sysrq

There is nothing one can do, latest bike fashion trends perpetuated by manufacturers are forcing people into desperate measures.



So far only the Hadley seems to have the most pleasant/softest sound.



The original Chinese ones seemed to be slightly notchy/gritty so I have been said to replace them. Then decided to keep the original ones until they develop play or severe notchiness.



Doesn't pawls get forced more in to the theeth of engagement ring by pedalling. Springs are there to keep the contact with the engagement ring only.



Probably will have to learn to live with them since every new upgrade so far had different issues.
There is a reason why people are attracted to platitudes.

cyccommute 

Sing louder.

It’s more than fashion. The more engagement points, the faster the pawls engage and the less lag there is to pedaling. Perhaps 120 teeth is a bit much but there is a reason for more teeth.
So find some Hadleys. There are some old GT hubs that are Hadleys.

That’s still not a reason to keep the hub if you don’t like them. Bearings are cheap and last forever.

No, not really. Without the springs, the pawls might move into partially move into place. But the mass of the pawls is very small and close to the center of rotation. They won’t get thrown out far enough without the springs. The springs are there to pop the pawls into the space behind the ramp of the teeth on the engagement ring. If the spring is shorter, it won’t pop in as far and thus not engage in the same way as with the proper spring. Bottom line, the springs have a purpose and it’s best not to go modifying the hub without thorough knowledge of their purpose.

Iride01

Desperate? Surely this is exaggeration. It just seems you have a part that you don't like and you don't want to get one that you might like.

I too don't like the noise the rear hub on my new bike makes. But the manufacturer hardly forced me to buy the bike. And I have the option to change it out whenever I care to.

sysrq

If product description doesn't include the noise it makes then seller and manufacturer is the only left who is responsible. Not every consumer has the time and patience to research millions of products or always learn the hard way since there are loads of other related and unrelated things that need to be sorted out at the same time.

cxwrench

No, 99.99999999% of the bicycle riders just don't care. Or if they do care they're able to get over it. The vast majority also buy their bikes at a shop and have the chance to listen to it before they buy. If they're buying a wheel chances are they've seen it in person and know what it sounds like.

Geepig

Well, if you really ride 3-8 hours a day in the early morning or at night, then your bike is going to wear out relatively quickly, so it is worth figuring out now what hub is going to work for you and then how you are going to get it.

Similarly, if you are going to buy a bicycle to ride for so long, a test ride is something in which it is worth investing some patience and time, rather than later wasting far more than that amount of time on forums expressing dissatisfaction which that test ride may have avoided.

Less waffle, more shuffle.

Iride01

If your freehub is in any violation of noise requirements and disclosures required by your government, then you should register a complaint.

However, I think what's in play here is that you, like me have been use to quiet freewheels and freehubs and finally after 50 years of riding bikes got something you don't like. I don't like my noisy freehub. When my hub or wheel is ready for replacement or I decide to get a better wheelset, it'll be on my list to get a quieter freehub.

canopus 

squirtdad

some products brag about the noise to quote from chris king web page "All Chris King rear hubs come with that signature, angry-bee sound."

Kovkov

I would remove all the pawls

1. Even more silent
2. You already know it won’t engage so You won’t ride and won’t have an accident because of it.

Win-win

sysrq

Well how could they know if the freehub sounds a lot quieter before factory grease wears down? I could have sent the wheel back but since the bike was necessary for commuting then it was out of the question. And I wasn't sure back then about effects of the noise on mental fatigue/anxiety.

shelbyfv

At this point it's clear you don't want to get a different hub that might better suit you. Go ahead and take out as many pawls as you like, report back on the results.

Dan Burkhart 

I saw an interview with Chris King where he talked about wanting to design a silent hub and thought a roller clutch was the way to go. He said he was surprised to learn that so many riders actually wanted loud hubs, so that's what he made.

Kapusta

OK, I totally get hating a loud hub, but..... anxiety?

Hondo6

Sounds that way to me too. Seems the OP wants someone to suggest a magic potion or ritual that will solve the problem for them using their existing hub and simply doesn't want to listen to, "What you want isn't possible."

Been my experience that magic potions/rituals/wands/wizard's staffs exist in the worlds of Tolkien and Harry Potter, but not in the real world.

squirtdad

simple solution, go fixie. Noise "problem" fixed

Iride01

I don't know. If I were going down a hill at near 40 mph on a true fixie and clipped in to the pedals, I'd be screaming and making all sorts of noise. <grin>

Rdmonster69

My new Domane is very loud. I really don't mind and when I coast on the paths it is as attention getting as a bell. Also it lets all the unwashed masses know that I have a super fancy new bike. I didn't know it was gonna be so oud but wasn't too worked up about it when I noticed it.

My old Trek 2.3 is as silent as a ghost with sore feet.

Also ....three legged stools suck. I had some and the triangle design of the legs made e wobbly AF.

sysrq

I'm trying to find one currently. Even Shimano FH-MT401 with microspline only sounds loud and on the harsh side (metallic rattle).
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...FcEMM7KsVBL15i

Troul 

Honestly, go to a reputable LBS in your area & ask them to recommend a quiet hub. If they are worth there reputation, they should know what to suggest & also provide you with preassembled wheel options, a service to build you what you are after, or use your existing wheel with the recommended hub. It will save you a lot of time potentially & the cost may be within reason, especially when it comes to setting it up for spoke tension with wheel trueness.

squirtdad

my vote for quiet hub, is shimano ultegra 6800. But at this point I don't think it will matter, this will be problem for the OP no matter what. At this point it is not a technical issue, but personal perception issue.

sweeks

Even simpler: keep pedalling!

sweeks

I have this hub, and can confirm that it is very quiet.

shelbyfv

I'll add that the newer Ultegra and DA hubs are dead simple to adjust. No need for anxiety about fiddling with cone wrenches. Still be interested to see how the one pawl works.

sysrq

Went to the bike shop located in a city centre and they couldn't understand the problem while saying that only expensive hubs have cartridge bearings. The only thing they could offer was overpriced 130mm OLD Shimano wheel, while I was asking for 135mm OLD.
Shame American Classic wheels have been discontinued, those seemed to have fairly pleasant ticking noise.