New Chain Rumbles
09-08-15, 05:42 PM
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New Chain Rumbles
I just installed a KMC X8.99 (1/2 x 3/32-Inch, 116L, Silver) chain on my fixed gear bike. A slight, intermittent rumble immediately showed up while riding and also when turning the pedals with the bike on a stand. It's a rapid vibration that's felt through the pedals rather than heard. Usually, it happens at lower RPMs, whether the drive train is under load or not.
I switched chain rings, which made no difference - both rings are in good condition with little or no wear. The track cog has less than 100 miles on it and made no noise with the old chain. I cleaned and re-greased the BB and oiled the chain, but the noise is still there. I conclude that the chain is causing the noise.
Others reported this problem in earlier threads, with other brands of chain. Some folks say its common to get minor noise with a new chain, but this is my first experience. Has anyone else encountered this? If so, did it eventually go away?
I switched chain rings, which made no difference - both rings are in good condition with little or no wear. The track cog has less than 100 miles on it and made no noise with the old chain. I cleaned and re-greased the BB and oiled the chain, but the noise is still there. I conclude that the chain is causing the noise.
Others reported this problem in earlier threads, with other brands of chain. Some folks say its common to get minor noise with a new chain, but this is my first experience. Has anyone else encountered this? If so, did it eventually go away?
09-08-15, 06:10 PM
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Forgot to mention this: I replaced the whole crank set including pedals, not just the chain ring, so the noise isn't coming from the pedals. The chain line isn't perfect (it's off by about 5mm), but it's not terrible. The original chain set, with near-perfect chain line, also rumbled.
Last edited by habilis; 09-08-15 at 06:13 PM.
09-08-15, 06:33 PM
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Any chance the chain tension is too high? They don't have to be very tight.
09-08-15, 07:10 PM
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09-08-15, 09:28 PM
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That has happened to my fixed-gear on and off, as well. Didn't matter that the chainline was within 1mm of being perfect, that the chain was either new or well-lubed, that the chainring and cog didn't have *that* many miles on it, that the chain always had enough slack (much more than is "cool" for a fixed-gear), and that none of my chains are allowed to go past the 1/16" mark before I throw them away... the only way I know to deal with it is take the bike off the stand and ride it. 
09-09-15, 05:30 AM
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That has happened to my fixed-gear on and off, as well. Didn't matter that the chainline was within 1mm of being perfect, that the chain was either new or well-lubed, that the chainring and cog didn't have *that* many miles on it, that the chain always had enough slack (much more than is "cool" for a fixed-gear), and that none of my chains are allowed to go past the 1/16" mark before I throw them away... the only way I know to deal with it is take the bike off the stand and ride it.
09-09-15, 06:39 AM
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They don't have to be tight at all. They have to be slack. The proper chain tension is ZERO. Because chain rings aren't perfectly centered, the tension will vary slightly as they turn. Periodic rumble is a sign that the chain is too tight and coming into tension periodically as the high spot comes around.
The cure, push rear wheel forward slightly.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
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09-09-15, 07:42 PM
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+1 sort of, but you weren't clear enough.
They don't have to be tight at all. They have to be slack. The proper chain tension is ZERO. Because chain rings aren't perfectly centered, the tension will vary slightly as they turn. Periodic rumble is a sign that the chain is too tight and coming into tension periodically as the high spot comes around.
The cure, push rear wheel forward slightly.
They don't have to be tight at all. They have to be slack. The proper chain tension is ZERO. Because chain rings aren't perfectly centered, the tension will vary slightly as they turn. Periodic rumble is a sign that the chain is too tight and coming into tension periodically as the high spot comes around.
The cure, push rear wheel forward slightly.
