"_My thinking is that the looser the engagement, the harder the contact the pawl makes with the ratchet in certain scenarios. Think of it as taking a 16oz hammer, raise it up a .25", and then drop it on your thumb. Ouch is a maybe. Now take that hammer and raise it 2" and do the same. That very well may smart a bit._"
That's very interesting. Aside from the excellent DT Swiss star-ratchet hubs, all the really high-end hubs I've dealt with have been fast engaging ≤5° so I've always equated durability to quality. But, riding the Roscoe especially (Shimano 10° hub) I've had a couple of HARD engagements lately and reasonably that would be much worse for the hub.
Is silence golden? I've ridden Onyx Classic* and True Precision clutch hubs and I think both products are excellent but the engagement on a functionally instant 0.52° Hydra hub is much more firm and precise. Plus the Hydra is much easier to service and a bit of Dumonde Tech freehub oil makes the noise more pleasant than tinny.
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*From my experiences turning wrenches I can highly recommend buying the Classic and also recommend against buying the Vesper hubs from Onyx.
May 15, 2023, 7:33 a.m. - Andrew Major
"_My thinking is that the looser the engagement, the harder the contact the pawl makes with the ratchet in certain scenarios. Think of it as taking a 16oz hammer, raise it up a .25", and then drop it on your thumb. Ouch is a maybe. Now take that hammer and raise it 2" and do the same. That very well may smart a bit._" That's very interesting. Aside from the excellent DT Swiss star-ratchet hubs, all the really high-end hubs I've dealt with have been fast engaging ≤5° so I've always equated durability to quality. But, riding the Roscoe especially (Shimano 10° hub) I've had a couple of HARD engagements lately and reasonably that would be much worse for the hub. Is silence golden? I've ridden Onyx Classic* and True Precision clutch hubs and I think both products are excellent but the engagement on a functionally instant 0.52° Hydra hub is much more firm and precise. Plus the Hydra is much easier to service and a bit of Dumonde Tech freehub oil makes the noise more pleasant than tinny. \-\-\-\-\-\- *From my experiences turning wrenches I can highly recommend buying the Classic and also recommend against buying the Vesper hubs from Onyx.