Ratchet

You probably shouldn't ignore it (note to self)...
The other day, when I got my 29er out of the back of my van to ride it outside the hotel we were vacationing at, I heard a sickening thud when I put it on the ground. Looked around a little at "stuff", dropped it a little bit on the ground again to see if I could produce the same sound. I heard it again, looked around a little. Hmmmmm.
Got on, started riding. Same whirring/humming/rubbing sound that I noticed a little on my previous few rides, thought, "must be the disc brakes rubbing like I read about on BF". Kept riding.
Up hills, down hills, around corners on dark roads through the woods with no shoulders on unknown highways. No events, but still not liking the humming. Forgot all about the thuds until I picked up my bike to put it back in the van after a less-than-satisfying 8 mile ride...
and the quick-release rear wheel fell off. Gulp. All those times I stood up to hammer it up the hills... yikes.
Perhaps I should actually look at my bike before I ride it, and not dismiss new sounds as, "that one thing I read about on BF".
You'd think I just started riding...

CB HI

SHHHHHH before someone decides to put lawyer lips on the back as well.

CliftonGK1

Happens to all of us sooner or later. I dismissed a scuffing noise on my CX bike's brakes as "probably just some trail grit caught in the pads", and the next time I hit the brakes I sliced the sidewall of my rear tire open. Overly worn and poorly adjusted brake pads. D'oh!

DX-MAN

Part of the 'bonding' a rider does with his/her bike is to become attuned to the noises it makes; ANYTHING unusual needs checked.

Of course, since it's the same with the human body, most people don't get that clue until they pass 50..........

Orange Hatter

"Thumps" when you ride should be a cause of concern as well. I commuted for several days with an annoying thump coming from the back of my bike. I could not figure it out and assumed my rear wheel was out of alignment. I took it to the shop and had the wheel aligned (I don't trust myself to true wheels after I bent one a few years back) and even after getting it back from the shop I still felt the "thump, thump, thump" as I rode.

After flipping the bike over and spinning the wheel I was finally able to figure out - my tire was tearing. A picture and explanation are here:

https://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2...eel-thump.html

I am troubled that the shop did not catch the tear which caused the tire to bulge, thus causing the annoying "thump."

Not a bad idea every once in a while to check for tire tears . . . it would not be pleasant to have a tire tear out completely while going a decent speed or riding in traffic.

Ira B

Hey, I resemble that remark.

SlimRider

One night, I was about to reassemble my bike, that I had just taken out of the passenger compartment of my car. I therefore, retrieved the front wheel, that contained the QR. During reassembly, I felt around, completely in the darkness, in effort to confirm that my wheel was tucked securely the drop slot. It felt fine! I then rode about five miles, when I noticed that my braking was slow and squealing. I got off my bike, placed it directly under a street light, only to notice the same thing. My dropout was sitting on top of the wheel, the wheel was not within its slot!

- Slim