Philatio

Is it normal for a recumbent drivetrain to be considerably noisier than a DF? I've been maintaining my DF for ~2 years and can keep it almost silent, but I just can't get my recumbent to behave similarly.

Just wondering if I've likely overlooked something or if this is pretty standard.

Thanks!

BlazingPedals

Is it really noisier or is it just that your ears are closer to the chain when you're on the 'bent?

If your recumbent has chain tubes or idlers, then these items will make noises that an upright doesn't have. The components that exist on both styles shouldn't make any new noises when on the recumbent, though.

aikigreg

I've only just recently noticed how all my drivetrain noise is coming from the stock idler on my baron. I've really got to find a suitable replacement.

LandLuger

Actually if you have the "soft" rubber idlers that my Baron has then that is about as good as it gets. My previous recumbent had hard plastic idlers which produced a constant "buzzzzz" as each link of chain slid across the wheel. On my regular route the dogs would always be waiting for me as I came around the bend on this bike, but when I got my Baron it was a stealth bike by comparison. The dogs are always too late to catch me now.

Also remember the power of sound diminishes with the square of the distance, and one is very close to the drivetrain on the Baron.

Jimboblay

The hard plastic idlers seem to be common culprits for drivetrain noise. Certainly the case for my Volae. I don't find it annoying, but it certainly is far more noticeable than on my DF...

Some folks have indicated that properly sized rubber o-rings snapped onto the idlers can sharply reduce the noise level. I haven't tried this yet.

BlazingPedals

My solution was to get a Greenspeed idler for my Baron. I got it from Hostelshoppe. It is plastic, and has a 15T cog on the inside and shoulders like a belt pulley. Runs very quietly, and at 3 years old it shows no signs of wear. I suspect I'll have to replace the cartridge bearings in another year or so, but the teeth will likely never wear out. TerraCycles also sells an upscale version, which is completely rebuildable and uses either Al or Ti for the gear. I think TerraCycles also sells a version for Bacchetta et. al. which needs a 'stack' of two idlers that spin independently of each other.