Keith Boone <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:I have a "ticking" noise coming from one of my wheels - still can't tell which one, but I _think_
it's the front. I'm having trouble finding out what is causing it.
This is a new touring bike with 36 spoke "Ambrosio Evolution" wheels and Veloce hubs. The noise
only occurs when I'm riding, and it happens whether or not I'm peddling. It definitely sounds like
spoke noise to me, but I checked and all the spokes seem to be tight. The sound seems to occur
once per wheel revolution. Can anyone tell me how to find the cause of this, and how to stop the
noise? Thanks for any help.
-Keith
Here are a few suggestions that you may have already tried, but which might help others who hear a
noise that seems to be independent of pedaling, appears to coincide with each spin of the wheels,
might be coming from the front or the back, and is driving you crazy.
Try to determine which wheel causes the noise by spinning each wheel by hand after flipping the bike
upside down or suspending it in a workstand. This is also good time to check that it really isn't
the rim ticking against a brake pad, a slightly off-round rear tire nicking the excess cable from
the front derailleur, or a front tire scuffing a bent fork, to name a few of the more embarrassing
explanations.
If hand-spinning doesn't re-produce the noise, then the problem may appear only under normal
loading, which suggests bearings, cones, spokes or even a strangely defective tire and rim
combination.
To test each wheel separately under a normal load, swap the front wheel onto another bike and see if
the noise follows it to the new bike. If not, try swapping the rear wheel to another bike. You can
probably skip any careful adjustments of the brakes or gears. You just need to be able to roll along
on a flat, quiet, safe place with your weight on the wheel that you've isolated.
If the noise comes from the front wheel when spun by hand, a speedometer may be the culprit. The
spoke magnet may be physically ticking the fork sensor, or the sensor itself may have become louder
than usual. (Many sensors emit a faint but audible noise as they trigger.)
If the noise comes from the rear wheel when spun by hand, a plastic spoke protector may be causing
it. A 36-spoke wheel uses a round guard that is held in place with only three tiny prongs. If any
prong breaks or cracks, the plastic disk may make odd noises. A 32-spoke wheel is a little more
robust because it uses a 4-prong guard.
Another source of rear wheel noise can be a derailleur that, due to wear or damage or weak
springs or mis-alignment, just barely ticks against a spoke when running the chain over the
largest rear cog.
Patience will eventually isolate the noise. Before sticking a playing card in the spokes to cover it
up, console yourself with an example of an odd noise that no bicycle can match: a rare congenital
anomaly of the muscles that move the human eye can cause a faint clicking noise when the patient
looks to either side as one muscle slides over instead of under the other. The patient is often
unaware that eyeballs do not normally click, while the doctor is often relieved to hear the faint
clicking through a stethoscope pressed against the perfectly sane patient's temple.
Harborfreight.com and most auto-supply stores will happily sell you a mechanic's stethoscope whose
end is better suited to diagnosing inanimate ailments.
