Bicycle Mechanics - Noises when pedaling....

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beatle bailey
06-18-04, 08:52 AM
uphill on my EZ3 trike.
Usually it's when I'm in the #1 gear on the left hand and #2 gear on the right. It starts out like a dim click, click, click, then when I shift up to 3 and 4 on the right hand, it gets progressively louder. This is ONLY when pedaling, not coasting. It's embarassing when someone turns to see what the hell the racket is all about....I mean bikes and trikes are supposed to be 'stealth' machines.
First the mechanic at the dealer said, "oh it was just a loose seat bolt." But that wasn't it. Then he found that the jack shaft gear on the drive axle had come loose and the chain was very loose, but that wasn't it.
Someone on another forum said he had an EZ tandem that made a similar noise and that the axle bearings were bad.
Sometimes, I think that the noise is in the bottom bearing, and then again I think it's coming from under the seat. It's so damn hard to pin point just where it is......it's drving me bug F**k for sure.
Anyone had a similar problem???????????? HELP
thanks.

madpogue
06-18-04, 10:32 AM
Along with the usual (what you've mentioned, chainring bolts, pedals, cleats), check the idler. The idlers on the earlier model EZ's were especially noisy. Also check the stem, and the bar-to-stem bolts. Those EZ's have pretty long ape-hanger bars, and when you're honking up a hill, you can pull pretty hard, and the long (well, tall) bar acts as a big lever, and you can put a lot of force on the stem and its fasteners.

Oh, and if you haven't yet (I haven't looked), you might wanna post a reference to this thread in the Recumbents forum. Maybe an EZ rider there has some insight.
consciouspilot
06-24-04, 06:33 PM
uphill on my EZ3 trike.
Usually it's when I'm in the #1 gear on the left hand and #2 gear on the right. It starts out like a dim click, click, click, then when I shift up to 3 and 4 on the right hand, it gets progressively louder. This is ONLY when pedaling, not coasting. It's embarassing when someone turns to see what the hell the racket is all about....I mean bikes and trikes are supposed to be 'stealth' machines.
First the mechanic at the dealer said, "oh it was just a loose seat bolt." But that wasn't it. Then he found that the jack shaft gear on the drive axle had come loose and the chain was very loose, but that wasn't it.
Someone on another forum said he had an EZ tandem that made a similar noise and that the axle bearings were bad.
Sometimes, I think that the noise is in the bottom bearing, and then again I think it's coming from under the seat. It's so damn hard to pin point just where it is......it's drving me bug F**k for sure.
Anyone had a similar problem???????????? HELP
thanks.

I had a similar problem that took me 600 miles to figure out with a 'click' on every rotation but only when really applying pressure to the pedals. I took apart the crankset, took off the chainrings and on and on and on, and just couldn't find it. One day I really start to feel the 'click' vibrating through my shoe. I tighten the pedals and voila, never hear the click again. The pedals were just slightly loose. I'm feeling a bit stupid it took me so long. This may not be your problem, but I'd check it out. The point being, I was positive the sound was coming from my crankset/chainrings/chain, and sure enough, it wasn't. Good Luck.