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The clicking sound of the freewheel on my singlespeed when it's coasting is annoying for me, so I flipped over my back wheel and rode fixed for a few months in blissful silence. But having to pedal all the time even when going downhill, over bumps and around corners, was probably even more annoying - so today I am flipping it back again to the freewheel. Then I wondered, is there any such thing as a silent freewheel hub that I can buy? If so, what's the search term I'm looking for?

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What type of bike is this? – ekaj Jan 25 at 4:30
It's a single speed/fixie. Reid Harrier – wim Jan 25 at 5:27
Some brands click worse than others. I gather Shimano tends to be fairly loud. – Daniel R Hicks Jan 25 at 16:56
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And I kind of like a noisy hub. It drowns out the clicking in my bones. – Daniel R Hicks Jan 26 at 18:18

7 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

As already said, Shimano used to manufacture Silient Clutch rear hub. But that has been stopped a few years ago, so if you manage to source one - you are lucky man.

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I used to have one of them and it was truly silent. It was heavier than standard shimano LX hub, but it was silent and with instant engagement.

Also I used Chris King hubs. If you put a lot of grease in their mechanism - they also become silent. Pretty much with most of the freewheels, if you put a lot of thick grease in them, you'll silent them for some time. Unless you ride Hope hubs -)

I've heard about Stealth hubs - they are claimed to be silent, but I never had a chance to try them out.

You might as well read this thread about silent hubs for further information.

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Too thick of grease, however, will stick the pawls and you will end up either wearing out the ratchet mechanism unevenly or just freewheeling forward (which would also be silent.) – WTHarper Jan 25 at 16:37
@WTHarper this is a possibility, but I never had that (freewheeling or wearing out) happening to my hubs. – trailmax Jan 25 at 16:43
I've seen more pawls sticking than wearing, but it would follow that if not all pawls are engaging it will increase wear on the remaining pawls. – WTHarper Jan 25 at 16:57
up vote 3 down vote

Police / Law Enforcement bikes often have a quiet freehub. This Cannondale Law Enforcement bicycle refers to it as a "Silent Clutch Rear Hub" and specifically mentions "R085" as a model number (further googling suggests it's a Shimano).

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up vote 2 down vote

I don't know about other bikes, but in BMX there is a type of hub called a freecoaster - you can coast backwards and forwards without pedaling, and it is silent.

Apparently they have them for mountain bikes as well.

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They are a totally different beast to ride and maintain. Really only good for freestyle riding unless you're a glutton for bike maintenance and replacing/rebuilding wheels. – jm2 Jan 26 at 4:46
@Jm2 Okay, but the type of bike was not specified in the question. – ekaj Jan 27 at 15:31
That's fair, but you could take the chain off of the bike as well and you'd have a totally silent hub. That doesn't make it a good solution to the problem at hand. – jm2 Jan 27 at 15:52
Plus we're talking about freewheels here, not freehubs, though the OP wasn't very clear about that originally. – jm2 Jan 27 at 15:53
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Taking off the chain is not a solution because the bicycle will be unusable then. Using a coaster or freecoaster is. Most probably not a good one for that specific use, but it is a solution whether you like it or not. – cherouvim Apr 27 at 22:51
up vote 1 down vote

Bought a pair of wheels from Neuvation. I have to say, their hub is dead silent.

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Short answer is get used to it. The clicking of freehubs/freewheels is like a fine wine- it's an acquired taste.

That said, the drier the hub is of lubricant, the louder it will become. You can squirt some grease in there to quieten the freewheel down if it's getting dry. The heavier the grease, the quieter it will make the clicking. Some freehubs actually require a very light grease due to the low spring tension acting against the pawls; too heavy of a grease will actually stop them from catching when you pedal forward. However, I'm not aware of a freewheel with this problem.

I'm sure some brands of freewheels are quieter than others, but I can't make any suggestions for you in that department.

Finally, it's important to note that freehubs and freewheels are two different creatures, which is why I edited your original question slightly. Explaining the differences is a fairly easy but different conversation.

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up vote 1 down vote

Single speed hubs with coaster brakes don't click, at least I have never seen one that clicks over here in Europe.

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Correct. Coaster brake hubs and freecoaster hubs do not click. – cherouvim Apr 27 at 22:51
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Shimano R085, 8/9 speed, 36H $100

QBike.com 2595 N. Federal Highway , Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305

800-390-2122

http://store.qbike.com/shimano-hub-rear-fh-r085-36-cl-8-9s-black-bulk.html

this is the only thing i've been able to find. been searching since new years 2013.

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