Another Question about Rohloff Noise!?!

[stutho]

Sorry - yet another question about the noise on the speedhub.

What does the noise of speedhubs sound like?  Mine is almost silent in some gears and has a whirring noise in others. All this I think is normal.

However it also has a loud clicking noise (like freewheel noise but loader and faster)in some gear especially fifth.  Do all speedhubs have this clicking noise?

My hub is second hand - It has about 1600 miles on it and has had an oil change.

Thanks

[stutho]

Louder not loader. !!  :-)

[paulhipwood]

This sounds correct to me. I liken the noise to that of a wind up toy on some of the gears, others are virtually silent. After looking at the cut away view of the hub, there are so many gears going around I expect some noise.
When I stop pedaling the noise from the 'free wheel' depends on the gear I am in, again I do not worry about it.

Mine has done about 1500 miles.

regards
paul

[stutho]

But Gears shouldn't click? - This sounds like a ratchetting  (sp?) noise – very much like a freewheel.

NB I am only talking about noise when pedalling

[pitbull]

The demo Raven Tour I tried at SJS Cycles on Saturday clicked in gears 5, 7, and I think 2. It was accompanied by a notchy, ratchety feeling through the pedals too.

[stutho]

Thanks pitbull thats very intresting.  I still cant see why the gears should click (nb I am an electronics design engineer working with electric motors and reduction gearboxes - never had one clicking yet!)  

I thought there must be a problem but is sounds like  :-) I was wrong

[JonHammond]

The clicks will be from spring-loaded pauls that are 'freewheeling' as one part of the hub turns inside another.  These pauls will engage and no longer click when some other gear is engaged (but maybe others will start to click in their place).  Yes, it's exactly like a ratchet system.

To get a good idea of what's going on, try to find an old Sturmey-Archer hub and take it apart (the end where the sprocket is unscrews).  The principle is identical to the Rohloff - there are just fewer bits inside.  There used to be a good animation on the Sturmey-Archer web site, but it seems to have gone now.

[stutho]

Thank Jon,

Last night I sat down and tried to figure out what was going on.  I guessed exactly what you are describing.  

I am sure that I will learn to ignore it.

Thanks again

Stuart