Onyx showed us their Sprag Clutch driven hubs, which feature 0-degree engagement via a trick clutch system made up of two rows of 29 cam shaped wedges held in place with springs. The hubs run dead silent and offer instant engagement in what Onyx claims to be a reliable and durable system, and they are available in practically every current standard.
Onyx was recently involved in a study lead by Duke University meant to determine the best hub on the market in terms of friction. The study showed better angular acceleration decay over time as well as less friction under a large load for the Onyx hubs. What does that translate to on the trail? More of a frictionless, coast-forever type of feeling which could certainly add a boost of speed.
One unique selling point of the Onyx hub system is that when you purchase a set of hubs you’re able to return the hubs to Onyx at any point during their life in exchange for a new color shell to match your new ride, a service offered at a 75% discount which also includes a refurbishment at the time of service. This could be particularly useful if you switch frames often, and with a whopping 25 colors to choose from you should be able to get your setup dialed to your liking.
Another new feature on the hubs this year is the move to an aluminum driver in an effort to drop weight, which was the most commonly cited drawback of the rear hub. Onyx still uses replaceable steel pins on the new aluminum driver to drastically improve the driver’s durability and prevent cassettes from digging into the driver body over time.
Onyx hubs feature a 5-year warranty and run $192 for the front and $445 in the rear for most MTB configurations. The new aluminum driver adds $25 to the MSRP, and saves 65 grams. The aluminum driver is backwards compatible meaning you can run it on your old Onyx hub if you own one.
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