Originally Posted by
3alarmer
...is the bolt thingy that holds the freehub body to the hub fully tightened ? Are the derailleur pulleys spinning freely ? Is the chain stretched to the point it needs replacement ? If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound ? Is the sound it doesn't make "ratchety" ?
Yes bolt is tight. I also spun the rear wheel in my hand via the freewheel (i.e. drive direction) to ensure that it's smooth under load, which it is. So I really don't think it's the pawls. Chain is nearly new and I measured 6 links at 6.02 inches so that confirms it's not stretched. I tried to spin the pulleys but it's freakin difficult with the chain on, and I really don't want to pop the chain off since it's a Shimano without a quicklink. I will try again later but may need to learn to accept the noise. It's not super loud, but loud enough that one of my riding buddies yesterday told me to adjust my trim as he thought the noise was my FD rubbing. Kinda sounds like that, but definitely coming from the back.
p.s. since the wheel spins nicely off the bike while pushing on the cassette, I am pretty sure my pawls are ok. Is "pawls" the word of the day?