Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Drivetrain Noise

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Drivetrain Noise

Old 11-17-19, 04:56 PM
  #1  
akirapuff
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Drivetrain Noise

does anyone know what this noise is?
sounds like chain stretching or something. chain is not ready to be replaced.

https://youtu.be/OOkHZmW2ht4
akirapuff is offline  
Old 11-17-19, 05:10 PM
  #2  
Homebrew01
Super Moderator
 
Homebrew01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ffld Cnty Connecticut
Posts: 21,843

Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1173 Post(s)
Liked 927 Times in 612 Posts
Hard to diagnose with that video. Is the front derailleur rubbing the chain ? That's my first guess because it seems in sync with your pedal stroke.
__________________
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.

FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Homebrew01 is offline  
Old 11-17-19, 05:55 PM
  #3  
akirapuff
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
no, no rub. perfect in line. sound is only under high torque. when pedaling lightly
it either quietsnor disappears completely.
akirapuff is offline  
Old 11-17-19, 06:24 PM
  #4  
DOS
Senior Member
 
DOS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Arlington, VA USA
Posts: 2,108
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 253 Post(s)
Liked 69 Times in 56 Posts
Hard to tell but I am going to guess bearings. Either BB bearing are toast or freehub bearings.
DOS is offline  
Old 11-17-19, 06:51 PM
  #5  
curbtender
Senior Member
 
curbtender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 7,643

Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1604 Post(s)
Liked 2,569 Times in 1,217 Posts
That's pretty loud. You check your pulleys?
curbtender is online now  
Old 11-18-19, 01:07 PM
  #6  
akirapuff
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Yea pulleys seem fine..
akirapuff is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 01:08 PM
  #7  
akirapuff
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Can chains make this kind of noise? or is it something else..
akirapuff is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 01:43 PM
  #8  
masi61
Senior Member
 
masi61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,681

Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium

Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 441 Times in 314 Posts
I just listened to the video and that sound is pretty “scrapey”. It makes me wonder about 2 possibilities - 1) Could your front derailleur have dropped down a bit due to a loose bolt? If so, the top of the cage could come into contact with some chainring teeth. This would account for an odd noise even though maybe your FD cage is centered properly. Or, 2) Did you recently remove your chain for servicing? If so, is there any chance the chain was run improperly outside the rear derailleur cage? What I mean is that the chain might be running over the top of the little tab on the back of the outer cage plate, as opposed to under it.

I have made both of the above 2 derailleur set-up mistakes at various times over the years. The plot thickens! Once you definitively track down the cause of this silly noise we’ll eagerly await the consolation prize for the correct bike detective!
masi61 is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 02:18 PM
  #9  
topflightpro
Senior Member
 
topflightpro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,569
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1851 Post(s)
Liked 678 Times in 429 Posts
Originally Posted by masi61
I just listened to the video and that sound is pretty “scrapey”. It makes me wonder about 2 possibilities - 1) Could your front derailleur have dropped down a bit due to a loose bolt? If so, the top of the cage could come into contact with some chainring teeth. This would account for an odd noise even though maybe your FD cage is centered properly. Or, 2) Did you recently remove your chain for servicing? If so, is there any chance the chain was run improperly outside the rear derailleur cage? What I mean is that the chain might be running over the top of the little tab on the back of the outer cage plate, as opposed to under it.

I have made both of the above 2 derailleur set-up mistakes at various times over the years. The plot thickens! Once you definitively track down the cause of this silly noise we’ll eagerly await the consolation prize for the correct bike detective!
I too have encountered both these issues and that sounds matches. (Granted, I caught them on the repair stand.)
topflightpro is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 03:55 PM
  #10  
curbtender
Senior Member
 
curbtender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 7,643

Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball

Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1604 Post(s)
Liked 2,569 Times in 1,217 Posts
Originally Posted by masi61
I just listened to the video and that sound is pretty “scrapey”. It makes me wonder about 2 possibilities - 1) Could your front derailleur have dropped down a bit due to a loose bolt? If so, the top of the cage could come into contact with some chainring teeth. This would account for an odd noise even though maybe your FD cage is centered properly. Or, 2) Did you recently remove your chain for servicing? If so, is there any chance the chain was run improperly outside the rear derailleur cage? What I mean is that the chain might be running over the top of the little tab on the back of the outer cage plate, as opposed to under it.

I have made both of the above 2 derailleur set-up mistakes at various times over the years. The plot thickens! Once you definitively track down the cause of this silly noise we’ll eagerly await the consolation prize for the correct bike detective!
+1 on the routing. That's what it sounds like.
curbtender is online now  
Old 11-18-19, 04:27 PM
  #11  
Chi_Z
Senior Member
 
Chi_Z's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 507

Bikes: Niner RLT 9 RDO

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 263 Post(s)
Liked 69 Times in 50 Posts
did you check rear wheel spoke tension?
Chi_Z is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 09:09 PM
  #12  
akirapuff
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
so one thing i just realized.. it only happens the day i lube my chain. the day i lube my chain it only happens on lower gears, only when under high torque. as a matter of fact, it goes away towards the end of the ride, and on second day which was today, its completely silent..
akirapuff is offline  
Old 11-18-19, 10:25 PM
  #13  
canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
canklecat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513

Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4559 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times in 1,800 Posts
That doesn't sound like a chain. Chain rub usually makes a more distinctly metallic pinging sound.

Noise under pressure usually indicates an alignment problem. If it was a steel bike I'd suspect the bottom bracket was flexing and affecting the front derailleur alignment.

A slight irregularity in the crankset can cause some scraping noises, including the chainring rubbing the front derailleur. Check for any wobble in the crankset, watching for the space between the chainring and front derailleur.

Check cable routing. Recently I heard a new scraping noise with my older Trek 5900 on a workstand. The bare cable for the rear derailleur had popped out of the stamped metal guide under the bottom bracket shell and was scraping against the chainring. The cable was already frayed. One more ride and it would have snapped. I'd have been stuck with riding the smallest rear cog and only the double chainring for shifting. My best guess is the cable came out of the guide when I adjusted the cable tension and didn't check the routing along the entire length of cable from shifter to derailleur.

If it's a carbon fiber bike, check for cracks around the bottom bracket shell, chain stays and seat stays.

A chain won't usually make that kind of noise. Maybe if it's filled with grit from really bad riding conditions and oiling it without cleaning.

Some lubes, especially liquefied wax/paraffin, can clog up the spaces between rear cogs and chain links. When that happened with one of my bikes it wasn't any noisier, but there was noticeable drag in the entire drivetrain. I never had that problem with dipping the chain into melted paraffin. But White Lightning Easy Lube made a mess within only a few weeks of using as directed. Since then I would apply it only on a clean chain off the bike, wait for the solvent to evaporate, wipe down the chain before installing it. That's more trouble than using the crock pot with melted paraffin.
canklecat is offline  
Old 11-23-19, 10:53 PM
  #14  
sfrider 
Asleep at the bars
 
sfrider's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA and Treasure Island, FL
Posts: 1,743
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 234 Post(s)
Liked 203 Times in 135 Posts
I'd take off the chain and move all rotating parts - crankset, freehub, pulleys. If none of them rub or make noise it's chain rub. Then carefully reinstall the chain and make sure it's run inside the little tabs in the pulleys, not over them. (Though misrouting the chain through the pulleys would make it hard to pedal I'd think.)
sfrider is offline  
Old 11-23-19, 11:06 PM
  #15  
notenoughdaylig 
Full Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 326

Bikes: atala cromor salsa las cruces slingshot boomtube merckx mxm

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 48 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 14 Posts
Chainring bolts?
notenoughdaylig is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.