Fifty Plus (50+) - What is that gosh-awful noise?

It showed up last weekend during a ride with the wife, she on her X-1 and I on my Tour Easy. It was an almost pleasant jingle type of noise that occurred once per pedal revolution. It sounded like it was coming from the rear deraileur. I tucked this minor inconvenience into my memory bank and just enjoyed our (noisey) ride together.

Now it's a few days later and I'm taking the TE out for a nice long ride alone. First things first though, I take a little test ride up and down the street and the bike ran silently. Anticipating a great day I loaded a couple bottles of Gatorade onto the bike, strapped on my camera at my hip, and donned my helmet and riding gloves. Son-of-a-gun! There's that stupid jingle again! Tough beans, I'm riding anyway and when I get home I'll put this sucker up on the repair stand and have at it!

My brain wouldn't shut off. Why once per rev? Why from the right rear? Why did it go away and come back? Every theory I came up with during the ride made no sense at all and I had the feeling that tracking this down was going to be a difficult quest. I've heard that noise somewhere before but my brain dead head just can't quite remember where.

All told I rode 70 miles and stopped several times to take pictures, visit, eat lunch...and all the time the noise continued on. Somewhere around mile 48 it finally struck me where I had heard that noise before, many, many times before. Fortunately no one was around at the time because I broke out laughing right then and there while reaching down to my right hip firmly grasping and silencing the jingling camera case that was strapped to my belt.

It's a really nice soft case by Tamrac and not only can be attached to one's belt but it also has a neck strap with nice big easy to handle clips and rings, nice, jingly clips and rings. I always use both the belt loop and the neck strap. Some times I feel sooooo stupid. :o

I can't tell you how many times I have done something similar.

Yesterday, it was a swooshing sound with each revolution of my pedals.

Search, frown, look - then I realized I had nylon shorts on for a quick ride, and the noise was my nylon shorts brushing against itself.

I have this VERY annoying "click-click-click" which happens only when in high gear on the cassette. Drives me nuts to the point I will switch gears when riding next to barriers like K-rails and bridge abutments. New chain, old chain, change the cog to a new one, check crank arm bolts, change the pedals, new wheels, did it all. Still have the "click-click-click."

The bike won't make the noise on the stand either.

I had the same thing( weird noise) happen to me and I finally found out what it was. I kept hearing a tink tink noise and it seemed to be per pedal stroke as well. Turns out it was the chin strap buckle hitting the metal zipper tab on my jersey! It was a soft tink but I kept hearing it and it was starting to really bother me too. Glad I figured it out. ( I wear the strap a little loose, maybe I should tighten it up a bit)

When I ride I take my hearing aids out and don't hear any of that crap. Once, a young gun rode up along side me and said, "Something is creaking." I responded, "Thanks". He waited a few second and said, "Aren't you going to check for it?" I said, "No." He said,"Well, it's driving me crazy." I said, "Well then you better ride faster, 'cause it doesn't bother me."

I've had the same experience twice while riding my recumbent. As you know, you can wear pretty much anything on the bent and I typically wear cargo shorts or long, stretchy blue jeans if it is cold.

Once per rev, a noise! A damned noise! Stop and inspect. Stop and inspect. Hold bike up while pedaling ... nothing. Start again ... the infernal noise is back.

Once it was change in my pocket and the other time it was a key chain in my pocket.

When I ride I take my hearing aids out and don't hear any of that crap. Once, a young gun rode up along side me and said, "Something is creaking." I responded, "Thanks". He waited a few second and said, "Aren't you going to check for it?" I said, "No." He said,"Well, it's driving me crazy." I said, "Well then you better ride faster, 'cause it doesn't bother me."

I've ridden near people like you and the solution is to get away from them.

I was brought up on bikes with chaingaurds- the metal ones that after a while came loose or got bent and had the cranks hit them so wierd noises take a long time for me to notice. I have a mate that can hear every noise on his bike and as I maintain his bike- he always points it out to me on a ride. What am I supposed to do 40 miles into a Century ride? Especially as he tells me now that he has had it for a couple of weeks.

And the last noise I had that puzzled me was today. A firm clunk whenever I hit a bump. It was my glasses hitting the helmet on the upstroke as Today was the first long ride without a Peak/visor on the helmet- and the Peak/visor used to keep the glasses down on my nose.

I bought new shoes almost a month ago. A week ago the right one started creaking--twice on each revolution. Once as my foot comes over the top and begins to press down, and again as I pull up from the bottom. I can feel the creak near the base of my big toe.

I took my orthodics out, no help. I tightened the cleat, no change. I tightened the pedal, still creaks.

I went to the LBS today. The shoe is silent.

Edit: And yes, they're paid for.