Kapusta

It is sad that 20+ years of real world proof that high end cartridge bearing hubs are as reliable and robust as cup and cone hubs has duped people into thinking that high end cartridge bearing hubs are as reliable and robust as cup and cone hubs.

Just another example of people paying too much attention to real world results and not enough to conjecture and theoretical navel gazing.

eduskator

But what's ''right''? That is the question!

guachi

This is awesome. I so want to get one (no, TWO!) of these for the next LBS group ride.

Doomrider74

The Spesh rear hub on my Tarmac SL6 is pretty loud: I should really take it apart and put some grease in there but I quite like the fact it alerts others to my presence, and its not as rude as a bell.

Kimmo 

Is designing for the straightest load path theoretical navel gazing?

Didn't think so. Okay, everyone but Shimano can go back to the freehub drawing board.

Unless you're cool with starting with an inherent flaw for the sake of the manufacturer's convenience... But it'd be nice if you could just admit that.

Kapusta

It is navel gazing to be arguing that a design is flawed when there is 20+ years of proof that it actually works very well.

Some engineers apparently determined that despite the issue you bring up, the bearing would still hold up fine. And time has proven them right.

You know what IS a flawed design? A hub that is trashed is someone drops the ball on the bearing maintenance. If you are a mechanic, you have surely seen this many, many times. The reality is that most people do not do the needed adjustments and maintenance on cup and cone hubs. A design which does not account for this real world fact is flawed, IMO.

You know what IS robust design? One that lets you replace the part that wears out. Though the reality (you know what actually happens in the real world) is for high end hubs that takes a looong time.

Kimmo 

Campy deserves props for being the only mob I know of who ever bothered to supply replacement cups, illustrating that it's not inherently game over for a worn loose ball hub... Not that it should come to that, since the cone goes first, then the balls, at which point it should be pretty obvious something's up.

The problem with them requiring adjustment isn't really related to the user - the fact is, loose ball hubs generally come way too tight from the factory, and too many bike shops are happy to leave them that way so they can extol the benefits of a shiny new cartridge bearing wheelset when the customer comes back in a year or two with trashed cones.

If they're properly adjusted (which come on, is pretty easy to get right), most riders will never have a reason to touch them before a rim wears out. Sounds pretty damn robust to me, but capitalism.

downtube42

OMG this is what my Mitsubishi outlander phev is missing! I have been reading about hacks on the low speed noisemaker, but screw that.

SoSmellyAir

The kids should take off the wheel reflectors to decrease rotational mass so that they can pedal faster for better Turbospoke sound. Although it would be inadvisable for the manufacturer to suggest this.

MinnMan

Mavic wheels can be built around different model and different brand hubs. You want to find out what kind of hubs these particuular wheels have.

But honestly, from all your different posts and threads on this subject, I think you would be happier with something cheaper and lower end.

aplcr0331

People with loud hubs wave more.

fooferdoggie 

I just got the 350's and they are and quiet or a bit more quiet then the Shimano deore they replaced Only here it once in awhile.

JohnJ80

I don’t think the 350 was “upgraded” to the new EXP ratchet system (ie “Ratchet EXP 36”). It’s still on the old “Ratchet System 18” according to DT Swiss website. Only the 240 and 180 hubs were changed to the new system. So, yeah, the 350s should be nice and quiet.

smashndash

350 was upgraded to 36T SL, which is lighter than the standard 36T. You are correct that it's not EXP. To be fair, I highly doubt DT Swiss has shipped the new 350s yet.

The 370 was upgraded from 3 pawl to 18T star ratchet.

Shimagnolo

Loud hubs save lives!


OK, seriously; Back about 1997, I bought a new wheel with a Phil Wood hub. It was the loudest freehub I'd had ever heard. It sounded like a one-pound bumblebee hovering near my rear hub when coasting.

Fast forward ~12 years. It began making a horrible new noise when coasting, so I sent it in to Phil Wood for an overhaul. When I got it back it was silent. I mean dead silent!

I was so curious that I called them up to ask what had been changed/upgraded. Their answer:
"We just replaced the worn-out parts and packed it full of grease. Nothing was changed."

Symox

I have loud and quiet hubs. I find i coast longer with the louder hubs that I own. I can quiet them down with grease but it slows them down so I use chainsaw oil (it’s tacky and sticks well to metal) and enjoy the sound of speed

fooferdoggie 

lucky me.

gat3keeper

I don't want to have a hub that is so loud if my bike is not that crazy expensive. lolz

I mean.. I see lot of people buying cheap chinese loud hub to make their bike crazy loud. Just me... I prefer a quiet bike unless I have a TDF bike capable.

JohnJ80

nope. Mine have been upgraded to 54. Wheelbuilder had a special on that when I bought the wheels. I also have another set with 36T.

rousseau

I was inspired by this thread to pack some more grease into the hubs of the Zipp 404s that I bought used last year. I never liked the "angry bee" sound of the rear hub, and on this evening's ride they sounded normal. How long will this normalcy last? Dunno. Fingers crossed!

Kimmo 

My bike is pretty damn flash, and my sweet aero tubulars have the typical poxy cartridge internals you get in all the nice wheels except Shimano and Campy. Bought a whole Shimano wheelset just for the nice quiet 21h rear hub to rebuild my rear around, but just couldn't bring myself to do it because the Shimano hub was so damn ugly, and the flange spacing wasn't as good.

Resigned myself to the swarm of angry bees. Not happy about it though

Seattle Forrest

So you're the guy who still rides tubulars. 🙂

eduskator

You should be good for few thousand KMs!

Some hubs aren't ''grease packable'' however. DT Swiss, for instance, says that putting too much special grease will result in faulty engagement. Did mine recently and it was clearly indicated in the instructions. Not sure how much you can actually put before having pwoblems though!

JohnJ80

A few long rides and it's back to normal (at least in my experience). Too much grease is not good either - especially if it's cold.