Strange noise coming from front wheel when cycling

[scho047]

Hi all,

I am riding Scott Speedster S30 and its only about 4 weeks old... so far been enjoying the bike... and love it to bits..
however in the last few rides i have noticed some strange - maybe like clicking noises come from the front wheel when i am riding... it comes and goes.. but seems to be more consistance now...
after last ride i have took the wheel out and tried spinning it.. and it seems the sound is generated within the hub.. what could it be?
am going to take in to the shop as i have warranty on the bike but would like to know what is causing this....

any advice??

 

[bigkev]

are the cones loose is it a new bike or old bike could be a flat spot on the bearings balls need more info thanks

Hi all,

I am riding Scott Speedster S30 and its only about 4 weeks old... so far been enjoying the bike... and love it to bits..
however in the last few rides i have noticed some strange - maybe like clicking noises come from the front wheel when i am riding... it comes and goes.. but seems to be more consistance now...
after last ride i have took the wheel out and tried spinning it.. and it seems the sound is generated within the hub.. what could it be?
am going to take in to the shop as i have warranty on the bike but would like to know what is causing this....

any advice??

 

[scho047]

are the cones loose is it a new bike or old bike could be a flat spot on the bearings balls need more info thanks

Its a brand new bike.. so am not too sure why it is making the noise...
what do you mean by cones?
sorry am a newbie to the cycling scene so i also need more info from you in orde to be able to provide you with more stuff...

 

[bobbyOCR]

Its a brand new bike.. so am not too sure why it is making the noise...
what do you mean by cones?
sorry am a newbie to the cycling scene so i also need more info from you in orde to be able to provide you with more stuff...

Which wheels are they? If they are a lower end wheel, or a shimano wheel, cones are the part of the bearing system which threads onto the axle. It has a concave shape which the bearings roll in, as does the hub shell. The loose balls roll around in these grooves, but are very sensitive to the cone tightness.

If you pick the hub up in your fingers with the wheel resting on the tyre so it can't move side to side, and try and twist the axle, if there is any movement, the cones need to be tightened.

Or it could be grit in the bearings.

 

[scho047]

Which wheels are they? If they are a lower end wheel, or a shimano wheel, cones are the part of the bearing system which threads onto the axle. It has a concave shape which the bearings roll in, as does the hub shell. The loose balls roll around in these grooves, but are very sensitive to the cone tightness.

If you pick the hub up in your fingers with the wheel resting on the tyre so it can't move side to side, and try and twist the axle, if there is any movement, the cones need to be tightened.

Or it could be grit in the bearings.

Its shimano R500 wheel...
are the cones the end knob thingy that tightens the wheel ?? when i take the wheel off.. i undo the lever and untighten it..and inside there is spring or some sort goes over the axle...

so where would i find the balls for the bearing system? i am sorry if i am so not up to speed with the cycling jargon...

 

[Diesel6]

Its shimano R500 wheel...
are the cones the end knob thingy that tightens the wheel ?? when i take the wheel off.. i undo the lever and untighten it..and inside there is spring or some sort goes over the axle...

so where would i find the balls for the bearing system? i am sorry if i am so not up to speed with the cycling jargon...

Knowing those wheels, you'll be lucky to get a couple of thousand out of them anyway! Sorry to be so negative but I have a certain opinion of Shimano R500s.

In any case... if the noise is in the hub so be it, but don't forget to check the basics, like your computer magnet! I was a **** recently when I played with spokes and hubs for hours then finally realised it was just the magnet touching when the wheels were under stress. Sometimes those wheels can also make a bit of noise if the skewers are not tight enough. Try that too before you muck around with the hubs too much.

 

[jmocallaghan]

Knowing those wheels, you'll be lucky to get a couple of thousand out of them anyway! Sorry to be so negative but I have a certain opinion of Shimano R500s.

In any case... if the noise is in the hub so be it, but don't forget to check the basics, like your computer magnet! I was a **** recently when I played with spokes and hubs for hours then finally realised it was just the magnet touching when the wheels were under stress. Sometimes those wheels can also make a bit of noise if the skewers are not tight enough. Try that too before you muck around with the hubs too much.

Drop a touch of lube in the spoke holes on the rim... just a touch. likewise, at the hub do the same. Then figure if the cones are tight enough by placing the wheel perpendicular to the ground and holding it while applying pressure. With the other hand, try try and move the hub axle up and down. If you have any play from this, the cones are loose. If they are loose, take them to your LBS or write us here to walk thru how to fix it. I'd not worry about how long you can make R500s last. It's really rider dependant and some are harder then others on them.

Good luck!

 

[bobbyOCR]

Knowing those wheels, you'll be lucky to get a couple of thousand out of them anyway! Sorry to be so negative but I have a certain opinion of Shimano R500s.

I have 10,000km on mine right now
(and 3000km on a set of 550s but they were junk)

They are dying though, in need of replacing.

 

[artemidorus]

Shimano hubs often come from the factory overtightened. If there is any lack of smoothness when you spin the axle (with the wheel off the bike), then get a friend or your LBS to adjust the bearing preload (not as hard to do as that dreadful technical expression makes it sound - you could learn to do it yourself by going to www.parktool.com).

 

[daveornee]

Hi all,

I am riding Scott Speedster S30 and its only about 4 weeks old... so far been enjoying the bike... and love it to bits..
however in the last few rides i have noticed some strange - maybe like clicking noises come from the front wheel when i am riding... it comes and goes.. but seems to be more consistance now...
after last ride i have took the wheel out and tried spinning it.. and it seems the sound is generated within the hub.. what could it be?
am going to take in to the shop as i have warranty on the bike but would like to know what is causing this....

any advice??

Another possibility is a bit of loose metal inside the rim cavity and/or a loose rim splice.
Sometimes it is hard to tell exactly where the noise is coming from, if you shake the wheel without letting the axle move in the hub and you hear the noise, then you can work on the rim area to resolve your issue. Loose spokes can also make noises.

 

[scho047]

Picked up my bike from the LBS after my first tune up service and they have informed me that they have carried out thorough check to make sure everything was all in working order and suggested maybe the front wheel was not done up tight enough... and shown me how tight it should be.. and went for a quick ride along the driveway and seemed ok but would not know from that... so cant wait till i finish work to test it out fully.... if that was the case... i feel so bummed out for being so worried over nothing! geez... what novice cyclist i am! lol...
well fingers crossed and will let you guys know tomorrow!

 

[tigradekat]

Drop a touch of lube in the spoke holes on the rim... just a touch. likewise, at the hub do the same. Then figure if the cones are tight enough by placing the wheel perpendicular to the ground and holding it while applying pressure. With the other hand, try try and move the hub axle up and down. If you have any play from this, the cones are loose. If they are loose, take them to your LBS or write us here to walk thru how to fix it. I'd not worry about how long you can make R500s last. It's really rider dependant and some are harder then others on them.

Good luck!

Sorry but this is just plain wrong info. This method will overtighten the bearing assemly when used in combination with a quick release, as I assume is the case here.

Proper Cup and cone bearing adjustment requires you to leave a tiny bit of play when the wheel is not clamped in the fork with a quick release. This play will allow for the hollow axle to bend slightly under the clamping force of the quick release, taking up the last bit of play.

 

[daveornee]

Picked up my bike from the LBS after my first tune up service and they have informed me that they have carried out thorough check to make sure everything was all in working order and suggested maybe the front wheel was not done up tight enough... and shown me how tight it should be.. and went for a quick ride along the driveway and seemed ok but would not know from that... so cant wait till i finish work to test it out fully.... if that was the case... i feel so bummed out for being so worried over nothing! geez... what novice cyclist i am! lol...
well fingers crossed and will let you guys know tomorrow!

What "was not done up tight enough"?

 

[scho047]

false alarm guys... went for a ride and its still making the noise... so will be going back to the shop today

 

[Yojimbo_]

Don't forget to check your spokes.

I've had clicking noises coming from my wheels a number of times, and it always turns out to be the spokes. You may find that you have a spoke (or two) that is not sufficiently tight, so as the wheel turns and the spoke is loaded, it moves and rubs against adjacent spokes causing a noise.

 

[rjc100]

I had the same problem with my newer road bike after some wet weather riding. I found that dirt had migrated between the spokes and rim, as well as the spokes needed re-tightening. This solved the clicking noises.

 

[garage sale GT]

Don't forget to check your spokes.

I've had clicking noises coming from my wheels a number of times, and it always turns out to be the spokes. You may find that you have a spoke (or two) that is not sufficiently tight, so as the wheel turns and the spoke is loaded, it moves and rubs against adjacent spokes causing a noise.

I second that, just had one of those today.