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An infernal symphony - as if a swarm of intergalactic bees were flying an attack. The "Angry Bee" sound of the Chris King rear hub is legendary. Fans can hear the characteristic buzz, which oscillates between a bell-like screech and a dark hum, amongst hundreds of other freewheel sounds. It is caused by the patented "Ring Drive System" made of stainless steel, which has 72 simultaneously engaging teeth. Other hubs have 36 or 54 teeth, many even only 24.
Question for Chris King: Is the sound designed or purely technical? King smiles. He thinks for a moment. Then he tells the story. "I designed the freewheel system to ensure the best possible power transmission. When we tested it for the first time, I immediately noticed this loud sound. I initially thought it was a design flaw and thought about how I could eliminate the noise. With oil or whatever. But people were delighted with the sound. They said: Leave it like that, it's perfect. So I decided to produce it like that."
The rest is history. The "Angry Bee" sound became the signature tune of the Chris King hubs. Fans celebrate him on YouTubeThe film snippets have as many likes as rock songs. In 2011, Chris King even released the Angry Bee soundtrack as a ringtone. Lean back and slide the volume control to the right. Here comes what is probably the most famous buzz in the mountain bike scene.
