You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I really fancy getting one of these. Has anyone on her used one?
I got one just a few weeks ago and have put about a hundred or so offroad miles onto it so far.
It's really nice. The instant pickup with the softness as the sprags wind up is a lovely thing. It spins very smoothly out of the box. Up there with a well fettled cup and cone hub, and miles better than the Pro 2 it replaced.
The silent freewheeling is nice, but I also like a noisy freehub. I'm fairly indifferent to it really.
Can't comment on long term reliability obviously but long term reports on MTBR are very positive.
I'm very interested in these. I believe there's a lighter version in the works, possibly with two bearing options. One for low drag, the other, better sealed against the slop.
Yeah, I read something about that Onzadog. I think it loses bearing preload too.
There's the option of an alloy freewheel for weight saving, but on an XD driver it's only 45g difference so I stuck with steel. Shimano freehub loses more weight going ally.
I think the extra weight is more than made up for with performance. IT's great for techy climbing.
😁 I came to this thread expecting it to be about inexpensive DTSwiss hubs. I could hardly have been more wrong!
I can also highly recommend DT Onyx vincienup!
My first custom wheelset from Wheelpro back in 2000 used them. Front is still going strong on the pub bike, never touched the innards and it's buttery smooth!
Any long term feedback on these hubs? Still no news about the newer mass produced version but I'd be interested to hear how the original survived in the winter mud.
Built one up for a customer a while ago, eerily silent! The idea of the sprag clutch mechanism appeals to the engineering purist in me, there are downsides to the design though... Firstly there's the weight, there's no getting away from it but these hubs are heavy compared to their high end competition. Secondly, there's the sealing, have heard stories of longer term use in inclement conditions causing hovoc with the internals as gunk gets in past the seals. Thirdly, due to the way in which the sprags have to rotate to engage, drive is never instant like some people like to believe it to be. I don't know exactly how many degrees they have to rotate from fully disengaged to fully engaged, my guess from playing with the hub would be somewhere in the 3-5 degree range, which puts it on a par with the likes of Chris King or Industry Nine in terms of take up. However, with a ratchet mechanism such as Chris King, the worst freehub takeup you'd ever experience would be 5 degrees, if it went past this it would ratchet one more tooth and you'd then be back to instantaneous engagement. With the Onyx Sprag design, you always get that backlash (however small it is) as the sprags rotate into place. It also feels a bit woollen in take up compared to some other hubs.
Benefits are significant though, virtually zero drag (least drag I've experienced in any hubs by some margin! They just spin and spin), it's near enough bombproof, and the silence is indeed golden...
Really popular in Bmx - instant pickup actually makes a difference in a 40 Sec race. They Seem super reliable in that context, so can obviously survive jumps etc., although Bmx doesn’t really test the seals. I’d love one on a Mtb. There was a review on bikepacker.com I think?
they have a maximum mud retention version too !
Not sure if I posted this somewhere else or I just imagined it, but Nobl hubs are made by Onyx and are available in the UK through Evocycles...
I’ve been running Nobl hubs for 18 months now, I love the instant pick up, it’s a soft engagement but somehow instant. They free wheel silently and roll reallly well. Much better than the rovals they replaced. There is a newer lighter version in development that has been in testing for many months. No idea about slop resistance as they are on my full suss summer bike.
ill be getting another set for my HT build
Any measurements on their drag in watts Vs others?
Well mine is still going strong, and I got another one for the full sus at xmas time.
I haven't pulled it apart so cant comment on sealing, but it runs buttery smooth.
I'd disagree with mboy about the engagement. It feels more instant than any hub I've used previously, CK included.
The engagement is pretty much instant, but there's a softness to it as the sprags 'wind up'. This leads to the few degrees of movement before they are really locked in. It's only really noticeable when cranking hard in the lower gears.
It's not a game changer compared to a CK or I9 hub, but it really is nice for ratcheting through techy climbs. IT's even more benefit on my susser as it has a low BB.
It was a joy to use on a full Torridon round today, 26.5 miles and 3839 ft elevation on very rocky terrain. Making the most of the fools Spring!
There are some graphs around Al. I believe the testing was done by Drake University.
Any measurements on their drag in watts Vs others?
I reckon its noticeably smoother than a Hope / Halo / Salsa or whatever cartridge bearing hub, but I doubt there's much difference to a well set up Shimano C&C hub.
I've neveer had much long term success with Shimano hubs for proper MTB use. Great for a more road biased bike though.
Do the Nobl version of the hubs have the adjustable preload? I wonder how much this contributes to the free spinning reputation they have.
I'd hear of one chap who had killed two sets of sprag bearings due to contamination, but it does seem to be the one chap.
The anti freeze colour looks amazing.
My Noble have the adjustable preload but TBH I haven’t touched it
That's good to know. Nobl might be the easier to source alternative then.