Audax Bike Falling to Pieces

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Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
I went out on a 66km club ride this morning on my Audax bike. My beloved Ti Spa Cycles Elan. Being a short, punchy ride I didn’t pack my usual Carradice saddle bag and the kitchen sink. Just a tool pouch under the saddle and a tiny pump that clips into a bracket on one of the bottle cages.

Not long into the ride a peculiar rattle started to develop around the head set. Cable? No? Crack in the handlebars? Nope? Mudguard? Nope. Tri bar pads? Nope.

WHAT? For god’s sake? I stopped, fettled, nothing. I left the tea stop banter early to fettle. Nothing. IRRITATING BASKET. Reveal yourself. For the next two hours it rattled and it rattled. I was almost certain that I was going to find out sooner or later when my bike disintegrated in a tangled heap. Me somewhere at the bottom. I was waiting for a lift to A&E. It was just time. Doom was upon me.
 
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Damn, don't you just love a cliffhanger!
Next instalment...
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Heltor Chasca

Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
Somehow, I fortuitously made it home without a crash. I had to eat. The frustration had drained me. I uploaded my route onto Strava and set about finding the fault.

Through a process of elimination I taped up or held in place with elastic bands anything that may or may not have moved. It was hell. I shook and bounced the bike about my patio. My arms ached. I couldn’t stop the rattle.

In a fit of rage, I grabbed hold of the little pump and tore it off the bike, to throw at the nearest target. It happened to be one of my prize, rare breed chickens which I swear was laughing at my ill predicament. I stopped, thinking of the guilt and the loss of one of my beautiful fowl. I stopped. And IT stopped. The rattle that had taunted me stopped!

The evil rattle was coming from the pump. The god damn spring in the pump!
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Somehow, I fortuitously made it home without a crash. I had to eat. The frustration had drained me. I uploaded my route onto Strava and set about finding the fault.

Through a process of elimination I taped up or held in place with elastic bands anything that may or may not have moved. It was hell. I shook and bounced the bike about my patio. My arms ached. I couldn’t stop the rattle.

In a fit of rage, I grabbed hold of the little pump and tore it off the bike, to throw at the nearest target. It happened to be one of my prize, rare breed chickens which I swear was laughing at my ill predicament. I stopped, thinking of the guilt and the loss of one of my beautiful fowl. I stopped. And IT stopped. The rattle that had taunted me stopped!

The evil rattle was coming from the pump. The god damn spring in the pump!

Aye thats a common rattle.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
On last years Friday Night ride to Hull I had a clipless moment when I got cramp in my foot. Down I went onto the tarmac.
After that I noticed a clicking noise each pedal revolution. Oh no I thought, I've damaged something when I went over. I pushed on for a while and stopped at the top of the only climb as it was now light, it was pointed out that my pump, clipped onto my bottle cage, had slipped and my pedal was just brushing it. Pushed back in and silence returned.
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
The evil rattle was coming from the pump. The god damn spring in the pump!

Was it Rolls Royce that use to say the noisiest part of the car was the clock
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
I had a very similar thing this week. On the cycle path near me are a couple of dropped kerbs to allow access from field gates, these do have quite a sharp drop too. Going across the first I heard a sharp "Crack" from somewhere on the bike which had me stopping in a panic. Thorough check, headset, bars and all attachments on the front end ok, same at the back. I inspected the frame to see if something had cracked, all ok. It happened again on the next drop and another look revealed nothing either. When I got home I spent ages checking everything, and finally found the culprit - a new saddle pack which attached to the saddle by means of a bar which sat on top of the rails. When it bounced the bar hit the hard plastic underside of the seat and sounded like a pistol going off.

A cable tie securing the attachment firmly to the rails sorted that one, but there's nothing like an unexplained noise to make you believe something major has happened.
 

Aravis

Putrid Donut
Location
Gloucester
Some months ago I started to notice a rattle which was never there at the start of a ride. It didn't seem especially disturbing and I thought the front mudguard was the obvious culprit, but steadying that with my hand made no difference.

Eventually I twigged that it was a water bottle which oscillates when the liquid reaches a certain level. So now I know. Annoying rattle? Have a drink, that'll sort it.
 
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