Not long after getting my bike, the freehub alternates under load from making ticking noises, to some quieter noises. When the bike is on a workstand it usually makes nice ticking noises.

Is this just a bedding in period, or a warning sign? I’m admittedly a heavy, sloppy rider, and I’m not thinking I’ve done anything “silly” on it, but *cough* I just had to true my rear wheel because it was getting egg shaped and I.almost got thrown from the bike while bombing down a mountain road here.

Deore, to me, is beginners XC class and I haven’t used them in a loooong time. But with these new sealed bearing microspline hubs coming on a San Quentin 3, I thought maybe they might be tougher nowadays?

Should I get new, tougher wheels before I get stranded in the middle of the countryside?

Are you talking about when it freewheels?

It shoudn’t be making any ticking noises when you are pedalling I would have thought. If there is clicking when pedalling it’s more likely to be the chain on the jockeys/cassette and possibly just needs adjusting. Is the B tension correct etc….

Not when pedalling. I mean when I’m standing on the bike. Me being the “load” as compared to the bike being unweighted, in the stand. Hmm, maybe I should have said weighted/unweighted.

When you are freewheeling then? If so then this is normal. Most if not all bikes make a noise when you are not pedalling and the noise will change pitch depending on the speed at the time so going downhill for example will likely make a progressively different noise. Deore hubs definitely do make a noise. Mind you if you’ve bashed the wheel enough to make it egg shaped then there is possibly some damage…. Maybe one or more of the pawls is cracked etc. You had better get it checked.

Thanks

Think I may do just as well to buy a new stronger wheel for the rear. They’re cheap enough here, although I can’t get most of the brands available in the west so it’ll probably be Koozer xm390 hub and Duroc 40 rim. They’re only £140 a set. Fingers crossed.

If I hurt the freehub not long after I got the bike, then replacing the freehub will just lead to more of the same and I’d just get caught out mid ride. Don’t think modern Deore is up to freeriding with a heavy, sloppy rider.