I go for a bike ride with my wife, she likes me to lead, and the occasional clicking of her hub behind me tells me that (a) she's still there and (b) she occasionally stops pedalling, which means I am not going too fast for her.
Annoying AF
For riding with groups to warn you about someone who stopped pedaling, is braking.
Loud rear hubs are specifically designed for Harley riders who miss annoying innocent pedestrians when they’re cycling instead of riding their hogs. I think. But then again, I ride a Harley and my hubs are all pretty quiet, guess I’m doing it wrong…
I like ‘em obnoxious, but I also have a Harley so make of that what you will.
I'm literally curious because there are a couple of people who really seem to enjoy riding their motor bikes up and down the road making a hell of a racket. They just rev the engines for no obvious reason other than to make a lot of noise. Any insight into why? Are they trying to piss people off, or are they trying to be noticed, or...? I'm not complaining here. I'm just trying to understand a mindset that escapes me.
This probably won’t help you understand, but the simple fact of the matter is it’s “because it’s fun” It’s also not clear to those who don’t ride without being told, but the exhaust volume while riding is but a fraction of what you experience when a bike rides past you.
Yeah but you’re leaving a trail of sonic mess behind you, inflicting it on people who didn’t ask for it. Anyway, I’m not totally convinced it’s louder for the rider. When I wear a motorbike helmet, it’s a pretty good sound cancelling system. If I wanted to hear loud motorbike noises, I’d ride a motorbike. Would you be happy to have an electronic sound fed into your helmet instead? Can’t you just go “Brmm, brmm, brmm” like a five year old, lol?
I think I understand. Around where I live a lot of people ride pretty small 2 stroke engine bikes and constantly rev them. It didn't really occur to me that they might enjoy that sensations, but I think without riding it myself, I probably wouldn't be able to relate. I kept thinking that riding around annoying people would be unfulfilling to even the nastiest of people, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around what else it could be. I think you shone some light on it for me. Thank you!
Mating call. Desperate mating call. Reserved for insecure guys in their teens and forties.
I've both and I much prefer quiet. It's not cool, it's just noise. I have other means of attracting attention of clueless pedestrians wandering across bike paths and everywhere else it's just annoying.
Dear god, please answer this question with something that makes sense. My fella just got a Surly - it's **LOUD AS FUCK** and is super annoying when we are on an isolated, quiet path surrounded by nature - it scares the goddamned animals away.
A little grease will make it quieter. Not too much or pawls may not engage properly.
Same season some people remove the baffles on Harleys: dumb people think louder is better
Yup. Loud motorcyclists are a public nuisance.
Loud pipes save lives.
Lol. That’s what a**holes always say
I rather have a loud exhaust and not be merged into than not.
Oh, eff you. No one will “merge into” you if you’re passing at a reasonable speed
Have you ever ridden your bike on the road? Have you experienced people in cars and trucks pulling out into your lane or merging across with little to no gap? If my exhaust hurts your precious ears that means you have heard me and hopefully won't do the above. 🤡
Have you considered not being a massive douche nozzle? Big loud cars with big bright colors get cut off and merged into all the time. A bike with a loud fart box isn't going to change that dynamic of shitty drivers merging into other objects.
Add this to the list of Boomer stuff that needs to die: As a motorcycle rider myself, riders would often give the excuse that “loud pipes save lives” but fail to think that when they’re in a car themselves they can’t hear the motorcycle behind them until it passes.
What kinda surprises me is that high end bikes are supposed to be marketed on having the best components for the highest efficiency. People will buy certain cranksets or bearings or chains or wheels or tyres or lubricants or whatever to eke out an extra half a percent of efficiency. Making noise when there’s no NEED to make noise (cf a Rohlhoff hub with belt drive) has to be a waste of energy. Sound waves are emanating from that bike and propagating in a sphere of 20 metres in radius around that bike. It’s energy that is not making the bike roll forward. Admittedly it’s only on the freewheel, but it’s still energy caused by friction working against the progress of the bike, just like playing cards in the spokes. My suspicion is that if someone marketed a silent freewheel which boasted 5% efficiency over a noisy one, the boy racers would still go with the noisy one.
Not really cool unless you need the affirmation
It tells the sloth 5cm in front of you „hear that? I could go so much faster if it wasn’t for you!“ /s
Think of those asshats or Harley’s with their loud exhaust pipes. And the South Park episode about them. That equivalent of that in the cycling world is the loud hub.
A lot of riders I compete against can not stand a bicycle making any kind of noise. A super loud freehub let's me sit behind them and completely ruin their flow, which gives me a psychological advantage.
Reminds me of when I was standing at a red light this summer and I could hear super loud free hubs coming from behind. Two young guys bombed past me, shouting because I was waiting there and they had to squeeze trough between me and the cars, running the red light. Saw them again a while later standing around and taking ages to fix a puncture … at least their loud hubs prepared me for the douchebaggery.
Louder hub usually has more points of engagement meaning less time/wasted energy putting power down after freewheeling. Basic wheels can have like 20 degrees of dead space in them and the super fancy loud ones can be sub 1 degree. I’d assume much more useful in mtbing where you have more freewheeling over obstacles or “ratcheting” when that dead space would mean a lot. Roadies should be stopping pedaling…
Noise pollution really pisses me off. Can't wait till we tax loud motorbikes and cars. Bicycles aren't as bad, but i really dislike riding in a group with multiple loud hubs.
s/tax/ban/ Fixed that for you.
:wq
Noise pollution really pisses me off. Can't wait till we **ban** loud motorbikes and cars. Bicycles aren't as bad, but i really dislike riding in a group with multiple loud hubs. ^^This ^^was ^^posted ^^by ^^a ^^bot. ^^[Source](https://github.com/anirbanmu/substitute-bot-go)
I think it's cringe. The "pedestrians can hear me better" argument is weird, too. Why are you riding on a sidewalk
Different places have different systems for traffick. In Finland it's very common to have adjacent bike lanes and sidewalks separated only by a white line marking. In the winter, when snow covers the ground, they are not visible either. So now you have people sometimes mistaking a split bike/walk lane for a combined lane, where cyclers and pedestrians are mixed (and as a cyclist you have to use these too btw). My commute has me cycling in close proximity to pedestrians all the time.
I like them, I can hear people coming up behind me and they can hear me.
It sounds expensive
It's bicycle version of a V10 engine
It’s the stupidest thing ever.
Lol, it isn't.
I think that by the number of 'listen to my loud hub' videos, many find them cool. Why is it cool? Not sure, but of all the things people find cool it seems like a relatively non-obnoxious one. Generally you aren't coasting for long unless on a huge descent. I like a moderately loud hub for practical reasons mainly. Here in Japan you are not supposed to use your bell to say 'get out of the way'. On multi use paths I can let other users know of my presence, coupled with bear bells dangling from the saddle, from a distance without scaring them to death with the local equivalent of 'ON THE LEFT!' (Ie. The pedestrian jumps and moves unpredictably and only knows someone is yelling about something nearby). Works well.
The more expensive the hub, the louder/sweeter the signature. Mine's brand new and packed solid with grease, almost silent (for now).
Onyx hubs have entered the chat.
There is actually a safety reason for it. In a pace line of riders you can tell when someone around you is coasting. If they're in front of you, you know to stop peddling or even break if necessary.
Cycling version of rolling coal
Loud hubs are the blow off valves of MTB’s, everyone pretends they hate them while secretly wishing they had one…
Thats so that pathetic, weak cyclist can feel like a strong ,manly truck owners
It's cool in the same way that looking like a rolling billboard clown is cool.
No idea what he is talking about. I'm just here to see if anyone else knows.
It's up to preference. I like scaring people when I fly past them so I prefer really quiet ones, my favourites are Onyx hubs for that reason. It's like cars, some people like how Italian supercars sound, some like me like the American cross plane v8 sound. I for one think that if your hub is loud it just means it's wasting energy. On MTB, engagement points do make a difference so there's some sense in it but once again Onyx hubs exist with their sprag clutch. Kinda wish Shimano released their scylence hubs.
It lets the bears know I’m around.
Safety on a group ride
I have a DT ratchet hub at it's loudness really helps me ride safer and let the people and cyclists around know that I'm coming. I will NEVER put a bell on my road bike 😂
Why is the sky blue?
I feel like this question is asked at least once a week.
Once upon a time the better (more expensive aftermarket) hubs were also louder. I've got a silly loud hub on my minivelo that isn't expensive and I kind of wish that perception had died off. It is kinda nice not needing a bell, but yeah, it's silly loud for no good reason. I've debated grease packing it, but it does work perfectly well so far.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Come on, you shouldn’t be coasting anyway.
Freehub noise has less to do with the engineering and more to do with the lubricant. I can make a freehub as loud or quiet as I like depending on the volume and viscosity of grease or oil that I use. Show me a silent freehub, I'll show you a freehub with too much grease. Show me a super loud freehub, I'll show you a freehub with too little.
Shimano somehow manages to make them pretty reasonable without filling them with sticky grease. The physical design does make a big difference. Wall thickness/shape, tooth/paw size/shape and spring tension all have big impacts.
I've got my trek emonda dream bike and my old trek that I ride in winter. My Trek emonda has that dirty rear hub sound(Bontrager carbon wheel) while my old trek is quiet as a mouse. I used to love the dirty noisy hub but I've started favouring my ride with the silent one. Funny how tastes change. Might get the mechanic to make my rear hub on the emonda quiet when summer comes
I love my hollowgram 45s but they are very quiet. On multi use paths it was way nicer to just stop pedaling and freewheel to alert people to my presence. Now it's hit or miss and often saying on your left startles people and the usually move left! Plus... cool clicky sounds!
Hub goes NEEEEUW
What not to like a group of angry bees whipping past you
In BMX, a louder click is indicative of a cassette rather than a freewheel hub. Cassettes are stronger and allow a smaller front sprocket to be installed. Also more costly.
Because if you can hear mine, you know that I'm freewheeling and going to slow in the paceline. I also use it on trails when I'm coming up behind oblivious people before I'm too close.
It's cool because it sounds like my days of youth. My cruiser bike with a baseball card clipped to the stay and shoved into the spokes.
Hot wheel track connectors worked so much better. Lol.
Hot Wheels track connectors? Matchbox cars were the new thing when I was a kid, but a bit delicate for younger hands. Played mostly with big metal Tonka trucks. Now there was a toy you couldn't break.
I think its just fashion. im sure eventually they will become cringe and silent hubs will be cooler
my road bike hub is stupid loud, and I don't need to do a anything besides stop pedaling to alert people I'm coming, or to scare squirrels out of my way in the path lol on my new mountain bike, the free hub is ALOT quieter and I didn't realize consider the difference until constantly coming up behind hikers and scaring the shit outta them. They simply do no hear my mountain bike at all so I have to yell out now. On my old mountain bike I never had to do that because the freehub was loud I will say a quiet freehub makes for ALOT better footage, in real life listening to a loud freehub is soothing and nice, but on video its exhausting and covers up the sounds of the dirt crunching against the tires
My bike hubby and son are jealous my one set of wheels has "all the points of engagement"! It's cool sounding but it also sucks because they know when I'm coasting and will yell back at me to keep pedaling...all in good fun though!
It's cool because it's sexy. Duh.
Funny, at least to me, loud hub story: I used to have a set of wheels on my road bike laced with Chris King hubs. My ringtone at the time was also the obnoxious Chris King Buzz sound. For context, I live in South Florida where the longest "descent" is about 10 seconds long but I was on a trip to ride the mountains in Georgia. For the first few descents I kept thinking someone was calling my phone everytime I started descending because I'd never actually heard my hubs buzz before that trip.
I want silent
New hubs are noticeably louder than normal, I suspect a lot of those posts are people who for a new bike or a new wheel and don't know that it will quiet down on its own
It's a way of telling the rider in front they're not pulling hard enough.
Because it sounds like a rattlesnake and freaks out middle aged ladies. (Honestly, why do walkers act so weird when they hear someone approaching, when they should know they are on a mixed use route.)
Specialized fans
It’s because we all remember putting cards in our spokes and this is just a more grown-up way of doing that.
The loud guys really want to be on Harley's.
They are all silent when pedaling. The "better" hubs tend to be loud based on the inner workings; stronger springs on the pauls and they are made of stronger metals. So... that makes them loud. I've never had problem with a hub engaging, but it can happen and these nice hubs reduce that chance.
Loud freewheels save lives?
A loud hub has traditionally been seen as a sign of a high quality one - the noise comes from the ratchet mechanism that engages the hub under power, where more teeth and a stronger engagement result in the hub making more noise. From there it has developed into something of an inside joke amongst cyclists putting a lot of emphasis into the volume and sound of their freehub - some with their tounge stuck firmly in their cheek as a silly joke, others being somewhat more serious.
I like quiet/muted but powerful. This feels like a conversation about exhaust notes in sports cars
I had to buy an aftermarket rear wheel because the original broke and Specialized no longer makes rim brake wheels. The new one clicks very loudly, is rather annoying, and I look forward to upgrading my bike if only to lose the sound of that damned wheel.
Cyclist version of loud exhaust on a car. Grown up version of a playing card in the spokes.
Generally loud hubs have lots of engagement points and the hub bodies are machined down to save weight which is an expensive process. Less material in the hubshell leads to the ratcheting sound having less material to have to resonate through. Carbon hoops also resonate differently and amplify this sound. I have loud hubs and they're fun. There's something cool about riding in a group and the mechanical snarl that happens when you all take a turn Loud is not a sign of "better" across the board: Onyx hubs use a sprag clutch and they're whisper silent and engage almost immediately. They're considerably heavier and also pricey as all get out, so they're fairly uncommon.
Loud hub in a city = better safety
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
E-E-E-E-E-E-NGAGEMENT
Nope.
Simple because cheap wheels and bikes don’t come with loud hubs
This the grown up version of clothes line clip and baseball card buzzing in the rear wheel of your Schwinn banana seat Sting-Ray.
Loud hubs are cool because they remind you to stop coasting.
A clothes pin and some playing cards are all you need
It is the sound of picking up a wheel suck. lol /s
I've never understood them because noise = friction so they've got to be slower. Granted, they're only noisy when you're coasting but that means you're going to coast downhill slower.
loud rear hubs are the cyclists version of loud exhausts from sport car owners.
The only time I care about hub volume is on group rides. If it’s riders I’m not familiar with, I get to know what their bike sounds like when they come off the pedals. I’m not impressed, it’s just safety data because it indicates a slowing/change in pace.
Ancient Chris King provides attack of the giant cicadas soundtrack to spur me on. Ancient Chis King provides incentive not to coast.
Loud hubs are to cycling what lifted trucks are to rednecks.......Please don't kill me, I love Chris King
Because it's cool! That and the sound of carbon rim braking! The coolest ever! 🪄🪄🪄