Bicycle Mechanics - Secret revealed to Shimano's silent freewheel cogs!

They use monkey poo grease! :lol::lol::lol::eek::roflmao::roflmao:

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You can expect the monkey ninja squad in the morning. Big mouth.

roller ratchet :innocent:

I wasn't aware Shimano made a "silent" single speed freewheel. I did know about the silent multi-cog freehub bodies that allow cops to sneak up on perps without announcing their presence.

I've been tripping out on that this week. Finally mounted a wheel I had picked up from Craigslist on my commuter and removed the old 7 speed I had borrowed from my '91 Sekai Mountaineer since this bike came to me sans wheels. The first few times I coasted and didn't hear whiz-clicking coming from the rear wheel I was scratching my head. Still not used to it. Not sure how I feel about the silent running, tempted to put a card in the spokes!

I've been tripping out on that this week. Finally mounted a wheel I had picked up from Craigslist on my commuter and removed the old 7 speed I had borrowed from my '91 Sekai Mountaineer since this bike came to me sans wheels. The first few times I coasted and didn't hear whiz-clicking coming from the rear wheel I was scratching my head. Still not used to it. Not sure how I feel about the silent running, tempted to put a card in the spokes!
Almost all Shimano freehubs and freewheels are very quiet so there is nothing unique about what you have. As I mentioned above, they do make a completely silent freehub body for the police market but even their standard ones are very quiet. You want noise? Buy Campy, Chris King or DT hubs and you will certainly get your wish.

Yup. Probably a DT variant but I have a bontrager hub that clicks so loud and "throaty" that it's hard to believe one could create such a noise even if you tried purposely to design it that way.

I had a shimano "police hub" a while ago and can't remember what I built it into. Must have given it away. It was completely silent --almost scary.

Shimano 105 5500 9-speed = ninja hub

Shimano's police freehub is called the Silent Clutch. I have one stashed in my garage.

I like my drivetrain to be as quiet as possible. Since I live in a very hot climate, I can run grease in the pawls. They become whisper quiet.

I just can't understand people who like "loud hubs". When I'm riding early in the morning on a nature preserve (The Back Bay, Newport Beach, CA), almost no one out yet, the calm waters, the sun just peeking out, birds chirping etc, it's always magical. The only sound are from the birds, waterfowl, the purring drivetrain and the tire's contact with the tarmac. I would never ever consciously buy a noisy hub.

Well, to each its own.

Having been brought up with noisy European freewheels, I can't help feeling that there MUST be something wrong with those silent Shimano freehweels!

I just can't understand people who like "loud hubs". When I'm riding early in the morning on a nature preserve (The Back Bay, Newport Beach, CA), almost no one out yet, the calm waters, the sun just peeking out, birds chirping etc, it's always magical. The only sound are from the birds, waterfowl, the purring drivetrain and the tire's contact with the tarmac. I would never ever consciously buy a noisy hub.

Well, to each its own.

Oh, I like everything silent a lot of the time too, and especially in the circumstances you describe, but had gotten used to a fairly loud rear hub. Going to a nearly silent one (it makes about normal noise when I walk it) was kind of a shock. I also ride a lot of hills in the city, and something about the noise coming from the rear hub in a very steep long descent brings me a special joy. This is on my commuter, for my touring rig I'd be quite happy with a silent or nearly silent rear hub.

I feel you though, I can't stand to have any other noise - locks jangling, drivetrain squeeking from a rusty chain, or fenders rattling. When I hear these noises coming from other commuters' bikes I wince and wonder how they can live with their ride sounding like that.

Yup. Probably a DT variant but I have a bontrager hub that clicks so loud and "throaty" that it's hard to believe one could create such a noise even if you tried purposely to design it that way.

I had a shimano "police hub" a while ago and can't remember what I built it into. Must have given it away. It was completely silent --almost scary.
The high dollar Bon. wheels use the DT hubs. Sounds as bad a a diesel.

I take apart my shimano freehubs and add a heavier piano wire spring to make sure it doesn't skip when I use a grease gun to lube it when I overhaul my hubs. Even after the grease thins my hubs aren't as noisy as Campy or DT's.

Oh, I like everything silent a lot of the time too, and especially in the circumstances you describe, but had gotten used to a fairly loud rear hub. Going to a nearly silent one (it makes about normal noise when I walk it) was kind of a shock. I also ride a lot of hills in the city, and something about the noise coming from the rear hub in a very steep long descent brings me a special joy. This is on my commuter, for my touring rig I'd be quite happy with a silent or nearly silent rear hub.

I feel you though, I can't stand to have any other noise - locks jangling, drivetrain squeeking from a rusty chain, or fenders rattling. When I hear these noises coming from other commuters' bikes I wince and wonder how they can live with their ride sounding like that.

+1

My Shimano freewheel is not that quiet. Many moons ago, I had a Suntour that was nearly silent, unless you rode past something and got an echo. You want a loud single speed freewheel? White Industries or ACS Claws. (of course the ACS will need to be cracked open and oiled, before it can be ridden reliably.)

Having been brought up with noisy European freewheels, I can't help feeling that there MUST be something wrong with those silent Shimano freehweels!

Was playing with a few of my bikes and showing my friend this and that... he was pretty impressed with the old Regina freewheel on my racing bike as it is virtually silent.

The Shimano Silent Clutch hub is not a police specific hub but is very quiet because it uses rollers instead of conventional pawls and also has the benefit of not being susceptible to cold weather issues like a standard Shimano freehub which is also relatively quiet.

Always liked the sound Suntour freewheel hubs made although this varies quite a bit my model.

Always liked the sound Suntour freewheel hubs made although this varies quite a bit my model.


the new Winner freewheels were good. My touring hub was a 13-32 7spd and the racing freewheel was a 13-24 7spd

I take apart my shimano freehubs and add a heavier piano wire spring to make sure it doesn't skip when I use a grease gun to lube it when I overhaul my hubs. Even after the grease thins my hubs aren't as noisy as Campy or DT's.
Hmmm. If I understand this correctly, you substitute a heavier pawl spring to overcome the extra resistance from the grease it doesn't need? :D

The high dollar Bon. wheels use the DT hubs. Sounds as bad a a diesel.

I had become convinced that my noisy bontrager was actually getting "resonance" help from the CF frame. Being firmly attached to the drops it definitely felt like the larger tubes were acting like resonance amplifiers. Weird.

The high dollar Bon. wheels use the DT hubs. Sounds as bad a a diesel.

....and takes about one minute to fix with a simple screwdriver and a little grease. My DT hubs are quite quiet!

....and takes about one minute to fix with a simple screwdriver and a little grease. My DT hubs are quite quiet!

do tell :)

do tell :)

Take a flat blade screwdriver and insert it between the cassette and spokes and gently twist. This will pop the end cap off and you can slide the entire cassette body off the hub and expose the star ratchets. Clean and lube and simply shove the thing back together. Literally takes a minute. :-)

meh they quietest I heard is a suntour superb pro. I have one. Euro hubs get annoying on the downhills

They only make noise when you aren't pedaling. Keep your feet moving and all hubs are silent. ;)

on that note who makes the loudest hub/wheel. a wheel that transmits the most noise.

I used to be able to use a Phil Wood freewheel injector tool to inject almost any multi-speed freewheel. But these days, I need to take apart and re-lube the internals by hand and re-assemble. But for my vintage bikes, it still works like a charm and make them stealthy silent. I find also that a few drops of Phil Tenacious oil in the cracks of a freewheel and 30 minutes to let soak will drastically reduce the pawl noise too.