Bike noise, creak, click, creaks, clicks, clicking, pinging sound - help

why did you have to break the chain to remove the wheel?

and surely a broken chain will made some strange noises... i find superglue is the best way to fix a broken chain

Jan,

I think what Pete is trying to say is that it is unusual to have to use a chain tool to remove your wheel. If you slacken the track nuts off and move the wheel in the dropouts until the chain is slack you will be able to remove the chain from the chain ring.

If this is tricky then CAREFULLY use your finger as a derailleur to shift the chain off the chainring teeth as you rotate your cranks. This pulls the chain round and off the ring. Hey presto.

Be careful, doing this. If you don't know why, google for Sheldon Brown and fingers.

Anyway, the above advice is probab ly a bit too late for you at the moment. It sounds as if your chain has not been put back together correctly or, more likely, you have set your chain tension too tight so that drivetrain is grinding. If the bac is on it's back and you rotate the cranks, does it all roll around smoothly and come to a nice gradual halt? Does it run silently (ish) like this.

If it slows quickly and makes a noise then you just need to set the chain tension a bit looser.

I won't explain how to do this here - again google Sheldon Brown and chain tension.

Sorry if this is all egg-sucking advice - I am assuming that you are new to all of this?

Also, turn the pedals with the back wheel off the ground and watch how the chain runs over the sprocket - if you see a 'lump' go round it every so often you squeezed the chain too tight when you re-joined it and there is a tight spot. Locate the tight link on the bottom run of the chain and then gently bend the chain sideways pressing with your thumbs either side of the tight link, this should open it up enough to make it smooth again.

when you find a stiff link, bend it into a V shape e.g push the too links as close as you can get and then wiggle them horizontally, like how a chain isnt meant to flex, this removes stiff links :)

Hey,

Yeah, I'm pretty new to this kind of bikes so I really appreciate all help.
I removed chain once more, tried to look for all stiff links. There was one.
Then I tried to set different chain tensions (from really stiff one to a bit loose) to see if there is any difference but the noise is pretty much the same all the time. I think that it mostly comes from rear hub but not only (I tried it on both: freewheel side and fixed side. same noise). When I removed chain for the first time I put it on a clean surface so I'm not sure if there might be some dirt between links. I might try to make some short video with sound to illustrate the problem. :)

Again, thanks for help.

What kind of a noise is it? a cracking sound, a hum, a crunch?

You don't need to remove the chain to look for stiff links. The more you keep breaking and closing links the worse your chain is going to be.

All chains will sound like hell for a bit if you take them off to change something. It's just because the grit/grease etc in the chain has been disturbed. Put some fresh lube on the chain and the noise will disappear of it's own accord very quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuExFtUbKzk

Hey, quality isnt best but I guess that you can hear the sound I was talking about.

its a half link chain right? try turning it round the other way maybe?

your chain sounds totally normal to me. it's too tight though. loosen it up a bit. it will make a bit less noise once you do that.

your chain sounds totally normal to me. it's too tight though. loosen it up a bit. it will make a bit less noise once you do that.

+1. I couldn't hear anything wrong with it. They're never completely silent.

tension looks okay, have you relieved your 'stiff link'?
ahhaha

but for serious, have you? push and pull it sideways (like if you wanted to try and crack it) until smooth

your chain sounds fine really

hypochondriac...

Hey, thanks for advice.

So you say it sounds ok. I'm not sure if it sounds same as before removing rear wheel but if you say so than I will leave it as it is. I might loose it a bit as you suggest.
Yeah, I relieved my "still link". Feels much better. ;)

I was thinking about cleaning whole chain and adding fresh lubricant on it.

sounds a bit dry but thats it, probably not even that

I'd be happy to stir my tea with that chain.

I think your chain might be fitted inside out - it might just be my experience, but I always fit those with the smoother edge on the outside, and I have never had that noise from them. Your chain doesn't look too tight as long as you can still move it up and down about a cm when tensioned it's fine. You can also try using a heavy wet lube such as chainsaw oil, which will keep the metal from clattering against each other so hard, but is quite messy and gets dirty fast. Silent drivetrains are a result of expensive parts, correct tension, lubrication, maintenance and obsession.

How could fitting a chain "inside out" on a fg/ss make any difference to the noise it makes?

from what I can see in the clip it's one of those half link chains which have a slightly different profile on one side like this:

So I'm thinking he might have put it on the other way around and something could be rubbing as the links articulate around the rear cog - just a thought.

But the teeth are symmetrical?

All I'm saying is that the chain is designed to go round the cog one way, as per the photo I don't know enough about how the link plates are designed or why they aren't symmetrical, I just always fit them that way, and I haven't had any problems with noise like that. I don't know for sure but suck it and see.

... but suck it and see.

I'd rather not.

from what I can see in the clip it's one of those half link chains which have a slightly different profile on one side like this:

So I'm thinking he might have put it on the other way around and something could be rubbing as the links articulate around the rear cog - just a thought.

Didn't think all halflinks looked like that?

Just sounds dry to me, put a bit of lube on it and see.

activator 2

Sounds like my chain when it's a bit too tight. Maybe loosen it off a tiny bit and like others have said get some good thick oil on there, that'll shut it up.

But I also agree with Mobidog. That chain is definitely on the wrong way. Flat edge should be on the outside (designed for grinding an' that so the links don't get caught and destroyed on ledges etc). I had a Gusset Slink chain like that and although the teeth and pins may be symmetrical like Fruitbat says, the side plates aren't and from experience they don't like being run that way round. Not sure if it'll sort the noise (not that it sounds too drastic), but for aesthetics sake if nothing else put it the way it was designed to be.