[PolarBearWY]

I had a '94 Trek 930 with 16K+ miles on it. The stock hubs were always great and they didn't "click" while coasting. I think I remembered that they were sold as clutchless, if I remember right.

I just got an '04 Trek 8000 and the stock hubs click. I have been told by a few people that all hubs click and that I'd want them to click so bears and people will hear me coming (live and bike in Rocky Mtns) but honestly I'd rather not have them click.

Do clickless hubs still exist? I would swear the Trek 6700 that I test rode before ordering the 8000 didn't click, but maybe I never coasted. I bought the 8000 because it came with disc-ready wheels.

 

[The Toninator]

ha! the clicks arnt there to scare bears their adding more prawls to hubs and thats what is causing more noise. some though i think are just making theirs louder. kings' more buzzzz than click and they got the most prawls but the bontragers, i think what you got, are just loud.
if it's a new bike i'd just deal with it and when they wear out then i'd look for another set.

 

[punkassean]

a clutch is a mechanism that either allows two plates to have a varying amount of friction between them anywhere from fully open to fully locked or it can also be a one way needle bearing that can spin freely in one direction but when you try to spin it the other way small flap like plates are pressed down against the rollers locking them stationary. So the hub you are referring to as non-clutch was actually most likely a Shimano LX "silent clutch" hub. A standard hub uses pawls which engage detents in order to allow the hub to spin freely when coasting and still engage when pedaling, every click you hear is the pawl ratcheting past a potential engagement point. Kind of like a socket wrench. To answer your question, Shimano made the LX silent clutch hub up until at least a few years ago, so I bet you can still find one at a shop or online relativley cheap. I have heard they are less than reliable but go by your own experiences not hearsay, since you have had one and still want another I would say you liked it just fine. The only other option I am aware of is True Precision's "Stealth Hubs" which use a fancy german clutch and precision machining. They are expensive but very nice. Otherwise, you can experiment with heavier greases in your free-hub body to help quiet down your existing hub. One word of advice, never get a Chris King hub if you don't like noisy hubs. They are the best quality but make lots of noise. The reason they seem to buzz is because they use a specially designed ring gear that has approx. 70 detents, so the ratcheting is in very small intervals, compared to a standard hub with 2 or 3 pawls and less than 20 total possible engagement points. The benefit of the King design is super fast engagement when switching from coasting to pedaling, but clutch hubs have instant engagement also. Only std. pawl type hubs have slow engagement.

 

[Enduro]

True Precision Stealth hub

 

[Echo]

I think punkassean just won the award for best reply ever.

 

[punkassean]

Thanks!

I try to help when I can

 

[PolarBearWY]

Thanks guys.

$150 for one hub? Yikes. I'll save the $150 and go sailing when I want to glide quietly.

 

[punkassean]

$150 is for the front hub, the rear is closer to $300. Believe it or not, Todd can't keep up with demand.

 

[Mackie]

Originally posted by PolarBearWY
Thanks guys.

$150 for one hub? Yikes. I'll save the $150 and go sailing when I want to glide quietly.

Might look around on Ebay for Magura Louise hubs. The 2000 model (i think it's 2000) were silent clutch. I have a set on some spare wheels right now - every time I put them on I always end up looking down once or twice when coasting, thinking for a second or 2 that something must be wrong if I'm not hearing a freehub.

Anyway, thet were about $45 for the set. Heavy, but cheap and quiet is kind of nice.
Good luck.

 

[ubergirl]

If you are still jones'n for the old Shimano slient hub... I just happen to have one kicking around my parts drawer at home. email me if you are interested "marti686@msu.edu"

If you are interested in an upgrade that is quiet, but not silent... I just got a Hugi 240S rear hub and it is super nice! light, inexpensive, fast engagement, and rather quiet! Much moreso than the King's and (in my opinion) quieter than Shimano hubs!

 

[PolarBearWY]

Thanks for the offer. I still have both hubs that were stock on my 94 Trek 930. They are actually still in awesome condition considering they have over 16,000 miles on them.

But, I have found my pedals don't stop moving often so I think I'll be okay. This thread was the result from my initial shock riding home on my new bike from the LBS. I rode a Trek 6700 knowing that it would ride similarly and ordered the 8000. It's a sweet, light hardtail.

 

[ubergirl]

that's a good solution!!! no hubs click if they are always in motion! I'll have to try that