Front wheel clicking

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grellboy

Über Member
Bought some second hand wheels recently. Spin well and seem mostly trued, but when I went for first ride on them today there was quite an annoying rotational click from the front one. I thought it might be to do with the set up of the bike - catching on frame or brakes - so I then tried it on another bike and still has same click. Annoying. Any ideas will be welcomed.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
The hub? What wheels are they?
 
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grellboy

grellboy

Über Member
Forgot to add, it only clicks when under weight. Upended bike, wheel spins without clicking, but is apparent when riding along with my weight on the bars.
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
Check spoke tension, I had this issue on the back wheel so tensioned the odd spoke and problem solved.
If you are not confident doing this then your local bike shop will only charge £10-15.
 
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grellboy

grellboy

Über Member
Is the clock once per rotation or at a different frequency?
Once per rotation, in line with rpm.
 
Location
Loch side.
But I can rule in.....?
Rule in other stuff.

Spoke tension, or rather, difference in tension, per se does not cause clicking. However, a spoke with no tension, or one with a cracked spoke hole, will lead to clicking.

To completely rule out the bearing, remove the wheel (I assume QR, not TA??) and hold the wheel by the skewer and spin it. The feedback through your hands from the bearing should be smooth and silent. Spin a few wheels to develop a reference feel for a good bearing. I don't expect someone, on their fist spin, to know what feels good and what not. However, once you've spun a bad wheel, you will know.

A bearing does not click once per revolution as one would expect. This is because balls and races don't spin perfectly in sync. A ball actually half-spins, half drags.

To inspect the spokes, pluck each spoke with a fingernail like you would a guitar string. Compare the tone. A very obvious, very dull tone indicates a loose spoke. That could be the culprit. Failing having found that, now carefully inspect the area around the spoke holes in the rim. Look for cracks. A crack is a tick, for sure.
 
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grellboy

grellboy

Über Member
Hi everybody. Thanks for all your help. After trying out all your ideas and suggestions I did a bit of googling and it turns out with extender valves for deep section wheels, valve itself knocking against wheel is common problem. Solution? £1.25 gaffer tape from Wilko! A little unsightly but not anything like as annoying as the clicking was! Thank you again!
 
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