Pros and Cons: How noisy is an MTB freewheel allowed to be? Two types, two opinions

The freewheel is the heart of the rear wheel hub. It connects the cassette (set of sprockets) to the hub – but only in one direction. When you pedal, it engages and transfers the power. When you stop pedalling, it disengages – the wheel rolls on, whilst the pedals remain still. Simple, ingenious, indispensable.

Where is that noise coming from?

Inside, there are usually pawl mechanisms – small spring-loaded teeth that engage with a ratchet wheel. When the mechanism is in freewheel mode, they glide over the teeth: tick-tick-tick. The more teeth, the more clicks per revolution – and the louder it is.

Why loud – why quiet?

According to: Lots of teeth, little lubrication, hard materials. Systems such as the Star Ratchet from DT Swiss are notorious for their aggressive sound.

Quiet: A generous amount of grease, roller couplings or specially damped mechanisms absorb the noise almost entirely.

The trend

For a long time, the rule was: the louder, the cooler. That aggressive freewheel sound was almost a status symbol on the trail – “Listen up, here I come.” Chris King built veritable cult hubs around that sound.

But the tide is turning. Particularly in the worlds of trail running and nature conservation, there is a growing desire for quiet free-running – so as not to disturb wildlife and simply to enjoy nature. Two camps, two schools of thought – the debate is as old as the sport itself.

By: Henri Lesewitz

​“Nothing is as annoying as noise when cycling. Squealing, cracking, creaking – it’s all like splinters to the nerves. The symphony of a freewheel, on the other hand, enchants me deeply. Every hub has its own sound. Some let out a shrill, high-pitched wail, whilst others rattle along with a dull rumble. The sound of a freehub is the flirtation between rider and machine. Speed is transformed into melody by the bike. The sound depends on the material and the mechanics of the hub. I used to wipe the grease off the freewheel to amplify the sound. Today, there’s a wide selection of melodious hubs. My favourite sound is that of Chris King’s ‘Angry Bee’.

Against: Dimitri Lehner

​“The world is turning into a boombox, or so it seems to me. There’s nowhere you can go without being bombarded by noise. It’s torture for the soul! That’s why I make sure not to annoy anyone with noise. Especially not in the countryside. I want to move silently amongst the ferns and beech trees – like an eagle-owl on a stalking flight. Whether on a mountain bike or a gravel bike. The whirring of the rear wheel hub sounds like a circular saw in St Peter’s Basilica when you’re in the woods. Okay, on tarmac I’ll put up with the clatter of the hubs – whether it’s used as a substitute for a bell, to show off, to act important or as a penis extension. But in the woods, I’d prefer to hear only real bees buzzing.”