I am not sure what this noise is coming from, but it is coming from somewhere near the front of this bike. The bike is pretty new - less than 200 miles on it, probably. I hear the noise when I hit a pothole or a bump in the road or something along those lines. It sounds like a clunking - almost like a metal drum clanging.

At first, I thought I might have been breaking spokes; next I thought the wheel might not be all the way in the dropout. The only thing I can figure out that it might be is the wheel or the hub or even the fork.

I have another wheelset with double-walled Mavics [but a deep-v looking rim] and Ultegra hubs and it doesn't make any noise like this when I hit a bump. The spoke count is the same.

I haven't run it to a shop yet, but I will unless someone chimes in and lets me know this is a normal sound and will go away eventually or if it isn't something to worry about. On another note, this is the first new bike I have ever ridden and I am not sure whether or not this is normal.

Sounds like a loose headset. The clank you hear is the bearings hitting the race. I would check for a loose headset and make sure if you are using a threadless style fork, that your bolts are sufficiently tight and there is no grease on the steerer tube. Both can lead to slipage and can cause the clank you mention.

I more often encounter this on carbon steer tube installs....

It won't go away on its own, its an adjustment issue

I just re-read your post, and it goes away with another set of wheels? I still think its the HS. Perhaps the set it does not occur on is tensioned looser with more give.....

Sorry. I wasn't clear. I thought it might have been the style of wheel, but the other wheel, while on my other bike doesn't make noise.

Since you mention the headset, that sounds like exactly where the sound is coming from.

The fork is threaded.

I am not sure I have the right wrench for it here. How important is it to fix this? How fragile is the race?

if the sound isn't occurring when you switch the wheel out then it's probably a hub that either needs an overhaul or is shot. if it's a 'clicking' sound that happens intermittently, it's probably the hub, but if it's a clunk and you can really feel it as you're riding it could be your fork/headset. (i had a hub go on me a few years ago and it starts with a clicking that gradually gets worse. eventually the wheel won't spin freely or smoothly)

the headset races (if this is the issue) are not that fragile (i.e. the loose bearings won't damage them), but i would recommend overhauling the entire headset and repacking it with new bearings. they are probably old and pitted, especially if the race system is running loose. what type of headset do you have? sealed cartridge or loose packed?

the other thing you may want to watch out for if you've been running loose is stripping on the lock nut on the headset assembly (the top most nut) if the threads are smashed or stripped, you'll need a new nut.

there's a great tutorial on the parktools website on overhauling a headset: https://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=127 ignore the bit about knocking out the cups. you don't need to do this and the tool to press them back in is extremely expensive.

(use pleeenty of grease, and again, new bearings or cartridges). may be a lbs thing if you're not familiar.

This is a brand new bike, and the headset and its bearings are brand new. It is a sealed cartridge headset.

I will swap wheels and see if it makes a difference, but I think the noise is coming from the headset/fork.

I was going to try and tighten it up some myself, see if that takes care of it, and then hit an lbs up if I can't figure it out. If I overtighten the headset, is it possible to break the bearings, or would that have to be SUPERtight?

Clunking can also be that the headset is a little loose (not worn), and is shifting in the races. To confirm, squeeze the front brake so it's locked and rock the bike forward and back. If there's play in the fork, it's the headset. Either tighten it up with a headset wrench or take it to a shop.

you can't damage the bearings, they're made of steel. maybe you could damage the cartridge itself though? i'm not sure. you won't be able to get proper adjustment though if you don't have two wrenches, or at least a headset wrench and some channelocks (use a rag so as not to ding up your nice headset) the previous post is correct about adjustment, also check the parktools link i posted earlier, there's a section on proper adjustment. it's a finesse thing, you want to make sure you have maximum spinning without any forward/backward play on the headset. good luck.

sometimes when a sound seems like its coming from a particular direction, it's actually coming from somewhere else. and sometimes the fix is easy.

perhaps you need to put some grease on your saddle rails and in between your bars and stem - I've had creaking sounds from my bars. I sanded off the anodization and slapped down some grease. the sound went away.

check everything as recommended in this thread, though.

I think he means his spokes are pinging.

Tightening it up some didn't help the noise any.

Swapping the front wheel didn't help the noise any.

DMGs test leads me to believe that the headset is in decent shape and is tightened properly. There isn't any play in the fork and the front end turns freely with no binding. I tried tightening it some according to the park tool website, but I don't have the exact tools to get it perfect.

What else could be making that clunk when I jump a curb or hit a big bump in the road? Or should I get it checked out by a pro before I give up on the headset?

That may very well be what it is. However, it only happens when I hit a big bump.

I might be leaning towards this. The wheels are true. Any ideas?

are the wheels a brand new build? if so, they tend to 'settle.' then you usually need to get them re-trued for optimum performance.

The wheels are a new build.

How long should it take to settle? Mechanically, what happens when they settle?

i'm not really sure how long it takes. i'm guessing a few weeks with heavy riding? a month?

ask a wheelbuilder at a local shop, all i know is i had my wheels built back in november and they're still true. (miguel at affinity is that f'ing boy) i was thinking of maybe getting them trued in a few weeks.

if what you're describing is a 'clunk' i don't believe it's your spokes. did you try the play test on your headset assembly?

when they settle, it's just the wheel flexing and stretching the way a piece of wood would. swelling and shrinking and what not. some spokes will loosen/tighten. the wheel responds to weather and riding conditions to a lesser extent the same way as a musical instrument would.

Sure did. Really, the headset looks tight - no play in the fork and no binding as it goes side to side.

****. iono man. maybe your fork is flexing like a mofo and your wheel is hitting your downtube? ahha.

um. you said it happens when you go over hard bumps. maybe if your tires are a little bit low it's the actual rim touching the pavement. this happens to me when i go over a real bad pot hole or something without anticipating it.

try spinning your wheel freely for a while. do you get any of that noise? if you do, my bet is it's the hub. if you don't, then just keep riding, if you hear it again go to the lbs.

Thanks for your help.

I will see if it improves any. I hope any other IRO owners let me know if they have had a similar experience, or if mine is unique.

Thanks.

I don't get the clunk just by spinning the wheel. Maybe it is the wheel hitting the ground or somewhere else in the fork.

i doubt it's the frame man. got to be component-oriented.

oh, and you from the ddd dddd ddd dd d d, y'all. and this goes out to everybody who doubt, runnin' ya mouth, don't know what you talkin' bout, you ain't familiar with da d? don't go that route...

I tightened up the brake, too. Maybe that might make a difference.

Just went out for a quick trip to the post office to try and make the bike make some noise.

Couldn't get it to do it! I think it was the brake. I did adjust the cable, made sure the barrel adjuster was tight, and tightened up the mounting bolt a half turn. No clunk!

Tomorrow after the commute I will know whether or not it is really gone.

You know, if the brake is loose, that could make a clunk too, as the friction makes it jump forward or back. That should be a pretty obvious fix though.
Pinging spokes sound pretty distinctive, though - it's kind of a high pitched ping or twang. Definitely not a 'clunk' on any wheel I've ridden.

^^ i was going to mention that as well. the test where you hold the front brake and rock the bike forward and back would also show if that was the case.

if he swapped the front wheel and it still clunked, it probably wouldn't be pinging spokes.

and as yahnming said, this is almost definitely not an issue with your frame but is an issue with the hardware and/or installation of the hardware. you said you tightened the brakes so that could have been it. good luck and let us know what happens.

i would say tighten the the thing around the tube vavle

Ran it by the shop and got the headset adjusted properly. Tightened up the brake, brake levers, adjusted barrel adjuster. Greased bars, seatpost, and stem. I use the smooth presta valves, so there is nothing threaded to tighten up.

I can, however, predict when it is going to clunk. It only happens if I hit a bump a little further forward on the front wheel. Here is what I mean if that isn't clear: while looking at the bike from the side, draw an imaginary line extending from the fork to the edge of the wheel. This is just a few inches further forward than where the tire usually contacts the pavement.

Again, I don't make too much contact there, and I can avoid the noise for the most part; every now and then I still ride through a pothole or manhole cover and hear that noise and get a little worried about where it is coming from.

Does this give anyone any ideas about what might be making the noise? It is almost a hollow metallic sound...