Banging Noises from new Cube Ltd ????

Magic Joey

Hello everyone - newbie here - hope you can help.

Been riding my 15 year old full suspension bike for a while and thought I'd treat myself to a new bike. I went for a Cube Ltd 2012 and managed to get one at a bargain price from Bike Discount in Germany. After a two week wait it arrived today and I was, as expected, very excited to put it together.

So everything goes together quite smooth with no problems. However in my excitement to test it out I was doing the typical thing of pulling brakes and compressing forks (Rock Shox Recon Air) and generally banging the bike around a bit in the garage.

I noticed that the frame seems to make some pretty strange loud bangy metallic type noise. It just seems really loud. It's hard to tell where it's coming from exactly - could be the crank - could be the forks - could be anywhere coz it just sort of reveberates round the frame.

I'm used to my old ful sus' being a bit rattley but it doesn't sound loud and 'bangy' like this. Is it just coz it's a light alu' frame? - is it the shocks? - have I set it up wrong? - is it the crank? - has anyone else experienced anything similar?

It's difficult to describe and so apologies for the vagueness of my description but any help or advice would be very much appreciated.

Cheers.

Chunkers1980

How about when you actually ride it?

Magic Joey

I know it's daft - but I haven't ridden it yet. Only just finished putting it together and it's absolutely lashing down outside.

I know I need to ride it really but with it coming over from Germany I want to avoid any problems with them saying I've used / broke it if I have to send it back.

I know I'm probably just being paranoid but thought I'd ask coz it just sounds so loud and bangy and completely different from my old bike. I also ride a road bike which is really light and skinny compared to this Cube and that doesn't make noises like this thing (not that I throw them round all the time but even over potholes at hight speed etc.)

Just seems really odd noises that I wouldn't expect - sorry - I know it's probably hard to imagine what I'm trying to describe.

cooldad

It is a bit - you need to pin down where it's coming from by isolating parts. But frames rarely make noises because they don't actually move.

Magic Joey

Exactly - that's why it feels so odd. I'm thinking its just the crank knocking as it moves when I man-handle the bike and then it's echoing round the frame. Just not something I'm used to probably.

I'm just paranoid I know it and I shouldn't be comparing this new bike to a 15 year old Y Frame that weighs almost as much as me! Just when you spend a bit of money and then sit in eager anticipation for two weeks you want everything to be perfect.

Will ride the thing tomorrow and see how it feels (sounds).

Cheers.

Dirtydog11

Rear mech banging against chainstay?

The Rookie

What where you doing precisely when it was making the noise?

Magic Joey

Don't think it's the mech - it's not a rattley sound at all

At first I just compressed the forks slowly whilst holding the front brake and let them rise again - did this a few times with different settings on the rebound damping just to see what the difference was like. Everything felt great nothing unusual.

Then I got a bit rougher with it (not crazily rough you understand - not like smashing the thing up or anything - just testing it out - nowhere near what you'd put it through on a tough trail - but more than you might expect someone to do with a brand new bike in their garage?!?!?). I compressed the forks more quickly with more force - again with the front brake applied. Each compression I applied more force until I eventually lifted the front wheel and let it drop under little more than it's own weight and then compressed again. Basically I was trying to simulate dropping off a ledge or step etc which is difficult to do without a ledge - note... my feet are on the floor at all times here.

At this point there was the noise. Thought it was the forks at first but then realised it wasn't coming from there. I could almost 'feel' the noise through the bars as well as hear it 'ring' through the frame. It's really difficult for me to pin point exactly where it's coming from.

All that said - I'm really starting to think that it is just the crank / pedals knocking. Y'know - if you wind your pedals backwards and then hard forwards there's a little slack before they meet resistance... well I reckon it's that resistance just echoing through the frame. I've tried bouncing the bike a little with my feet on the pedals and the noise isn't there. However, I don't know if that's because my feet (and me) are soaking up the echo / bang or because I haven't been as rough when I'm balancing on it.

Like I said above - I know I'm probably just being paranoid and I shouldn't compare to the heavy lump mountain bike I've been riding for years.

Will ride later and post what it's like.

Thanks for your replies everyone.

peter_booker2003

Did you clamp the stem up or was it already done? As, if you havent done the top cap up on the headset first before the stem bolts, the forks will be loose and so will make a noise as they move in the frame.

Plyphon

If you have access to a smart phone you can try recording a video of you making the noise and post it up here.

cooldad

peter_booker2003 wrote:

Did you clamp the stem up or was it already done? As, if you havent done the top cap up on the headset first before the stem bolts, the forks will be loose and so will make a noise as they move in the frame.

This makes sense.

The Rookie

+1, sounds like a loose headset....

Greer_

You could also try checking the calliper is tight on the fork, the wheel is fitted properly, and the brake disc isn't loose. Probably not but its worth a check.

qooqiiu

peter_booker2003 wrote:

Did you clamp the stem up or was it already done? As, if you havent done the top cap up on the headset first before the stem bolts, the forks will be loose and so will make a noise as they move in the frame.

Why does it have to be done in that order. Surely the stem bolts just clamps round the steer er tube and the top cap can be done after or before?

Greer_

the top cap compresses the stem, spacers and headset cups together. If you have already tightened the stem bolts, tightening the top cap wont pull everything together and stop the rattling.

qooqiiu

OK, thanks.

adesaxo31

If you can get somebody to do what you are doing amd feel about the frame and components and try to locate the noise then it will be easier to help

Magic Joey

Took it apart and put it back together again. This time taking the advice here and without rushing. Took it out and...

...Quiet as a mouse with soft slippers on and it's mouth sewn up.

I reckon it was a combination of me not doing the stem properly and just the crank (as described in my earlier post). That'swhy it was hard to pinpoint where the noise was from.

So - problem sorted... I can now look forward to getting it muddy at the weekend.

Thanks for all your help everyone - good to know there's a good group to tap into..