# Are all Zipp freewheels noisy?



## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

I just got a new pair of Zipp 101 wheels. Substantially noisier freewheel coasting than with my other Shimano sets. Is this to be expected?


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## valleycyclist (Nov 1, 2009)

Shimano hubs are the quietest hubs around. Just about everything else will be louder than them.


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## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

To my mind quieter is better. You need energy to make noise, and that energy comes from you.....


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

bernithebiker said:


> To my mind quieter is better. You need energy to make noise, and that energy comes from you.....


this is the first time i've ever heard someone bring this point up. i'd think if it were wasting enough energy to at all matter, every company would design silent mechanisms. obviously this isn't the case, and many of these 'noisy' designs benefit from very strong engagement of the drive pawls. what would you think is most important...not wasting 1/100th of a watt, or having your freehub engage strongly when you push on the pedals?


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## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

Agreed. The energy involved is tiny.

But Shimano hubs are quiet - do they not engage strongly?


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## Coldbrook (Jan 23, 2012)

I actually prefer noisy hubs because people can hear you coming when you're coasting, e.g. pedestrians walking on bike trails. I have one bike with a silent hub and I had to add a bell.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

bernithebiker said:


> Agreed. The energy involved is tiny.
> 
> But Shimano hubs are quiet - do they not engage strongly?


i think they engage really well, and they are very durable...but in the case of shimano, you've the some pretty impressive engineering might at work. they could probably make a freehub that was silent, had a gps chip and glowed at night if they wanted to! some shimano freehubs do click, but the majority are quiet. not quite sure what does it, but i have an older ultegra hub that is dead silent. the only ones that actually bother me are the chris king, but i just turn up my ipod:thumbsup:


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## Newnan3 (Jul 8, 2011)

Coldbrook said:


> I actually prefer noisy hubs because people can hear you coming when you're coasting, e.g. pedestrians walking on bike trails. I have one bike with a silent hub and I had to add a bell.


+1 This saves me from having to yell, "On your left/right !" and having the pedestrian jump back and forth like a frantic squirrel.

Chris King hubs sound like angry bees swarming....


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Love my White Industries hub, but they are very loud, so much so i was disappointed when i first got them.

Compared to other hubs they are ok, some out there are just obnoxious, i could not ride with Chris King hubs.

Check out this video for a great comparison...

Hub sound comparison - YouTube

For me nothing beats a Shimano hub, it just sounds like hugh quality. Kinda like when you hear or dont hear a high end car.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

Shimano freehubs are steel, and weigh 50lbs. Their whole mechanism is fairly enclosed behind a good amount of mass, seals, bearings, and lube. Theres just a lot between the pawls and your ears. Most loud hubs have the pawls outside of the body, with a small thin rubber seal stopping noise. Not much keeping the noise in.


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## HaroldC (Oct 12, 2010)

Yup, Zipp freewheels are much louder than Shimano freewheels. Actually, almost every freewheel in louder than Shimano......


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Special Eyes said:


> I just got a new pair of Zipp 101 wheels. Substantially noisier freewheel coasting than with my other Shimano sets. Is this to be expected?


They're Zipps....you aren't supposed to be coasting.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

Coldbrook said:


> I actually prefer noisy hubs because people can hear you coming when you're coasting, e.g. pedestrians walking on bike trails. I have one bike with a silent hub and I had to add a bell.


This for sure. I was glad when my Rolfs had a louder hub than the stock Shimanos for that reason alone. Generally, if they can't hear the hub spinning when I roll up behind them, they aren't going to hear me say 'on your left' either... 

Just got some Zipps and the hub is even louder. Doesn't bother me at all, I mean you're supposed to be pedaling anyway haha.


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## Magdaddy (Feb 23, 2007)

I like a loud hub. My Zipp 404's are nice-rear hub was replaced under warrantyafter 3k miles, and the newer one is louder yet...nice.

My favorite is DT Swiss 240 with the 36T ratchet-got a set on both the mtn and cross bikes.

Angry bee's indeed!


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

Your points for a loud hub are well taken. Yet, I still like the additional solitude that my quiet hubs add to my rides. 

Anyone figure out how to make the Zipp quieter?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

sometimes you can add some lubrication to the freehub body/hub interface, but you have to be really careful w/ what you use. think of it this way...if the company that designed and produced the damn thing thinks it works best being noisy, then you should probably leave it that way. anything you put in there is only doing to quiet it down for a little while anyway, so you'd be repeating the process fairly often.


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## DS1239622 (Mar 21, 2007)

If you're missing out on the sound of loud hubs, dont fret, get the ringtone!

ANGRY BEE RINGTONE | Chris King Precision Components


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

They are almost too loud when you work on the bike inside a small room! Need ear plugs.

Zipp recommends the use of synthetic engine oil on the pawls. I would think you don't want to deviate from their recommendation.


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