Bike noise diagnosis idea

[figbat]

I’ve had an idea for a way of tracing those annoying clicks, ticks and rubbing noises that are difficult to find. Perhaps it’s already a thing.

Apply a number of small accelerometers or vibration sensors in specific areas of the bike. Map them on an app. Connect the sensors to the app by Bluetooth or whatever.

Ride the bike. The app then analyses the noises and directs you to the source of the problem. Or at least gets you to reposition and refine the search.

Perhaps you could also define a baseline noise map for your bike and then it could help later diagnose a failing bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or drivetrain or whatever.

Unlikely to be something you’d leave attached, used only for diagnosis and troubleshooting.

Does this exist? Is it possible? Is it worth it to help prevent “that’s definitely the bottom bracket” becoming “turns out it was the stem/seatpost/pedal/knees”?

 

[wafter]

I’ve had an idea for a way of tracing those annoying clicks, ticks and rubbing noises that are difficult to find. Perhaps it’s already a thing.

Apply a number of small accelerometers or vibration sensors in specific areas of the bike. Map them on an app. Connect the sensors to the app by Bluetooth or whatever.

Ride the bike. The app then analyses the noises and directs you to the source of the problem. Or at least gets you to reposition and refine the search.

Perhaps you could also define a baseline noise map for your bike and then it could help later diagnose a failing bottom bracket, or wheel bearings, or drivetrain or whatever.

Unlikely to be something you’d leave attached, used only for diagnosis and troubleshooting.

Does this exist? Is it possible? Is it worth it to help prevent “that’s definitely the bottom bracket” becoming “turns out it was the stem/seatpost/pedal/knees”?

Sounds workable, although on cost / botheration grounds it appears unfeasible for your typical rider.

I suspect cheap mics would be fine for sensors, managing the wiring / interfaces and creating the app would be the hard part.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Years ago we did something very basic but effective at work. On the old CRT tvs customers often complained of high pitch whistles, some of which were intermittent. As there were a lot of coils/transformers that could possibly be the cause, we got a long bladed screwdriver and went to likely suspects. The tip was put on the component and the handle to the ear. The idea being that if said component was causing the issue, the sound would resonate up the screwdriver. It worked. Perhaps that was the cause of my hearing loss ?

 

[JonBuoy]

Smartphones contain accelerometers so you 'just' need to strap your phone to your bike frame then interpret the data 🤔

 

[presta]

I suspect cheap mics would be fine for sensors

Proper 3-axis accelerometers are less than £3 apiece from Amazon.

Years ago we did something very basic but effective at work. On the old CRT tvs customers often complained of high pitch whistles, some of which were intermittent. As there were a lot of coils/transformers that could possibly be the cause, we got a long bladed screwdriver and went to likely suspects. The tip was put on the component and the handle to the ear. The idea being that if said component was causing the issue, the sound would resonate up the screwdriver. It worked. Perhaps that was the cause of my hearing loss ?

A method commonly used by car mechanics.

Smartphones contain accelerometers so you 'just' need to strap your phone to your bike frame then interpret the data 🤔

If you're going to trace the location, you need the relative timing from multiple sensors, not just one.

 

[presta]

Sounds workable, although on cost / botheration grounds it appears unfeasible for your typical rider.

I doubt there's a big enough market to make it economical, most won't pay whatever they cost to buy or hire. If people are thinking in terms of an output that says "Bottom Bracket" or "Rear Hub", I don't see that as being practical without it being custom calibrated for every individual bike it might be used on. It might be a lot more practical to trace the location by substitution though, with a display that's showing the relative timing from each accelerometer.