...why don't you use the preferred mechanical solution and hit it with a hammer ? :wtf:

Physics and engineering are not my strong suits so I'm afraid that, like most of the other contributors to this thread, I can offer no helpful information.

I have, however, after many decades of cycling, developed a nerve which runs directly from my ears to my hands such that any noise from the drivetrain is followed instantly by shifting to any gear that will remove the painful stimulus: Faced with your dilemma I would probably shift to a larger cog and pedal like crazy. (It is possible that physiology is also not my strong suit and that I am, once again, full of baloney.)

In my brazen youth I have been known to grind the lip off of a post CPSC Campy dérailleur in order to turn it into a pre CPSC model, for a mountain bike of all things, with TA cranks! Perhaps the preservation of rare and classic items is also not my strong suit. In fact I probably have no strong suit, but muddling along and messing with bikes is ok by me.

Not in my case, I'm on salary. But the opinions of many of us are used to make weighty decisions on safety or investment. One tends to think, how can I do this right?

Huret Jubilee will also work.

d$/dt, baby!

Take a break from riding and fix the dang thing! You don't actually take your bike to someone, do you? Mike didn't teach you anything?:lol:

Not me, I tend to think, what will get my boss from bugging me? I've got forum posts to make, doesn't he know?

crank bang

The decursorator didn't catch it, so yes.

If we graph the friction caused by both methods, the force vs time graph approaches zero. To expedite matters, take a file and accelerate the break in period, and viola! No rubbing issues.

I actually don't remember Mike teaching me anything. I was the service manager! He was mostly concerned with sales (and the part-time employees taking too long for their breaks).

As far as repairs, I just tend to grab another bike. That's one justification for having a basement full. I'll get to the Int'l at some point. However, on today's ride my Lemond was making all sorts of awful crackling noises under load. Crank arm bolts were tight as were pedals. I'm going to fire my mechanic again.

That would make two of us!

Who's this "Mike"? :lol:

Co-owner of a bike shop in Palo Alto, CA, where gugie and I both happen to have worked bitd.

ah - yet another here with a secret past life. I'd speak more openly about mine, but... :innocent: