How To Service Your Road Bike Freehub

Your road bike freehub can wear out or stop working. Here's our guide to fixing three common types and brands.

If your road bike free hub wears out or breaks, you'll know about it. Each hub brand will have a slightly different freehub design and internals, but, with the three wheel brands featured in this video you will probably be covered.

Is there a road bike maintenance video that you'd like to see? Let us know down in the comments.

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Leave us a comment below!

[MrTashez]

Awesome the one thing I still haven't touched and destroyed with my home mechanic skills . Bring on the freehub !!!

[liamroche]

The second half of the animation from 1:15 to 1:25 is running backwards! In fact, the inside ring should rotate anticlockwise locking the palls into the gaps between the teeth in the outer ring, thus turning the wheel anticlockwise too. As displayed, there is nothing to stop the palls bending the springs and slipping over the teeth as in the first half of the animation. The rotation of the outer ring is the same direction in both cases just like your wheel rotates forwards whether you are freewheeling or pedalling. (if your wheel rotates backwards it forces your pedals to rotate backwards).

[geraldbull]

Spot on, the sort of person I enjoy listening to, explains everything in a relaxed not hyped manner and no annoying noise/music in the background.

[mrwezbo]

5:19 THANK YOU! This helped with this clanking I had when putting power to the pedals, cleand and re-lubed the hub as per what Si did here and fixed my issues. Actually also made the wheel spin way more easily too - free watts!

[sandykavor]

You don't want to use a dry lube in a freehub. Different Hub manufacturers require particular lubricant/grease for it to work efficiently. Most pawl systems freehubs use very thin grease such a Dumonde tech Pro-X. This will prevent the pawls from sticking and skipping. It also lubricates the ratchet, so that the sound of the freehub is consistent.

Once i managed to freeze it in winter, i was out in the middle of forest way after sunset, and my pedals were just spinning with no traction. Fortunately i had ignition steel with me, so i made a small fire to melt it down. It worked, but i probably looked strange sitting on a trunk, wearing black tight pants, and barbequeing my rear wheel

[TheSTewpot]

Great clear instructions, thanks. Gonna do this at the weekend. Just done wheel bearings but still sticky movement so hopefully this will help

[michaelgilbert]

I wouldn't use degreaser as it could affect the main bearings. Just clean using a light oil and brush. Thin layer of grease for reassembly. A great video that explains a lot. Thanks

[johnpiercy]

Wow, thanks GCN. Ive just serviced my first free hub. Who would have thought that simply pulling it would be the way to take it off? I always tohught there would be a locking nut or something! Thanks simon.

[johnnyhilton]

Thank you GCN always great help and advice

[FleeceJohnsonDaBootyWarrior]

Rode through the recent snowstorm. Freehub stopped freely spinning and turned into a fixie at this point. The chain slap it caused damaged the paint pretty bad..

Glad I saw this video. Gonna tackle this project soon.

[Juan]

The "pedal" part of the animation is wrong.

[erinadc]

life saver!!! thank you! it was stuck, and WD40 was all it needed!

[z]

Light oils (Dumonde freehub oil) or greases (Slick Honey is a very good weight, neither too stiff or thin, very slippery) where described work best; avoid anything with solvents that will evaporate, leaving little oil or changing the viscosity of the grease. Waxy or such chain lube is the worst, as they eventually are intended to dry out, which will congeal around the pawl springs, or create lumpy incomplete lube, or else tend to seize the pawls entirely. Thin layer over every area where sliding or rotating contact occurs, will get continually redistributed in use, but avoid overgreasing as that can generate drag, or fill voids so totally that pawls won't be able to flip freely. Antiseize may work best where protection from corrosion, and removing ease is more critical than actual lubrication. Choose carefully in lubing seals and o-rings as some get damaged with the wrong materials.

[JulleHimself]

excellent video, well explained! I'm gonna service my 14 year-old-bike now ! (I'm not giving up on that beauty!)

[williamaylmer]

Top tip for lubricating free hub mechanism. Use a good gun & rifle oil. I use Brun Ox turbo spray myself; use it on my mechs too. About €10 for 300ml can. Keep that sweet high pitch clicking from your perfectly clean and lubricated free hub.👍

[drewtravis]

Thank you GCN! Saved the day again! Love the video / channel! This happened to me the other day on my commute to work!! ( pedals just spinning no power ) Time to investigate the free hub! As I now know! THANK YOU!

[helmutbreuer]

this is very helpfull, thx si. good job, guys

[ndagijimana]

Thanks for this video it has helped me fix my freehub

[jeffw]

great teaching man!!! Great now I am riding again