Just Freaky and Scary
 

After doing a 7 mile climb on Saturday's ride we took a break at the top and then prepared to descend back down. One the way down my bike starting to make an awful racket -even without without pedaling. My brother was trailing me and the noise was so loud he could even hear it. It sounded like it was coming from either around the crank or the front wheel. I was worried the bike was going to come apart and this was a really bad place for that to happen. You can easily hit 40 mph and there are a number of good hairpins to negotiate. After about a mile I stopped to check it out.

We could not find anything and I could not duplicate the noise without the bike moving. I'd never had this happen in 10+ years of riding. My brother once had the exact frame I was riding and his had cracked........so that was running through my mind.

We finished the descent but the noise was still there. We stopped at the bottom of the hill at a store to more thoroughly check the bike out. We took the wheels off, looked for cracked rims or bad/loose bearings, checked the frame, tightened the skewers more snugly, re-tightened the stem, etc. Finally when I juggled the rear water bottle it made a similar noise. I moved the bottle around a little and the noise went away. Go figure.

I was still suspect when I got home. After all, this is the bike I'm packing up today to send to Colorado for a week's riding. I have to ship it tomorrow and have to pack it today. I surely didn't want to send a defective bike out there and either miss riding or even worse be on a descent doing 50 mph and the bike come apart on me. My brother suggested I consider taking my other bike so was debating that. However I like this bike for these rides since it's older, it has the slightly easier gearing and I'm not as concerned about it getting stolen or riding on unpaved roads. I thoroughly cleaned it up and checked it out very carefully again. I took the bottle cage off looking for cracks in the tubes and the bottle cage and everything looked solid.

Maybe that road where we heard the noise is just plain haunted...........However if that noise starts up again in Colorado I'm going to be one aggravated rider.

Was it the water-bottle cage making the noise? If it was, problem solved.

However..., it might be difficult to enjoy riding on a bike that can't be fully trusted. Even if nothing breaks and the ride is issue free, you will have a lingering mental stress during the ride.

I would consider taking the older bike if it is fully ready-to-ride if the source of the noise is not identified.

The bottle cage fixtures are inserted in the frame with a pop rivet which can break. I had one do that on my Parlee when I hit a pothole. They can be replaced if that is the problem. Check to make sure the bolts are firm when screwed into the frame.

I'm guess it as the water bottle cage too. My sworks Roubaix does this every now and again. I have to tighten the bolts holding the cage three of four time a year to keep it from sounding like a wheat thresher.

What kind of bike frame? On a steel frame the water bottle mounts are generally brazed in place. Most aluminum frames use riv-nuts which have been known to come loose now and then.

Just been over to a neighbour because he has a noise on the front of his bike. Headset loose so tightened but up and down the road- still there. Tightened saddle a fraction -still there- checked wheels- tyres- QR's still there. Hot afternoon and he had put Ice in the water bottle.

Right, I realized this after posting. My Parlee is carbon and I think Joe's older bike is too, a Trek I believe?

You may want to let a bike shop in CO check it out when you get there and prior to a fast descent.

Sound can travel and resonate in the tubes of a bike. What is in the back can sound like it is in the front and visa versa. Last year I had an awful sound come when I was going fast and descending screamed like a banshee. It would come and go. I had both the front and rear bearings replaced and still the sound was there. Turned out to be the free hub needed a little lube. Hope you find it.

Trek 5900 carbon is correct. It's all packed and ready to be shipped tomorrow. I took the bottle cage off and it didn't seem the least bit loose when I removed it. We'll see.

Something like this happened to me an it was the nut inside the hub that fastens the cassette body.

jppe,
Please get the bicycle checked in Colorado with the descents you will be taking. A transient noise is so frustrating but I remember what a man told me about mechanical things, they don't heal up.Some thing is making that noise. maybe its nothing or the water bottle fitting but wouldn't want to read about you road rashing the bicycle on your trip. Have a great time too!!!

Bill

Thanks for the advice. There are some first class mechanics assisting the ride. For sure if I sense there is an issue I'll quickly get more experienced eyes to take a second look.

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I hope it all gets sorted and you have an awesome and SAFE trip!

Blue Loc-Tite. It's not just for D/R's.

Joe,
The fact that there was no significant accompanying vibration is pretty reassuring. I think you probably solved the problem... some sort of wind induced harmonic effect on the bottle cage sounds likely. You guys in NC are the exception, but most of us spend very little time at really high speeds on our bikes. I learned last summer riding in Montana that going down a mountain is a whole different world where a wind gust or mechanical issue or lapse of attention (or loose article of clothing) can be extremely scary. Experience with this is important and it is wise to be cautious if you value life and limb.

Be careful out there and I look forward to hearing about your RtR experience.

I'm not a fan of Loctite, in that plastic and Loctite do not get along very well.

Hot afternoon? There goes YOUR summer. One lump of ice or two?:)