Bicycle Mechanics - "Click" noise when turning the handlebars

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Drunken Chicken
03-12-05, 02:02 PM
When, say, doing a trackstand while balancing I move the handlebars there's always a "click". I figured out it was the front derailleur's cable that tenses when the front of the bike is turned and then it becomes normal again with a click. Annoying and worrying: any ideas on what it might be and what I can do to fix it?

Retro Grouch
03-12-05, 02:21 PM
Depends on the bike.

Sometimes you can cross the shift cables over to the opposite side of the head tube and cross the cables again under the down tube. That allows the shift cable housing to make a wider more graceful arc and not rub the head tube quite so much. It doesn't help if the cable stops are welded to the head tube and I wouldn't do it on a bike where it would make the cables rub the bottom of the down tube.
Cornish_Rdr_UK
03-12-05, 06:14 PM
Hmmmmm, my first thoughts were for your headset, but then i realised that you've only had the bike a couple of days, maybe the cables stretching, maybe they're rubbing on the inside of the outer cable hosing, sounds very strange to me on such a new bike... Take it back to the shop and see what they say, or ride it like it, maybe its just wearing in?

Its crap when you have a new bike and something isnt right isnt it :(

Drunken Chicken
03-13-05, 02:27 AM
Hmmmmm, my first thoughts were for your headset, but then i realised that you've only had the bike a couple of days, maybe the cables stretching, maybe they're rubbing on the inside of the outer cable hosing, sounds very strange to me on such a new bike... Take it back to the shop and see what they say, or ride it like it, maybe its just wearing in?

Its crap when you have a new bike and something isnt right isnt it :(

How true, it feels all crap. :( Well, I've got a free revision after 20 hours of cycling but that's still quite far away (I'm at 4-5 right now :) )

Is there any chance that it's "wearing in", aka, will it stop after a while? Could something be loose or overtightened there?
Drunken Chicken
03-13-05, 07:01 AM
Wait a sec, couldn't I just somehow "loosen" the F/Derailleur's cable temporarily until I can get it in for repairs?