What's my noise?

[ColinJ]

My Cannondale road bike developed a very unusual noise recently. It took me 3 rides to finally work out what was going on and silence it.

I'll be impressed if anyone can diagnose the problem without me providing a lot of extra information. Have a go!

The noise was a screechy, whining sound. The only thing remotely similar to it that I have heard from a bike was when a Mavic freehub on a different bike needed lubing. It was NOT the freehub this time.

It sounded like it might be coming from the front hub but the wheel span very freely and quietly with the bike on a stand. There was no lateral play in the wheel.

Ask me any diagnostic questions you like. I won't tell you where the problem was located though, you'll have to deduce that for yourself.

 

[Salty seadog]

My Cannondale road bike developed a very unusual noise recently. It took me 3 rides to finally work out what was going on and silence it.

I'll be impressed if anyone can diagnose the problem without me providing a lot of extra information. Have a go!

The noise was a screechy, whining sound. The only thing remotely similar to it that I have heard from a bike was when a Mavic freehub on a different bike needed lubing. It was NOT the freehub this time.

It sounded like it might be coming from the front hub but the wheel span very freely and quietly with the bike on a stand. There was no lateral play in the wheel.

Ask me any diagnostic questions you like. I won't tell you where the problem was located though, you'll have to deduce that for yourself.

When did the noise occur? Peddling freewheeling, seated, out of the saddle?

 

[User6179]

New tyre with little bits of rubber sticking out catching the forks?

 

[Crackle]

I think you'd accidentally trapped a CC member in your spokes.........

Apart from that, something rotational. Something trapped on the inside of the chainset

 

[ColinJ]

When did the noise occur? Peddling freewheeling, seated, out of the saddle?

It happened when I was riding quite quickly, at speeds in excess of 30 kph (19 mph), say. It didn't matter whether I was pedalling or not, or on the saddle or standing!

New tyre with little bits of rubber sticking out catching the forks?

I didn't have a new tyre on, but I had recently ridden over a freshly laid road surface which resulted in my tyres getting tar stuck to them. I cleaned off most of it at the time, but some stubborn deposits remain. I suspected that they might be catching somewhere, but no - that was not it either.

I think you'd accidentally trapped a CC member in your spokes.........

Apart from that, something rotational. Something trapped on the inside of the chainset

Ha ha - no CycleChatters were harmed in the making of this noise, and nothing was trapped in the chainset.

 

[User6179]

Was the wind catching yer wig?

 

[Salty seadog]

@ColinJ
A mudguard deflecting into the tyre.

 

[Rooster1]

A leaf, trapped by the brake.

 

[ColinJ]

Was the wind catching yer wig?

I am slowly balding, but have no hairpiece!

It has been windy 'up on the tops' when I noticed the noise so I did wonder whether the wind might be blowing across the spokes in some weird way. But then I realised that if that were the case then the wheels would have been making that sound on every windy ride since I bought them. Nope - not related to wind!

@ColinJ
A mudguard deflecting into the tyre.

No mudguards on that bike!

A leaf, trapped by the brake.

I've had that kind of thing in the past, so I checked for it. Nothing trapped in the brakes.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You'd picked up some of the tar on the tyre and it was rubbing on the mudguard.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Cross posted with Colin, so on the brakes or the forks.

 

[ColinJ]

Cross posted with Colin, so on the brakes or the forks.

Not tar related!

 

[Salty seadog]

Dried out grease in the hub only squealing under load.

 

[ColinJ]

Dried out grease in the hub only squealing under load.

It did have a similar sound to previous dried-out hubs, but it wasn't that.

 

[Salty seadog]

Wheel deflecting under load and brake rubbing.