Rje58

Well, maybe not, but I'm willing to bet there's as much legitimate paranormal activity associated with my bike as "Ghost Hunters" TV show ever found...

I recently purchased a used Fuji 2011 Absolute 3.0, and so far I'm loving it. Today on my lunch hour I was out taking a quick 11.8 mile spin, and I stopped in the shade for a water break. Suddenly I'm hearing this high-pitched - for lack of a better term - moan. Then again. Then again.

I'm looking around thinking: WTH? Is this my cell phone somehow making this noise? There's nobody else around... At first, I didn't think it was the bike because I had it leaned up against me and the bike and I were making very little - almost no - perceptible movements.

So I start experimenting, and sure enough: the sound is coming from my bike's front end! Forks? Stem? Headset? Something else? I don't know... The only SURE way to re-create it is to turn the front wheel to one side, and then rock the frame from side to side - although occasionally (and inconsistently) it will give a slight moan with other movements.

I'm sorry I can't describe the sound very well, except to say that's it either a somewhat low-pitched squeal or a high-pitched moan...

Any ideas? Does something need lubricating? Is something damaged?

Thanks in advance!

indyfabz

"High-pitched moan" is the today's oxymoron. If you hear your name called on the radio you will have 5 minutes to phone the station, identify today's oxymoron and claim your prize.

Rje58

Thanks for your... help.

indyfabz

De nada.

fietsbob

Ghost bike, ridden last by some one killed in traffic on it? was it painted all white and left along the street?

Rje58

I see now how you and Indyfabz arrived at a combined 40,000+ posts, between you.

Content is.... well, obviously not "King".

1989Pre 

The eyelets (if you have them) in a rim can make some strange noises. Sometimes, I get these noises while riding in a sidewind. I am not sure that has anything to do with what you've described, though.
If you think you may have a para-normal situation of residual energy or psycho-kinesis, take some sage and "smudge" the entire bicycle with it. Some people do this to all used items they bring into the home.

Ghazmh

Have it blessed with holy water.

xodondum

not all are white. I've seen a brownish ghost bike

Jon T

Tube leaking from the stem? Maybe the check valve is loose. How's the spoke tension? Got any loose ones, or over-tight ones? Brake pads rubbing on the rim?
Jon

Johnny Mullet

It's gonna 'splode soon

CannedWalrus

that's a little too eerie

Wildwood 

Headset

indyfabz

The power of Christ compels you.

rgconner

Sounds like a Camelback waterbottle.

55murray

I installed a new front wheel once and the darn thing would sing to me. Drove me nuts. Cleaned, inspected and repacked the hub and it still did it. Fixed it by riding with them over tightened for a while.

You want haunted though? That little cruiser you see there? Been riding it over 33 years. Been in several awful wreaks, still have some titanium plates in my face. That bike? Never a scratch. Nothing bent. Ever.

Milton Keynes

Or just about any water bottle. The early morning temps have been pretty cool as of late, and when I get back home and set my water bottle on my kitchen counter, when it starts warming up it makes a quiet high pitched whine.

Rje58

Ghost Busted!

The front QR was just a tad too tight. After purchase, I rode it more than 50 miles over several days before I first heard it. It turns out there is a very small sweet spot (around 1/4 turn?) that the QR is tight enough to pass the 'side-to-side rock test' and not so tight that it causes the occasional strange squeal/moan. The fact that the sound was very intermittent mislead me a little, as well.

Thanks to everyone who provided meaningful input.

Jon T

Glad you found it and thanks for sharing the cause and corrective action.
Jon

europa

Boo! Hiss! We're still on the first page and you spoil it all by posting the solution How are we going to have any fun at your expense if you go solving the problem?

CliffordK

I'm not sure I've heard of a QR being too tight causing a bike to moan in agony. Must have been the ghost getting trapped in the QR.

There was somebody trying to sell a bunch of white ones, and ONE red one on Craigslist up in Seattle a while ago. Unfortunately we apparently didn't get an archive of the photos in the Wacky thread

Sometimes when I'm riding at dusk, I'll be riding along, then pass an area where there is a cold chill, and the air must be 10 degrees colder

corrado33

Um... what "side to side rock test" are you talking about? That's for bearing cones... not quick releases. Quick releases are supposed to be attached TIGHT. Attaching it too tightly should NOT affect anything. If it does then something is wrong with your wheel.

Rje58

So, it wasn't the QR lever itself that was too tight...

If you don't tighten the hub enough (in this case, by rotating the QR lever), the wheel/tire may have some side-to-side rock, or "shimmy" or wobble, depending on your choice of terminology. For clarification, I'm not talking about attaching it tightly with the QR lever, I'm talking about rotating the lever and tightening the hub to the correct point - THEN closing the QR lever.

The previous owner having rotated the QR lever too far, making it too tight before closing the lever obviously did effect something - it caused intermittent "moaning" sounds under certain conditions.

My issue was solved when I followed the instructions for "Quick Release Hub Adjustment" at the following link:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

That link discusses some of the negatives that may occur with tightening too tightly - by rotating the QR, including binding the wheel to some degree (ie. keeping it from being entirely free-spinning).

Now, if you are referring to the semantics of QRs and hubs and wheels and bearing cones and associated parts and items and various different terminology... please continue that conversation and I will bow out. My interest is just in getting my bike working correctly and maintaining it in good working/riding order, and I'm not interested in semantics - unless the semantics causes some confusion on my part that's going to prevent me from being able to do that.