I was thinking about this thread yesterday as I got 'one last ride' in before our 6 inches of snow today (thinking about youse New England members - you're really gonna get it). Beautiful day with light winds and light traffic on the SRT. I focused on the FW on my Raleigh Professional: 1984 Suntour Perfect ultra 6. I have no worries about taking FWs apart for a complete clean and lube. I'm convinced its the only way to ensure no contamination is left and the lube is where I want it. This FW was done last winter and now has about 900 miles on it. I use John Deere Polyurea grease (the green stuff) on the bearings, a film on the catches for the pawls and a bit of oil on the pawl pivots.

I know this FW ticks away but its real quiet. With only a bit of wind noise in my ears I cannot hear the FW underway. Same for my Nishiki Suntour FW. Very quiet. I have a '95 Trek ZX7000 mtn bike that may have the "police hub" I've read about. It makes no noise at all. The '95 Trek 850 ticks quietly. I like quiet hubs and FWs. Goes with the quiet trails I get to ride.