#!markdown
Soft is a little misleading. Maybe muted would be a better word. There is no
hesitation whatsoever with the Onyx hubs, so when you apply pressure to the
pedals there is no "clank" like there is with a pawl/ratchet based system, or
anything that has to ratchet back a tiny bit. There is no tiny bit with Onyx.
The only lag with Onyx is in removing the sag in the chain from its own
weight. (Think of fixing a heavy steel cable or chain to a solid anchor, and
then pulling it taut by hand. It feels "soft" but its just the slack being
removed as you pull it tight.) I think its a combination of the chain going
from slack to tense, and the lack of a distinct feeling of engagement that
gives it that muted sort of feeling. Both roller and sprag designs "stretch"
the outer race of the clutch mechanism by design, but we are talking tens of
thousandths of an imperceptible amount. There is nothing mushy or soft about
Onyx. Solid is an understatement. It's really quite something. But a word of
strong advice. You will Not be able to settle for anything less once you have
spent some time on them. I hemmed and hawed over getting an Onyx hub for a
long while… And now I have three.
Jan. 5, 2017, 10:03 a.m. - Metacomet
#!markdown Soft is a little misleading. Maybe muted would be a better word. There is no hesitation whatsoever with the Onyx hubs, so when you apply pressure to the pedals there is no "clank" like there is with a pawl/ratchet based system, or anything that has to ratchet back a tiny bit. There is no tiny bit with Onyx. The only lag with Onyx is in removing the sag in the chain from its own weight. (Think of fixing a heavy steel cable or chain to a solid anchor, and then pulling it taut by hand. It feels "soft" but its just the slack being removed as you pull it tight.) I think its a combination of the chain going from slack to tense, and the lack of a distinct feeling of engagement that gives it that muted sort of feeling. Both roller and sprag designs "stretch" the outer race of the clutch mechanism by design, but we are talking tens of thousandths of an imperceptible amount. There is nothing mushy or soft about Onyx. Solid is an understatement. It's really quite something. But a word of strong advice. You will Not be able to settle for anything less once you have spent some time on them. I hemmed and hawed over getting an Onyx hub for a long while… And now I have three.