bhkyte

My Diblasi used to squeek alot uphill,due to the many pivot points in the frame.
But 2 noises that occasionally can occur with my dual drive mezzo are;
Ocassionally the chain catching device that guilds the chain when folding catchers the chain guard on pedalling.This makes the bike sound like it needs oiling desperately.cure? a good kick to bend it back.
Ocassional clicking in lowest interal gears, but they dont get used much.

edwong3

My comments are about my Qile Duo folder pictured below, which I've owned since May 2008.



This bike has about 4,000 miles now of mostly city riding, and I can say that there are no creaks, groans, moans, etc. During the last two months of 2008, I used the bike to commute to my then job, and had to ride on a number of rough brick streets. The frame itself is as quiet as a non folding one.

In the past, there was a creaking noise coming from the saddle. I sprayed the railing where it contacts the saddle's frame with WD-40, and that fixed that.

We had some rains here in Orlando almost two weeks ago, and rode through a lot of puddles with dirty water. Well two days after, the rear shock started to make a creaking noise. Again, WD-40 to the rescue! I sprayed the four contact shock mount points, and no more noise.

The only unusual noise that I can detect comes from the front hub. It will occasionally make a quick, low volume "clank". Most of the times, I don't hear it. Another is the more familiar "knock, knock" sound coming from the bottom bracket as I pedal. That too happens very rarely, and mostly when the day is colder. Both issues are adjustments that are needed. By getting those taken care of, my bike would be completely silent. In reality, the "whirling" sound from the tires rolling is the most noticeable noise.

Edward

yangmusa

The Swift I used to have had some creaks when I got it. Tightening the seatpost quick releases and using silicone lubricant on the stem joint solved the problems.

My Birdy had an annoying creak from new (see Birdy thread) which I recently fixed. It turned out to be the "maintenance free" pivots for the front suspension that needed grease.

Both bikes have oversize aluminium frames, and rattle/ting when cables knock on them.

bhkyte

in reponse to edwong3

I would check thoese noises out if you are sure they are coming from these locations. As both could cause more expensive replacement costs.

If your front hub bearing have gone it can cause the hub body to go egg shapped if left too long and reguire a new hub and rebuilt wheel.

The bottom bracket coming loose can strip of the frame thread, ooch!

IMO better to strip ,( or pay for someone else to), and check it over, and get a service into the bargin, than risk wondering what it is.


Regretts, I had a few, but quite alot to mention.

maranen

My Jetstream is very silent. Sometimes there is this sound ”Aaaargh!”, when I fall on a slippery winter road (Marathon Racers).

feijai

My three 2005 Dahon Helios P8s have had significant squeaks in the main latch and also the stem latch. These squeaks wouldn't be a problem except that take quite a while to track down and have quite a variety of causes. Sometimes you need to grease a certain location on a latch; sometimes you need to tighten the latch screw, sometimes you need to make an internal adjustment in the latch head. There was also a squeak that turned out to be due to loose front crank bolts. Aaaand squeaks caused by the pedals.

My Tikit hyperfold has had two squeaks: one standard one, and one that was due to my own experimentation, and also easily fixed once I figured out what I had done. The first squeak is in the c-clamp on the folding stem. When the c-clamp loses its lubrication, it starts sticking and squeaking. This is standard maintenance on the bike: you just grease the clamp and you're done.

The second squeak was a puzzle and an embarrassment. When I stressed the seat, pushing it away from the handlebars, the whole top tube would make a significant creaking sound. It sounded like it was centered at the braze-on which keeps the hyperfold cable taut. Greasing the cable a bit didn't fix it. I even called up Bike Friday to talk about the possibility of a failure in the top tube when I finally nailed it: to protect the paint I had put a clear sticker on the back of the top tube, near the rear triangle, where a "cup" on the Tikit's rear triangle pushes against the top tube when unfolded. After several months the pressure had caused my sticker to fold over slightly, so when the cup rubbed against it, it vibrated. That vibration was then amplified throughout the top tube, making it sound like it was coming from somewhere totally different. Duh. Just peeled my sticker back and reseated it and everything was hunky dory. I feel like a moron.

Speedo

For a while my NWT had a creaking sound in the seatpost. I began to think that it was a "feature". Then I loosened the seatpost quick release, pushed the seatpost firmly back into place, and re-tightened the quick release. Creaking sound gone.

I suspect that folders have more opportunities to have funny sounds, but they can mostly be chased down and quieted.

Speedo

KitN

I've noticed some "chain noise" coming from my chain, gears and derailleur... I just had the chain lubed. I guess I'm going to have to adjust the derailleur again...

Indie

My old Triumph is pretty solid and silent in the frame. The chainguard is bent outwards and the crank arm hits it every time it goes around, but that's something I just have to work back into place.

kamtsa

My new NWT squeaks when I pedal. Especially on the right side. It started after a week or so and I suspect it comes from the stock pedals.

I will try a new set of pedals this weekend.

Kam

Kaito

My MuP8 had a painful sounding creeeeek at every push of the pedal, notably one side, a few weeks after I got it. The LBS took a look at it, and it turned out it was the BB (casing?) The mech. reassembled it with some lock-tight sealant, and it was fixed.

After that, my entire drivetrain was clacking waay too much, and too frequent..The Neos derailer would come out of synch every other week! And it was the sound of improper allignment.. I have to climb a crazy hill on my way home from commuting, and use 2nd/1st gear regularly..I'm assuming the mashing is what did it in. The Neos was replaced with a shimano105 derailer, and all's been silent since!

Rgds,
K.

Lalato

My Bike Friday Tikit is pretty silent. My Giant Halfway on the other hand makes all sorts of noises.

--sam

K6-III

On my Downtube Mini, the Sturmey 8 hub keeps getting louder as you get into the higher gears, but that is normal. Otherwise, nothing but tire/wind noise.

tulip

My Bike Friday is silent. I'm light, though (127#) so that helps.

New Yorker

My 2008 Brompton is nice and quiet, except for the normal 'click-click-click' sound when coasting. For a few weeks last summer, the bike was making a nasty rattling sound. Turns out the bolt holding the rubber suspension piece was loose.