On my ride last Saturday, I started hearing repeated noises that sounded like spokes pinging.

The noises didn't happen all the time, they seemed to start when I was descending, and I don't recall hearing them on flats or climbs. They came in an irregular sequence, in twos and threes. In total, during the two hour ride I probably heard fifty or seventy such noises. Didn't seem synchronized to wheel or crank rotation. Both rims were and remained true. I eyeballed them during the ride, and checked them carefully after the ride. By "true" I mean only about 1 mm runout.

Yesterday I checked the rims again, made them even truer. I run my pads as close to the rim as possible. During the ride, I had maybe 3/4" brake lever tip free play, now I have maybe 1/2". I'm not seeing anything else wrong with the bike. It is the bike pictured below. I built the wheels a few years ago, have ridden them a fair bit since, never had any problems.

I'll go for another ride tomorrow and see if the noises come back. Any idea what they might have been? Is there something else on a bike that makes pinging noises? Can spokes loosen enough to make so many pinging noises, while the rims remain true?

Rims are Mavic Open Pro, spokes are double butted but I can't recall the make.

If it's only happening at higher speeds it might be as simple as cable bouncing against the frame.

First place to look is the long weighted FD cable end running a short distance from the seat tube ready to act like clapper.

Wow! That is a narrow clearance between the seat tube and rear tire. Could it be that small stones are sticking to the tire and then they wedge between the two causing the sound you hear?

Dan

AS you ride and can hear the noise try placing a finger on various parts to see if the noise changes. Like the casing (good suggestion by Francis) loops. Also make sure the valve stem base nuts are snug (or jus get rid of them). Andy.

Actually I was thinking of the bell clapper standing up above the FD about 1/8" from the seat tube.

The suggestion about stones stuck to the rear tire hitting the seat tube is also good.

In short the OP has to let go of the wheels and consider every possibility. Often the actual sound is a valuable clue, but we can't hear that over the net.

Look at the frame, too. Noises can come from some very unlikely places. Noise is movement. Look at stem, bars, etc. Wiggle and jiggle everything. I've seen more than one cracked frame that made seemingly minor, faint noises, and was ridden that way for a while. Oh yeah, seat and post, too.

Thanks. I'll check everything!

Yes, the rear tire to seat tube clearance is tiny. I mounted fenders on the bike, the only idea that would fit were Crud Road Racers and i actually had to cut a long oval hole in the rear fender, where the tire is closest to the seat tube, because there was no room for even those ultra thin plastic fenders.

Looks like you have a full stable of bikes. Try swapping wheels and see if the noise transfers or stays with the bike. Then you can at least determine if the noise is coming from the wheels or the frame.

If it's still happening on this Saturday's ride, I'll ride up alongside you. With all the banging and dinging my bike makes it'll drown out anything you've got.

Or maybe we'll find a stretch where your bike makes noise and mine doesn't. Who knows?

You'd think we can based on some of the posts here.

That was also a running gag when I wrenched:

(Over the phone) "My bike is making a woosh-woosh noise."

"Just hold the phone next to it so I can hear"...

Do you have any prankster friends?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-TT_X3L60