nahungry

I apologize in advance if it sounds really dumb but I truly am completely clueless.
So I've been hearing how your bike is supposed to be really quiet where you're supposed to hear the wind, worldly noise and your breathing when you ride.
I think my bike is pretty well maintained, in great shape but I hear my chain all the time when I ride. More from my RD than the front but I definitely hear the chain turning through the derailleurs and they're quite noticeable when I ride where it's the chain, wind, worldly noise and my breath
So wondering... how noisy is your bike?

droppedandlost 

I only hear the whoooshing of my wheels.

Nachoman

Coincidentally, beginning yesterday, I'm having a slight, annoying, ticking sound coming from somewhere around the BB area, that is absolutely driving me crazy.
Thanks for reminding me.

License2Ill

More lube!

caloso

KMC chain (regularly lubed and wiped) on a Campy 10 drivetrain: Dead silent when pedaling.

RPK79

My left pedal squeeks, otherwise my bike is as quiet as you would expect.

Jed19

KMC chains on Shimano Ultegra 10 drivetrain and with wheels that are mostly Shimano DA, Ultegra hubs and two mavic Ksyrium wheelsets. Very silent. That reminds me. Riding yesterday, there was this lady riding one of those loud hubs in a group I rode with. Just hated the noise.

There is nothing like being out there early on a Saturday or Sunday, and hearing only the slap of your tires on asphalt, birds chirping and totally blue skies. Sometimes, I imagine that is how heaven must be (just kidding).

chewa

Same here

nahungry

Hmm... this is interesting because my bike is only about month and a half old, from LBS (or Trek, Bianchi only store) and they did a full tune-up when I got the bike.
Mine is nowhere close to dead silent but continuous flow of chain through the derailleurs can be heard.... quite noticeably where I can hear through the low-volume music that I have on at times...

clausen

Other than the odd pedal squeak, I only here the rubber on the road.

sreten

Hi,

The two rear pulleys on a cheap derailleur can make a real racket. Keep well oiled.

rgds, sreten.

Jed19

What drivetrain are you on?

jsigone

its ninja

TrojanHorse

I also have a KMC chain on a SRAM Red drive train... dead silent.

Keep your parts cleaned & lubed!

rpenmanparker 

True, true, but it is also true that the KMC XL 10 chain on any drivetrain is quiet. You chain isn't SRAM by any chance is it. No one seems to be able to quiet that down.

WhyFi

Put a new KMC chain on yesterday and was pleased by the absolute lack of noise.

rekmeyata

If your chain is making noise then either something is worn or the lube used is unsatisfactory. But before you dive into worn issues first try cleaning the chain, sprockets, and pulleys real well, wait about 6 to 8 hours for the the solvent to evaporate, then apply whatever your favorite lube is, and MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS on the bottle. Some lubes require that you shake it real well before use; almost all lubes require that you put it on, spin the crank backwards at a moderate speed for about 30 seconds then let it set for at least 6 hours; some will say to apply 2 coats; some will say to wipe the chain down afterwards; so read the instructions. Once that's done retest.

What chain lube do you use?

If it's still making noise then it's probably the barrel adjuster on the rear derailleur not properly adjusted if the noise doesn't go away after a proper lubing. So first shift to the middle most gear in the rear (and the put the chain in the middle range of a triple otherwise the largest chainring in the front is ok) try turning the adjust 1/4th a turn toward the rear wheel and retest, if the noise gets louder then turn the adjuster the opposite way a 1/2 turn and retest. If the noise gets better in either turning but still there then give it another 1/4 turn in the same direction that improved the noise, remember how many 1/4 turns your doing because if it gets worse you may have to reverse it back to a spot where the noise was the least (it's easy to count because the adjuster has 1/4 marked indents on it.

If you still have noise the inspect the chain's power link to make sure it is correctly installed.

Next check the chain for wear; see this for how: https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...ckChainforWear

Then check the sprockets or cogs (the rear gears) for wear or broken or bent teeth.

rpenmanparker 

Your advice is well placed, but you are making one mistake. The SRAM Red chain is noisy, period. No amount of cleaning, lubing, or adjusting can fix it. Been there, done that. KMC forever!

FLvector

Put in the earbuds and turn up the volume. Problem solved

First, make sure its well lubed. Might be a simple derailleur adjustment. Is it shifting smoothly?

caloso

+1

Velo Vol 

Noisy.

kenji666

My bike makes this heavy breathing noise when I go up up steep hills. It disappears once I crest the hill and start descending.

HBxRider

My drivetrain used to be very noisey and grindy sounding. I eventually figured out that it was the chain lube I was using. It was White Lightning, the wax based stuff. I used it because it came with my Park Tools chain cleaning tool. I live in a coastal community, I ride Pacific Coast Highway and beach trails a lot, and the waxy chain lube was a magnet for sand.

I switched to an oil based lube and my bike is much more quiet, and stays quiet for much longer. Never going back to wax type lubes.

WhyFi

^^^ have you tried paraffin? *ducks*

baj32161

My bike is too quiet sometimes. I like the sound of loud hubs and i would like it if everyone could hear me coming.