Loud freehub love it or leave it?

[Tickdoc]

Uggh...the quieter the better.

Never had kings but I can tell you hate riding next to them.

Most campy hubs are ok not the loudest not the quietest. They have a nice well machined click that is tolerable.

Loudest in my stable is Newest Hunt wheels. They spin up nice and seem well made but the sound is maddening. (not sure which hubs they use?)

Was going to get a silver spur cycle bell for when I ride on the trails for that bike. Turns out all I have to do is stop pedaling and everyone knows I'm behind them!

My favs are dtswiss 240s...sneaky quiet.

I overpack them in an attempt to hush them down.

Now as for cars....the louder the better. My mustang has a "quiet mode" where you can program it to start at a somewhat normal 72 decibels upon startup. Yeah, I haven't activated that feature yet. I run my exhaust as open as possible in drag mode 90 % of the time

[Vientomas]

Originally Posted by kiwisimon

loud is best as a warning sound to others out and about. A quick backpedal is more effective than a bell.

+1

[oldpotatoe]

I overpack them in an attempt to hush them down

Just a note..if the hubs use pawls instead of some sort of opposing ratchet/teeth system like DT or newest Mavic..packing those pawls can make them 'stick down'..and if ya slam into one, and break it, you'll probably break another..Shimano only have 2 pawls, Campag has 3..others more but..just for info..breaking all the pawls and it 'may' be a reason to go see the gent that posted the above(a dentist-)...

[the bottle ride]

Loud and proud since the 90’s when Hugi hubs were a thing.
I like to let the kids know when I am coming.

Give me King, old Campy and I9 any day over those muted excuses of hubs.

(It’s about the engagement- there are not many silent hubs that engage as well other than Profile hubs as these do)

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by d_douglas

I love Hope stuff too, but the noise sometimes pisses me off.

I have found my hope hubs to be really annoying at times. Usually when I'm tired and it's quiet out. I recently rode a long ride on my bike with a Shimano hub, it was a little weird that it was so quiet. But the front disc brake has some problem I need to look at, it squeaks like a dying bird while climbing so that ruined the quiet.

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

just for info..breaking all the pawls and it 'may' be a reason to go see the gent that posted the above(a dentist-)...

Or get life flighted to the nearest head trauma center. Can ruin your ride. I have always been lucky when something happened to my chain, but I recently called 911 for someone that wasn't. The first thing he remembers is being on a helicopter.

[chiasticon]

loud. I9 on the MTB. King and newer Mavic on the road bike. if you don't like the sound of my freehub when I'm on your wheel, ride harder so I have to keep pedaling.

[mcallen]

For me, I like some variety among bikes and wheel sets. I've usually had some quiet ones, but I acquired some louder ones over the past few years. It's grown on me. In group rides and racers, I like the noise because I can try keep tabs on what's going on around me.

That being said, I'm riding a lot of fixed gear this summer and doing some training and racing on the velodrome for the first time. There is much to be said for the elegant silence of these pure race machines.

And then there's my old cross bike and its caterwauling front caliper... but that's a different thread.

[FlashUNC]

Im fine with loud, but not Chris King's buzz. That's nails on a chalkboard to me.

Give me Campagnolo's bowling ball in a dryer sound all day.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Originally Posted by the bottle ride

Loud and proud since the 90’s when Hugi hubs were a thing.
I like to let the kids know when I am coming.

Give me King, old Campy and I9 any day over those muted excuses of hubs.

(It’s about the engagement- there are not many silent hubs that engage as well other than Profile hubs as these do)

Engagement matters on BMX, Trials, MTB. . . on the road? Psh. I'm not going to let freehub sound dictate what I ride, but I certainly prefer quieter hubs (DT350 is fine).

[makoti]

Leave it. Silence is golden.

[Keith A]

I'm not typically bothered by hub noises, but there is a guy in our group that has the loudest hub I've heard -- and I personally don't enjoy listening to it. No matter where you are in the rotation of the paceline -- if he is coasting, you can hear it

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by kiwisimon

Loud is best as a warning sound to others out and about. A quick backpedal is more effective than a bell.

Exactly so you come to a crosswalk and roll the last bit and suddenly all ppl who was previously on a steady projected course is starting to take your path into account and change their own and you cant just slip by unseen. Usually you will have to come down to a stop even and the flow was ruined I guess this is more of a city thing but its def something i dont like about loud freehubs.

[MattTuck]

I remember seeing a ranking of hub noise a while ago, but wonder if there is an updated one.

What are the quietest hubs?

I have White Industries hubs, they seem fairly loud to me, but I only have one road bike, so it is hard to really compare.

[Luwabra]

never coast. always on the rivet.