Onyx takes a fresh approach to the mountain bike rear hub, in an effort to eliminate drag and increase engagement. Instead of a traditional pawl engagement system, Onyx opts for a high-tech sprag clutch that is virtually drag-free when not engaged. When you put the power down, engagement is nearly instantaneous. And an added bonus: the hub is dead silent. All you’ll hear on the trail is the sound of your tires gripping the trail, nothing else.

Many of you are probably curious what this fancy sprag clutch mechanism is, and how it works. Inside, there are several spring-loaded asymmetrical sprags that look similar to roller bearings. With the asymmetrical design, they are allowed to rotate freely in one direction. But in the opposite direction, they create a wedge against the hub body. That’s essentially what’s happening when you put the power down on your crank. The hub is greased for life from Onyx, which means it should require very little maintenance. For the “set-it-and-forget-it” crowd, this is your hub. All Onyx hubs are sourced and built in the USA.

*IMPORTANT COMPATIBILITY NOTE: This hub is NOT compatible with e*thirteen cassettes.*