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

stevo_com I had exactly the same problem with a rear wheel. When spokes have been in a wheel for a good while, the points where they meet/cross each other get little dent or groove in them (just like you see in old hubs where the spokes leave the flanges) and the noise is the spokes moving across these dents as pressure is placed on them. It drove me nuts for ages because it was only happening when I was off the bike and spinning the wheel, the only time you can safely inspect it moving, because there was no pressure being exerted on the spokes. I came up with the aforementioned dent theory but couldn't work out which spoke/spokes were making the noise so I tightened them all a quarter of a turn. This got rid of the noise for about 20 miles or so but it came back. I repeated the quarter turn, again on all the spokes, and it's been silent ever since (500+ miles).

you didn't tension your spokes correctly in the first place ;)

that is partly true, but I didn't build the wheel. plus, it was a cheapo one so never knew the quality of the spokes. thought it might be relevant none the less.

stevo_com that is partly true, but I didn't build the wheel. plus, it was a cheapo one so never knew the quality of the spokes. thought it might be relevant none the less.
i htought you built all your wheels? ;) Funny as loads of people say that machine built wheels don't have a lot of tension, a few i've got are really cranked up???

I do now, this was before I got the confidence/stupidity to believe I could do it myself :P. They were probably fine when it was built, came from BC and they don't usually sell tripe no matter how cheap it is. I just re-dished it a few times (my first dabble in nipple tweaking) when changing between 5, 6 and 7 speed freewheels on my tourer and that was more than likely the dagger in its back.

they are the rather crappy stock wheels that come with the Charge so that might well be the case, I'll give the bike a good going over this weekend.
Yesterday evening after work it didnt occur, but it did for half a mile this morning. But what I joyous day weather wise it was today so I didnt care!
Even the motorists seemed happier and smiled warmly if I let them go before me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside...group hug?

Could be gremlins. Never rule out the gremlins.

do not feed the gremlins!

Did you try the oil idea?

dogsballs [quote]stevo_com that is partly true, but I didn't build the wheel. plus, it was a cheapo one so never knew the quality of the spokes. thought it might be relevant none the less.
i htought you built all your wheels? ;) Funny as loads of people say that machine built wheels don't have a lot of tension, a few i've got are really cranked up???[/quote]

not only that, they are cranked up hard and not de-stressed.

spokes should not bind so as to create dents!

if it is the spokes, then it sounds like clefty's wheel is de-stressing itself now, rather than when it should have been (ie at the wheelbuilding stage)

course, it could be any number of things, but as I've learned from experience, I don't like to diagnose without looking at or even riding the bike in question.

RPM

course, it could be any number of things, but as I've learned from experience, I don't like to diagnose without looking at or even riding the bike in question.

thank god your not a gynaecologist! :p

who says I'm not?

the certificate IS real.

honest Guv.

by the way guys,
found the problem this weekend - once i'd cleared the wheel of gremlins, cats and squirrels I found a loose spoke, couple of quarter turns on a spoke key no more knocking!

thanks all!

A loose spoke wouldn't have done that, you must surely have loosened the reporter when you tightened the spoke. Yes, defo the case. ;)

it's not there all the time. if i put pressure on the cranks, it happens. but not all the time. here and there. if the bike bounces up and down, it seems to happen. but not all the time. seems to come from the drive train, but can't be sure, it's a metallic noise, clearly getting some reverberation from the steel frame. mostly it's just one, isolated...tick, then maybe another 2 seconds later. rarely a rhythm.

What noise am I?

sounds like the chain, i had something similar. maybies.

worst case scenario is a cracked frame, i got scared by that one when i tried to solve mine. whacked a new chain on and...... silence.

It's probably either:
Your bottom bracket
Cranks
Chain
Pedals
Seatpost
Saddle
Bars
Stem
Headset
Spokes
Knees
Shoes
A bomb

I'd try checking those first.

it's user error

hehe I forgot that one.

my ankles do that sometimes.

try to check bottom bracket and headset

my bomb does that sometimes...

It's yer deathclock.

Ticking.

Always.

Ticking.

I had a noise like that once... a few miles later my chain snapped.
It was a half-link that had gotten worn through by my chain tensioner. Vigilance people!

i need to oil my cain!