Crazy mystery chirping screeching noise

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

tripletail52

Senior Member
Hi, My road bike is making a crazy mystery chirping screeching noise and for the life of me I can't figure out where it's coming from. It's really difficult to explain the problem to a local bike shop person as the noise only starts when I start cycling. Anyway they don't seem very interested.

I uploaded the sound here:
View: https://soundcloud.com/steve-choi-859347784/sets/bike-noise


1. The noise didn't gradually grow louder. It suddenly appeared one rainy day and is still here.

2. It starts when I get up to a good speed. It continues even when I'm coasting.

3. Spinning the wheels when the bike is mounted to the stand does not create the noise. (So my weight on the bike must have something to do with it.)

4. It's not the brakes. The noise is separate from whatever noise the brakes make.

5. It's not the tyres. My bike has disc brakes and there's nothing rubbing against the rim or the tyres.

6. The noise is not constant. It can be gone for a few days and come back. It visits the bike when it wants to.

Am I hearing things or can you also hear it in the audio file? How do I get rid of it?? Somebody help me please!
 

Oldhippy

Cynical idealist
Haunted bicycle?
 
Ah sounded to me like a tyre rubbing on the frame. Are you sure there's no rub marks on the side of the tyres ?
 

Dolorous Edd

Senior Member
Welcome. I can't really help you with your bike noise, but I am very interested in following the reactions to your interesting avatar.
 

Punkawallah

Über Member
Sounds rubber/plastic to me. As tyre rub has already been suggested (wheels not square/tight in the dropouts?), could the jockey wheels on the derailleur need greasing? When wet the noise goes away, when they dry out it comes back. Good luck, anyway :-)
 
OP
OP
tripletail52

tripletail52

Senior Member
Check the rubber seals on the end of the axles. These usually remain static while the wheel rotates and can make similar sounds. A couple of drops of light oil between the rubber seal and rotating wheel will make it go silent.
Hello Broadside

Do you mean on the wheels? I've got QR skewers not thru-axles. I've took them out, cleaned them and greased them yesterday. Are you talking about different axles?
 
OP
OP
tripletail52

tripletail52

Senior Member
Sounds rubber/plastic to me. As tyre rub has already been suggested (wheels not square/tight in the dropouts?), could the jockey wheels on the derailleur need greasing? When wet the noise goes away, when they dry out it comes back. Good luck, anyway :-)
Hello

I'll try tightening up the skewers tomorrow. But I'm a bit sceptical about the jockey wheels as the noise persists when I'm coasting. Thanks!
 
Top Bottom