funny noise

[Helen C]

As the wife of a mechanic, I know there is nothing they dread more than someone saying they can "hear a funny noise" - however, I can, and am not sure if it's indicating something wrong or if normal. When I'm going uphill (doesn't seem to do it on the flat) I can hear a pretty constant "tinkly" sound. It seems to be coming from the rear hub.

Another thing that makes me anxious is that occasionally it feels as though something "snatches". It feels as though the bike is momentarily held back, then it goes on without a problem.

Should I be concerned? There is no problem with the ride at all, it goes very well, indeed.

-H

 

[flecc]

Slack spokes can make odd sounds like that Helen, check for any slack feeling ones to start with.
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[Helen C]

Thanks, flecc, hadn't thought of that. Will check in the morning.

 

[VictoryV]

Slack spokes can make odd sounds like that Helen, check for any slack feeling ones to start with.
.

I used to be the engineer in charge of a satellite control station. It had a 60foot dish which weighed 40 tons, but was held down to its concrete plinth by a bearing and a dished wheel which provided a further 80 tons down load to stabilise the whole assembly against the wind. The "pintle" mechanism was like a dished bike wheel but the spokes were 2 ins in diameter, with massive turnbuckle adjusters. I was down inside the plinth one day to check for cable run freedom whilst the head was being rotated when I heard the spokes starting to ping like a bowstring under tension. When I checked, some of the previous spokes were now hand loose and movable in their turnbuckle mountings, others were ringing like bells they were so tight. When we reverse rotated the dish, that which was tight became loose, and that which was loose became ringingly tight. The dish was not rotating about a true fixed centre. Since we required absolute pointing accuracy this problem had to be fixed, we eventually employed the guys who surveyed the Cambridge University multiple head radio telescopes to work out the problem. The dish ran on tapered metal wheels like train wheels to allow for the difference in rotational distance from the outside to the inside. The design was by RCA in america. The rotation radius was 5 yards. They had made the taper for the wheels to be 5 meters radius, so the whole rig was trying to stretch itself to the larger radius. We had to use British Rail to lathe down the wheels to the correct size and all was, and still is well.

 

[flecc]

Great account VictoryV, interesting to know that spoke pinging occurs in such a large scale structure.

Of course the USA also made the imperial/metric measure mistake during their space program. I can't understand this, having worked with both metric and imperial throughout my working life without tripping up in that way.
.

 

[neptune]

I am tempted to ask what size spoke key they use when the London Eye wheel needs truing up. The title of this thread made me laugh out loud, as it reminded me of an incident that occurred over fifty years ago at school.
It was in a French class, and we were discussing the French expression " Une droll bruit" meaning a funny noise. Suddenly the silence was broken, when a boy at the back of the class cracked off a fart that was truly remarkable for its duration and volume. The class pretty much ended there and then, because for the next twenty minutes, the normally stern teacher was reduced to fits of helpless laughter.

 

[Helen C]

Thanks, flecc, hadn't thought of that. Will check in the morning.

Spokes all fine. Any other ideas, please?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Check that the motor connector on the chainstay is pushed all the way together. There's a guide line to show how far it should go.