Although ratchet hubs are a standard offering from hub manufacturers these days, there has been little in the way of innovation on the original concept. Now, Powerway Industrial Co. Ltd. has a new ratchet hub design that aims to improve ratchet function and tooth longevity by adding channels to keep grit and grime away from the teeth.
Powerway Industrial has manufactured a variety of products since it formed in 1988. But 16 years ago, after working across several niches, they decided to specialize on one in particular: bicycle hub manufacturing. Since then, Powerway has created a full range of hubs and has supplied hubs to a number of notable wheel brands over the years.
“At one stage in the early days we even produced electronic toys such as a remote-controlled car,” said GM Paul Tsai, son of company founder Jacky Tsai. “Following that, we moved into pedal and pedal axle manufacturing. Then a friend suggested we begin manufacturing hubs because at that time demand exceeded supply. We did. And the rest is history. Once DT Swiss’s ratchet hub patent expired, everyone jumped in—every hub factory needed to have their own version of a ratchet hub. We needed a ratchet hub. But we also needed to produce something different to what everyone else was coming up with.”
The new design takes up where the standard design ends. Ratchet hubs are invariably based around twin sets of teeth that lock into each other precisely. Precision is crucial but Powerway’s innovation involves reducing the contact surface area of each tooth.
“Instead of each tooth fitting flush into its opposite, we have cut a channel at the base of each creating a gap,” explained Tsai. “Any particles of dirt or grit will be able to move out and away from the interior surface area. If any grit ends up on the surface of the teeth, that will result in them being slightly crooked, resulting in rougher, less efficient rotation. By allowing an easier path for impurities to exit from between the teeth, the ratchet rotates more smoothly and efficiently. So, in sum, weight is reduced slightly but the main reason is to allow any gunk that fouls the teeth to find a quicker exit for smoother and more efficient rotation,” he said.
At the moment the hub is offered in the one size, 36T, with the plan to expand beyond this specification in the near future once testing is completed. The current 36T model is available in four six-bolt versions, three center lock versions, and one v-brake disc version.