Bike chain noise query
msmancunia
Posts: 1,415
Ok I know very little about how a bike works, apart from you pedal it, the chain moves the cogs, and the wheels go round. But I wondered if anyone could answer this for me.
My bike is a Trek road bike. The riders on the GB team all have Pinarello road bikes that they ride to training on, whether they are track riders, MTBers or BMXers. So, when I go past them in the corridor from our bike room, and I have my bike, and they have theirs, why do their bikes make a noise when they coast or push, and mine doesn't? Mine is almost completely silent but theirs all make this kind of ticking noise.
My bike is a Trek road bike. The riders on the GB team all have Pinarello road bikes that they ride to training on, whether they are track riders, MTBers or BMXers. So, when I go past them in the corridor from our bike room, and I have my bike, and they have theirs, why do their bikes make a noise when they coast or push, and mine doesn't? Mine is almost completely silent but theirs all make this kind of ticking noise.
Commute: Chadderton - Sportcity
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msmancunia wrote:Ok I know very little about how a bike works, apart from you pedal it, the chain moves the cogs, and the wheels go round. But I wondered if anyone could answer this for me.
My bike is a Trek road bike. The riders on the GB team all have Pinarello road bikes that they ride to training on, whether they are track riders, MTBers or BMXers. So, when I go past them in the corridor from our bike room, and I have my bike, and they have theirs, why do their bikes make a noise when they coast or push, and mine doesn't? Mine is almost completely silent but theirs all make this kind of ticking noise.
Some freewheels are much noisier than others.
Cheers,
W.0 -
They have noisy pawls in their freehubs.
Honest.
When you freewheel there are little things called pawls in the freehub of your rear wheel. Some are noisier than others: the ones in Campy wheels are notoriously noisy. I had a set of Lightweights years ago which were virtually silent. Hated that.0 -
Try owning a Hope hub... you sound like you're shagging a skeleton every time you stop pedalling.Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
stop peddling why?Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
The more expensive the freewheel the noisier it tends to be, either to remind the guy with pro level parts to stop bloody coasting or to show off. My freewheel is quiet, I don't like to show off.
I think the real reason for noisy freewheels is to tell the person in front you are freewheeling and therefore it is time for you to move up and take the strain in a peloton.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
How basic do you want this?
In this video, the red thing is the pawl. When the bike is coasting the grey sprocket (don't call them cogs) rotates around the axle in relation to the pawl (rising up over each tooth of the freewheel mechanism and then springing back into the next tooth)and that is the ticking noise you hear. As others have said, some are virtually silent, some are really noisy.
When you start pedalling, the sprocket rotates in the opposite direction in relation to the pawl, so the pawl catches against the teeth of the freewheel and you get drive.
The video is pretty good but in the first part, where the bike is freewheeling, it would make more sense if it showed the sprocket stationary but the pawl rotating in the hub. I can see why they did it like this though as it is easier to animate and easier to see.FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
But when the bike is freewheeling, the pawl attached to the freehub (and thence the cassette sprockets and chain) IS stationary and the splined hub does go round it........so sounds like the video is right and makes total sense? (I can't actually see it at work)
I have expensive freehubs on the MTB which were noisy, a little grease is a wonderful thing!Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
Kieran_Burns wrote:Try owning a Hope hub... you sound like what I imagine it sounds like ifyou're shagging a skeleton every time you stop pedalling.
FTFY (I hope to god...)0 -
PBo wrote:Kieran_Burns wrote:Try owning a Hope hub... you sound like what I imagine it sounds like ifyou're shagging a skeleton every time you stop pedalling.
FTFY (I hope to god...)
Who said necrophilia was dead....
Its the freehub, in case you didnt get it."If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills0 -
If you've got a bit of time spare you can quieten a freehub significantly by taking it apart and wiping away the flecks of cheap white grease that the manufacturer puts in and replacing it with a bit of Castrol's finest. Apply carefully and sparingly but enough to do what it's meant to do and you can coast unnoticed in incognito mode whenever you fancy a break.0
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When I did the Dunwich Dynamo I could tell the Campag riders from the overly loud ticking as they coasted downhill. I didn't need to see what they were riding, identification was aural only.
The video shows the freehub and sprocket rotating when freewheeling, which is wrong, even though what actually happens is mechanically correct. You'll understand if you watch it.The Rookie wrote:But when the bike is freewheeling, the pawl attached to the freehub (and thence the cassette sprockets and chain) IS stationary and the splined hub does go round it........so sounds like the video is right and makes total sense? (I can't actually see it at work.FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees
I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!0 -
Still not sure why the track bikes are noisy?!0
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Pfffft. Freewheel Shmeewheels.
That clicking noise is the little BB gearbox for the motors hidden in the seat post. All Team GB riders have them I heard.
Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS0 -
BigMat wrote:Still not sure why the track bikes are noisy?!
Hmm.msmancunia wrote:The riders on the GB team all have Pinarello road bikes that they ride to training on, whether they are track riders, MTBers or BMXers. So, when I go past them in the corridor from our bike room,0 -
msmancunia wrote:My bike is a Trek road bike. The riders on the GB team all have Pinarello road bikes that they ride to training on, whether they are track riders, MTBers or BMXers. So, when I go past them in the corridor from our bike room .....
So casually dropped in to the post and, and.... :shock:Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
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Thank you all for the explanations - and there's me thinking it was something to do with the chain
Because the corridor is in the undercroft of the track, it's curved, so you can always hear a GB rider coming before you actually see them. I however, have a stealth bike.Commute: Chadderton - Sportcity0 -
Will you be there on Sunday between 12 and 3 ?
If so I will say hello as I am hanging around waiting for youngest son who has a 3 hour session on the track.0
