rattling bike

M said:

I bought a Bianchi boardwalk couple weeks ago. I have
noticed on the higher gears, 7 and 8, there's a rattling
noise that seems to be coming from the chains. This
problem has existed since I bought the bike.

Is this a common problem and easily fixable?

Assuming that by "higher", you mean "smaller diameter in
the rear"...

Does it happen only when the front derailleur is set to run
on the smaller chainrings? If so, the chain is probably
hitting the front derailleur's cage. If the adjustments are
not off by enough to cause shifting problems, I'd say that
the best solution is to shift up to the large chainring and
select a lower rear cog. Your chain will last longer, and it
probably won't hit the cage.

If it happens in all front chainring combinations, the first
thing I'd check is shifter adjustment for the rear der, and
the cable routing; if the cable is binding, it can cause the
shifting to be off by a bit at one end of the range, and
that can show up as a noise that might sound like a rattle
to the non-technical ear..
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to
reply via email. Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

M said:

I bought a Bianchi boardwalk couple weeks ago. I have
noticed on the higher gears, 7 and 8, there's a rattling
noise that seems to be coming from the chains. This
problem has existed since I bought the bike.

Is this a common problem and easily fixable?

Some of that is inherent to today's very small high gear
sprockets.

That being said, ask your dealer to ensure the rear
changer is straight and see that there is some lubricant
on the chain.

New bike assembly today seems to be available only on an
ad hoc basis - to complaining customers after the sale in
some cases.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1
April, 1971