GCN Tech questions cycling's taste for louder freehubs

A discussion about the soundtrack to coasting brings in more than five times the show's usual first-day comments.

Channel:

GCN Tech Story of October 31, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video drew 764 comments in its first day, 5.4 times a normal first day on this channel (142).

Is Freehub Noise Getting Out Of Hand? | GCN Tech Show Ep. 460

Things we can learn from the video

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1:39The hosts trace the association between louder freehubs, quality and precision.
5:06Pawl and ratchet mechanisms create coasting noise, while deeper carbon rims can amplify it.
9:37A Lavelle titanium clutch hub offers a silent alternative to clicking designs.
11:32Lubrication changes the sound, but unsuitable thin oils or WD-40 can cause mechanical slips.
20:20The tech roundup considers Garmin Edge rumours involving voice control and user-replaceable batteries.

Birdsong, conversation and tyres rolling over changing ground: these are the sounds GCN Tech viewers say they would rather hear than a buzzing rear wheel.

The channel's episode, "Is Freehub Noise Getting Out Of Hand? | GCN Tech Show Ep. 460", has turned a small bicycle component into a surprisingly substantial conversation. Its first-day views were ordinary for the channel, but roughly 760 comments arrived, far beyond the usual response.

The hosts examine how a loud freehub became associated with quality and precision, then question whether that association deserves to survive. They also acknowledge cycling media's part in making the noise desirable, revisiting archival footage of Tom Last and the freehub sound-check format.

Underneath the taste question is a mechanical one. Pawls and ratchets allow the rear wheel to keep turning when the rider stops pedalling; their clicking produces that familiar coasting soundtrack. The hosts explain how deeper carbon rims can amplify it, before showing a silent clutch-based alternative from Lavelle.

The comments bring the discussion back to actual rides. Viewers describe wanting to hear their surroundings in forests, hold conversations or avoid disturbing wildlife. Others remember putting cards or plastic bottles against their spokes as children. One compares excessive hub noise to excessive cologne: the objection is as much about everyone nearby as the rider.

For anyone tempted to quieten their own bike, the show also covers lubrication, warning that unsuitable thin oils or WD-40 can cause the mechanism to slip. The hosts' conclusion is simpler than the engineering: louder does not always mean better.

Published on Trari

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What viewers say

I have ridden since the 90’s, and have never liked loud hubs. I like to hear what is around me.
@billysaurusbeanieSee it on YouTube
Freehub noise is like cologne: A little is fine, but too much annoys everyone around you.
@timcollins4011See it on YouTube
I personally think having a loud free hub is like having a card between the spokes, reminds me of when I was a kid 😂
@DanielSanchez-rq9msSee it on YouTube

5 more comments

Silence is golden. I like to have conversations and focus on riding in a natural environment.
@SxWerksSee it on YouTube
Quiet hubs rule. Silent is the new flex.
@chevystuffs5971See it on YouTube
I would happily pay extra for the silent option ... With the noisy hubs I have on a year old bike, any bird or animal will be long gone with the racket they produce.
@IainMacDonald-g4i2wSee it on YouTube
As I’m mostly riding long rides by myself in the forests, I’d love a silent hub so I can enjoy nature without that nagging sound from most modern free hubs (I got new wheels partly to get a quieter free hub)
@johannamarseille5305See it on YouTube
Quiet hub, quiet bike, peaceful ride.
@FerralVideoSee it on YouTube

Public comments from the video's page on YouTube

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The facts

Channel: GCN Tech
Subscribers: 873,000
Channel views, last 7 days: 1,881,301
Channel views, pace per day: 384,646 (on a normal day: 265,073)
Video published: October 29, 2026
Video views so far: 116,633 (2 days online)
Video views, pace per day: 61,952 (on a normal day: 82,209)

The numbers

The unusual response was in the comments, rather than the viewing audience. Here is how the episode's first day compares with GCN Tech's usual uploads.

comments on the video's first day

usual first day here

142

this video

764

subscribers

873,000

no significant change in the last 7 days

total views

391,074,182

views per day

384,646