Onyx Racing Products hubs employ patented technologies to provide noticeable advantages on the trail as well as on the track. Read further to learn what’s going on inside those fast-spinning shiny hub shells!

Patented Sprag Clutch Mechanism

Onyx Racing Products hubs are known for their instant engagement and silent operation. Those features are provided by the sprag clutch mechanism that’s found inside every Onyx rear hub. Sprag clutches are one-way clutches that have infinite number of engagement points, close to zero friction and fully silent operation. Packing this ingenious mechanism in a rear hub while adhering to the space constraints at hand is something that many have tried, but only Onyx has perfected.

To withstand the forces present in the system, all Onyx rear hubs have a steel sleeve inside the hub shell that provides the contact surface for the sprag clutch. BMX hubs (OHM, Pro, Ultra and Ultra SS) employ a singe-row sprag clutch assembly, whereas all the mountain bike, road and gravel hubs employ a double-row assembly (Classic, Vesper, FAT).

Bearings

All Onyx Racing Products hubs (with the exception of OHM and Vesper models) are assembled with hybrid ceramic bearings as a standard feature. The hybrid design takes advantage of all the benefits offered by high-grade materials. Ceramic balls can be manufactured to perfectly round shape with the utmost tolerances whereas the high-grade steel used in the bearing races has tough and ductile properties with excellent corrosion resistance. Double seals on the outside – recognized by their orange colour – form an effective barrier against contaminants while the single seal on the inside minimizes friction.

The bearings in question are designed specifically for bicycle hub applications and are manufactured in the USA by Verinent Bearings LLC. Last but not least, bearings found on Onyx Racing Products hubs are user-serviceable, which makes it possible to extend their service life considerably.

Hybrid ceramic bearings are offered as a separate upgrade option for the Vesper and OHM hubs.

Leading Freewheel Driver Bodies

All Onyx Racing Products mountain bike, road, fat bike, and gravel hubs employ MFU axle design which stands for modular freehub unit. The design makes the move from one freehub driver body to another (from Shimano HG to Sram XD, for example) a breeze with minimal associated costs.

In addition to the convenience granted by the modular design, all major freehub driver body standards – Shimano HG & MS, and Sram XD(R) – are available in chromoly versions as well for maximum durability and service life. For heavy-duty applications, such as e-mtb’s and tandem bikes, the chromoly versions can provide a drastic improvement in reliability and use life.

Aluminium Shimano HG freehub driver bodies employ a patented design that includes replaceable wear inserts on all the torque-transferring edges. The simple, but yet highly effective design prolongs the life of the freehub body considerably on a model that’s known to be prone to wear, especially on cassette designs that constitute of individual cogs.

All Onyx Racing Products MFU are made out of high-grade 7075 aerospace-grade aluminium in the USA for maximum service life and durability. Chromoly versions are made of high-grade hardened steel.

Floating Axle Design

The MFU axle design does not only provide a very convenient, and highly effective axle, and freehub interface, but also prolongs bearing life, minimizes friction, and spares the components in the system from unwanted loads. Thanks to the floating design, the freehub driver body and the sprag clutch mechanism are separated from loads subjected to the hub and therefore to the axle. In other words, the hub shell, hub shell bearings, and axle create one functional unit whereas the sprag clutch mechanism and the freehub body – the drivetrain parts in other words – form another one.

This is accomplished with the use of 6 bearings with placement as follows:

Name	Location	Purpose
Non-drive-side hub shell bearing	Hub shell, non-drive-side	Act as a rolling element, and carry the loads subjected to the wheel.
Center bearing	Hub shell, center	Act as a rolling element, and support the axle.
Driver support bearing	Hub shell, drive-side	Act as a rolling element, and support the driver.
Driver Bearing	Driver	Act as a rolling element between the driver and the axle.
Freehub driver body bearings	Freehub driver body	Act as a rolling element between the freehub driver body and the axle.

Feel free to familiarize yourself with the bearing preload setup procedure from the instructional videos found below.

Wide(st) Range of Available Finishes

Not only does the Onyx Racing Products lineup have a wide range of available color & finishes, but it is also the widest found in the industry! This is achieved with 24 hub shell colour options that consist of anodized and powder-coated finishes. Hub shell colors in turn are paired with 10 different widget/endcap colors which give the hubs the final touch needed for them to stand out from any type of build! The only thing left to do is to choose wisely!

Hook Flange Hub Shells

Hook Flange hub shells are designed specifically for Berd PolyLight spokes, made out of super-strong Dyneema fibers. PolyLight spokes offer several notable benefits, such as considerable weight saving, vibration damping and superb strength-to-weight ratio.

The Hook Flange technology, designed in partnership with Berd makes the lacing, building, and service procedures with PolyLight spokes a magnitude easier, faster and convenient.

Hoo Flange versions of Onyx Racing Products are offered in the following lineups:

OHM
Ultra BMX
Vesper
FAT

To learn more about the Hook Flange technology and the features & benefits it offers, head to the link below.

Onyx Vesper Hook Flange Hubs for Berd Spokes