Tick tick

[oldwheels]

Today on a smooth bit of road with no wind got a ticking noise which eventually traced to the front wheel. Bearings sounded smooth and removed some grass from under the mudguard but still the noise. Checked the spokes and a couple seemed not as tight as the rest. Abandoned ride and returned home where got bike up on a stand and tightened all the spokes a very little and adjusted till all gave the same tone when struck with a spanner. Decided might as well do front wheel bearings. Just as well since there was no discernible grease even tho' not noisy.This is a first check from new just over a year ago.
On a test run the noise seems to have vanished. Question is this likely to have been a loose spoke as the noise coincided with the wheel rotation? I have fiddled about with bikes for years but never met this before. This is my first small wheel bike tho' so are small wheels more sensitive to maladjustment?

 

[Brommyboy]

I think the noise likely came from the dry bearings. The spokes can make this but that is more usually on the rear wheel.