 |
| Photo credit: Guardian |
For some, the culprit is a rusty chain. We've all shaken our heads at those cyclists who choose to ignore the incessant trill or they are "hard a' hearing" as my dad used to say (now he's the one losing his hearing!). It's amazing how oblivious people are. I guess that blessed three letter word: O-I-L is not part of their vocabulary. I pass those riders every day. I presume they're the same folks that also drag a car muffler down the highway.
But, a rusty rider I am not. I'm flabbergasted with the creaks and groans that are difficult to pinpoint.
There's a "wenh-a wenh-a" near the crank with every revolution. Could the bottom bracket be outta' whack? Over the course of a commute I shift into all three front chain rings. Only happens when I push harder. Pedals? I dribble bike oil in the moving part, just because. Good god, sometimes I think it's the seat. Stop and tighten bolts. I hate to admit it, but this is the type of on-the-road deciphering that's routine with my older stable of bikes.
More recently there's been a grinding, rumbling underfoot on my Miyata. It was more felt than heard. When my hub said it might be the chain, I whipped out the tape measure from my toolbox and checked the links. Sure enough, chain stretch. Oh boy, another project.
I set off for work on a hot morning. It took me a while to realize the new rattle was coming from the ice cubes in my water bottle. Ah, now that's an easy fix. Drink up!
The Ross has had a niggling problem for years. At some part in every ride the crank arm taps the kickstand. No matter how often I tighten the big ole' bolt, it still manages to wiggle loose. Can't seem to permanently fix that one. Could be I need new hardware or a new stand. For now it remains a quirky reminder that I ought to fix it. You see, I have this bad habit. I reach out with my left leg, whacking the kickstand back in place, all while rolling. One day I may miss and hit the spokes. Blasted kickstand.
 |
| Photo credit: Dero |
What bicycle noise tops your exasperation list?
I can't put up with ANY noises from the bike...
ReplyDeleteThe only noise that is acceptable to me is the sound of a nicely lubed chain tinkling through the rear derailleur...
Any noise that does occur is dealt with immediately...mind you finding the source is often easier said than done!
-Trevor
Well, obviously I would like a smooth running machine all the time too, but that would require hours in day to troubleshoot and fix. Life must go on and I must ride a bike, er, have to ride a bike for sanity...
DeleteI prefer a quiet bike, too. A seat post that was just slightly too small caused sounds that were hard for me to track down. I finally figured out that the sound stopped when I stood up on the pedals.
ReplyDeleteI can't bear any sound. To me it means something isn't working right. I don't have a clue about bikes, I just like riding, but I am very lucky to have a great bike shop 3 minutes walk away from me, and extremely cheap, so instead of going directly home when I hear a noise I drop it off at the shop. They then take it out for a ride, I pick it up later and no noise. Most times it's such a silly thing that they don't even charge me.
ReplyDeletePet peeve of mine is riders seeming oblivious to a squeaky chain or derailleur out of adjustment. Those are obvious noises. I hate tracking down the not so obvious noises.
ReplyDeleteThe chain guard on mine works loose and rattles so I have to tighten it up. Ironically it seems to be worse after a visit to the bike shop and I always end up having to retighten it again
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder if I need a lock ring on my kickstand bolt or the thing has failed. Or this is the small price we have to pay to have a chain guard and a kickstand! who knows?
DeleteI had a weird noise that was coming from my bottom bracket, and thought it might be shot. Turns out, it was the bearings in the pedals, which was a relief. I'm glad it was one of the parts that's easy and cheap to replace...I rely on my bike to get around, so it's a real inconvenience to me to have to leave it at the shop even for a day.
ReplyDeleteI always think the worst too, but often it's an easy or at least inexpensive fix.
DeleteWe had a tandem that hadn't been used in years. It started to squeal loudly when we took it out again. We had oiled all the obvious to us places. It turned out to be the headset needed regreasing. . It was the most ear piercing noise and most disturbing.
ReplyDeleteBrenda in the Boro
That terrible squeal when squeezing the brakes when the brake pads are not adjusted correctly. Drives me nuts and sends shivers down my spine.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I create this squeal by inadvertently wiping the rims with a well-used rag...oops!
DeleteAny noise drives me bonkers. My self image of being a pretty chilled person goes straight out of the window. I become a dribbling, mumbling madwoman, clawing at the bike with furtive hands, eyes darting uneasily over the frame, as I convince myself that the next time I hit 60km going downhill the entire bike will crumple and my lifeless form will prove a warning to lazy bike mechanics everywhere! . . . And that's my thought process within the first 5 mins. Not that I've got it out of proportion or anything.
ReplyDelete