Stan's No Tubes Speedsync SRAM XD Freehub Body: Customer Review

Faster hub engagement makes for faster power transfer — it’s that simple. If you minimize the amount of wasted energy turning pedals and not turning the wheel, you ride faster. If you ride faster, you have more fun. It’s science. The drawback, however, is that quicker-engaging hubs are typically more difficult to manufacture, more expensive, and louder than a cicada swarm in August. One of our customers shares his thoughts on Stan's new NoTubes Speedsync XD freehub body.

Overview

Stan’s Neo hubs have received almost universal acclaim for their incredible mix of value and durability, so when I was looking for a trail wheel, I started with Stan’s NoTubes. The Neo freehub body is available in 3 flavors — standard, durasync, and speedsync. I opted for the standard body, thinking I wouldn’t feel much of a difference between its 10º engagement speed and the I9’s 3º engagement on my XC race bike. I was wrong. I noticed immediately the wasted pedal stroke before the pawls engaged, and I couldn’t get the bike performing the way I wanted.

Where a faster-engaging hub really shines is through rooty sections or rock gardens where you can’t get a full pedal circle in. The standard freehub body was causing me some unwanted pedal strikes, so I looked for an upgrade. Enter the Speedsync. The Stan's NoTube Speedsync SRAM XD freehub body cuts the engagement time in half, 5º engagement makes me a happy man. Power transfer feels immediate, and I can stutter-pedal through gnarly sections and clear obstacles without banging my crank arm or pedals into them.

Another plus, the freehub noise doesn’t sound like a swarm of angry hornets, but if that’s your schtick you may want to look elsewhere. The Stan's NoTubes Speedsync XD freehub body isn’t exactly silent but it certainly won’t spook other trail users and allows you to hear your tires digging into the trail. Overall I’m super happy with the freehub and after 2 solid weeks of use, the body doesn’t show signs of my cassette wearing grooves into it or otherwise damaging it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this freehub body has pushed these wheels from “good” to “great.” As an upgrade, I can’t think of a better place to spend your money if you have the standard Stan’s freehub body. Faster engagement, faster riding, more fun. What’s not to love?