Noise on steep uphill/downhill, trying to isolate the issue
 

Hi im new to forum and been riding fixed for about a year. Ive already had couple of bleeding falls and broke both sides of straps and toeclips and im hearing weird noise and vibration riding hills. I am also feeling bigger drag on mashing pedals but i am not sure whether this is because i lost toeclips and cant pull the pedals up or there are mechanical problems. There is no fixie/track shop nearby to replace parts directly so there is no point in leaving it to a mechanic unless i got parts in hand.

Its a 2008 Specialized 2008 E5 alloy frame with carbon fork. I've come to isolate possible causes to following but could also be totally wrong:

1. Maybe different brands are not really fitting well together?
Its got FSA velo Crank with miche chainring , RPM left crank arm, Miche BB.
I can see the chainring and and crank doesnt align very well.

2. Longitudinal cracks unseen in carbon seatpost or fork.
A tiny little bit of stem end of fork chipped away from locking the stem too tight and this may have enduced to crack further away
Or carbon seatpost is just crap?

3. Frame is aged and cracked and need repair/replacement?

Your input is most appreciated.

Oh goddamn jesus ****ing christ mother****er son of a ****ing ***** ***** **** **** **** **** goddamnnnnnnnn

I'm flattered

K...

Odds are you're feeling he effects of chordal action, made more noticeable by load, and compounded by the wear condition of the chain and sprockets.

Simple rule --- chain drive is not perfect, and will always generate vibration and noise, especially when under high load.

Your cog and/or chain is probably worn. Also, if your chainline is off, the Miche Primate BB (which I'm assuming is the one you have) is adjustable by several mm from side to side.

Also, there is no such thing as "mashing" your pedals. To mash simply means to push a large gear ratio.

I was only trying to be cool...:'(

Thank you for your input, I was keep thinking about my crankset... chain is definitely showing its age

Thanks for the link, it could well be it. I might start with chain and sprocket.

I guess you prefer a discussion about "Style versus Tradition" over this question? :innocent:

OP...E5 is just an alloy that Specy uses on some of its road-going bike frames - all of which, I am pretty sure, have vertical dropouts. Does your bike have vertical DOs? If so, what are you doing to adjust chain tension? If nothing - your problems could possibly be nothing more than a poorly fitting/stretched chain...

I didnt want to write Specialized S Works Langster E5 Aerotec... I just wanted to inform its an aluminum alloy frame

It has horizontal dropout. Every month or so I use any sort of tool that has grip and leverage against frame and tire to retension it. I might add a photo of sprocket and chain to show whether they are really worn or not

There it is. You're making the chain way too tight. The chain shouldn't even be tight, you want a small amount of slack so everything turns smoothly.

Didnt even think about it... And But, but... that means i dont get to buy anything... :(

Langsters are great!!! You sure it was not you screaming as you first experienced FG on a steep hill????

No, I'm a man and I fall with dignity.

I've been having the same issue after swapping out chainrings.

I thought it was the chainring bolts initially, but theyre tight as they can get.

Crank arms are tight too. Maybe my chain is too tight? I'll have a look at that this evening.

A couple of thoughts from a guy who has been riding fix gear for a long time (as have several of the posters above). The chain must always have some slack in it. It should never go tight After tightening the hub, spin the pedals until you know you have seen every possible combination of wheel location and pedal location. In general, neither the cog not the chainring is concentric. The better the quality, especially if they are made for actual track racing, the closer to concentric they become, but you still have to check. If your chain goes tight, you are both asking for funky chain noises and much shorter life of the bearings in the bottom bracket and hub.

And chains/cog/chainrings to a large degree decide for themselves just how quietly they are going to run. New can often be dead quiet but not always. Changing any one of the three parts will usually change the noise. I just don't sweat it. I love the quiet combos but I see life as being far too short to sweat it. Fix gear set-ups, especially when running 1/8" chain and gears, are so reliable that I just ignore the noise.

Ben

I may just ignore it if my chain isn't super tight. I did a 12 mile race this weekend on it, and kicked a lot of arse, all the while squeaking and creaking up the steeper hills.