Why Are Expensive Hubs Noisy Hubs?

[Waldo]

Everybody raves about hubs like Chris King, Hope, etc - great engagement, strength/weight ratio, durable, and so on. But it seems like the expensive hubs are also the noisy hubs, buzzing like a swarm of bees after their honey's been stolen.

So is there a mandatory correlation between hub form and function when it comes to sound? Or does everyone just want noisy hubs that say "look how bling I am"? Do good hubs have to be loud hubs?

[BFloFoxRider.]

im not sure why that is, But i Do like that sound


Actually, its probably because the workers in the factory are deaf maybe?, so they arent even aware they click. They think they make silent badass hubs, But little do they know theyre very noisy..

[el_d00der1n0]

I gotta say, my XT's weren't expensive, but they make a kind of bee noise that I've grown an appreciation for.

There are some though that are so annoyingly noisy. I'd rather be in cheap stealth mode.

[sailcalifornia]

my chris king's sing a beautiful song

[Jordansrealm]

Not sure either! I have Hope Pro II's on my FSR and I plan on running some Chris King's on my SS eventually (they make a nice green color). I look forward to the King's being quieter than the Hope's.

[dubjay]

I would have to argue that Hope does not have great engagement. Only 24pts..less than current year's Shimano.

But I guess they're light..and relatively cheap as far as boutique hubs go.

But to answer your original question, it's mostly due to the way their ratcheting systems work. They try to make them crisp and precise, and in the process, sometimes don't use too much grease. Less grease means less sound dampening.

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by dubjay

But to answer your original question, it's mostly due to the way their ratcheting systems work. They try to make them crisp and precise, and in the process, sometimes don't use too much grease. Less grease means less sound dampening.

So does that mean that if everyone just greased up their Kings they'd get all the performance benefits without the noise?

[thephat]

The DT 240 S 6 bolt hubs are very quiet. They are lighter than any mentioned so far. The bearings are smooth beyond the Hope or King. Reliability is legendary with this hub. The only real down sides are that they lack engagement points compared to a King, only come in black, and are not US made.

[Rob]

Are Hadleys loud? I don't remember.

[dubjay]

Originally Posted by Waldo

So does that mean that if everyone just greased up their Kings they'd get all the performance benefits without the noise?

Too much grease and the ratchets (or ring drive in the case of CK) may not work properly, so I guess it's a fine balance.

[Jordansrealm]

the guys at the path said they found a grease they can add to your hope pro ii hubs to quiet them down. i dont mind the noise once i got used to it but its an option for those seeking silence.

[PacMan]

I'd rather have noisy hubs that worked well than silent cheap ones. I love the noise my Kings make.

[sailcalifornia]

Originally Posted by Rob

Are Hadleys loud? I don't remember.

yes

[Rascal]

Partially on topic, I like the noise my Hope's make. I use it as a pedestrian warning system on the trails. Just coast and they usually hear it from a good enough distance to turn around and spot ya.

[bighit8]

Yep, the ringle hubs I have are loud enough to let people know you are coming.

I imagine the noise has something to do with the pawl design

[MTBMaven]

My guess is the additional prongs engaging produce the extra noise. I too love the sound but don't really notice it anymore.

There is a saying for motorcycles, loud pipes save live. I say loud hubs save lives.

[Pho'dUp]

The sound is the built-in motivation tool reminding your azzes that you should be pedaling more.

My AM Classics are dead silent. But I'm also waiting for them to explode on me one day.

[Devoid169]

Expensive hubs tend to have big egos. They gotta be all loud as to announce their presence - like we can't see gold blingy Hope's from a mile away. Ok, I don't have them - so I'm a little bitter.....

[nintense]

Originally Posted by Waldo

Everybody raves about hubs like Chris King, Hope, etc - great engagement, strength/weight ratio, durable, and so on. But it seems like the expensive hubs are also the noisy hubs, buzzing like a swarm of bees after their honey's been stolen.

So is there a mandatory correlation between hub form and function when it comes to sound? Or does everyone just want noisy hubs that say "look how bling I am"? Do good hubs have to be loud hubs?

And they beat all the above in reliability.
Without the bells and whistling, and even no website, they just makes the best hubs available today.

[Foesnasty]

Originally Posted by Rob

Are Hadleys loud? I don't remember.

my hadleys are silent... I wish there where loud, I think it's kind of cool.. it would remind me to keep pedaling