Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

Love my ney GR but the darn thing has more rattles/vibrations than the Burley Koosah I traded in and it's starting to drive me nuts trying to find the noises. Mainly comes when riding on a rough pavement like an old chip seal pavement that sets up vibrations then turns to rattles. I've tightened everything I can find, even taped up the legs on my double kick stand. One rattle I did identify in front is where the brake cable makes the left turn down by the brakes and the little metal end of the cable that makes the left turn is rattling against the brake. The ones in back are the ones that I can't seem to find. Any ideas/experience?

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Northcentral, Wisconsin
Posts: 20

I can't speak for the GRR but like you I upgraded from my beloved Koosah to a TE. It doesn't seem to rattle any more than the Koosah, but both the Koosah and TE have a steel frame. Which may dampen the vibrations a bit.

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

I guess that could be the case but for some reason I thought the Koosah was aluminum? Don't think these rattles/vibrations are from frame related features. I think, from the sound, that they're loose connections or something that is vibrating and somehow resonating.

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 11

If you have a faring, it will echo road noises that sound like rattles. Also, if you have a seat or frame bag, take everything out of them and see if the rattles go away. Loose or improperly mounted fenders will also rattle. The list goes on an on. I have a flag on mine that tends to rattle at times.
It a just a process of elimination until you find the source.

Bud

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

Don't have fenders, bags, fairing or flag - strictly as it came from Freedom CA. Just can't figure what it could be and I've about wrecked trying to turn around and look for what could be making all the noise. Anyone else have a rattling GR? Like I said, my Koosah was silent so don't think it's out of reason to think the GR should be close too. Neighbors can sure tell when I'm coming though!

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Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Florence OR
Posts: 179

My GR rides very quiet, but it took some work to get it that way. One of the biggest noisemakers is the fairing. Road vibration shakes it and it amplifys the noise, possibly somewhat like a stereo speaker amplifys the electrical signal. This is rectified by mounting the lower ends of the fairing on rubber straps to absorb the vibration. A few months back there was a large discussion about this on this forum. Cable housings hitting the frame can cause a lot of rattles. Fenders and other assosories frequently lossen and can cause rattles. Fenders and their braces are frequently very flimsy. I have full fenders on my GR and I had to do some bracing to keep them quiet. The basic bike should be relativly quiet. You might try lifting the back of the bike several inches off the ground and drop it and listen for the rattle locations. it's worth putting in some effort to stop the rattles because as you no doubt know it makes riding the bike a lot more pleasant.

Norm

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

Yes, it's very frustrating buying a 3,000 dollar bike and have it rattle like a bike that costs 300. Actually my $900 Burley Koosah was so much quieter and quite frankly smoother in operation I'm a little surprised. Knowing what I know now, I doubt if I'd do it again, even though I really like my GR.
Between the rattles and shifting problems I'm already experiencing I wonder if I made the right decision. Not knocking the bike because it's really faster than the Koosah and I'm sure it has a lot of excellent design that many bikes don't have.
I have tried numberous times to drop the bike from a few inches plus putting it on a stand and trying to tap different areas with a rubber mallet do see if I can get it to vibrate/rattle but it sounds solid as a rock. I'll tape up a few more things to see if that helps-hope no one sees me riding with all this duct tape!! I'm sure I'll eventually get it found but it's really been driving me nuts trying to find it. Rode it tonight and there's definetely something rattling back there when I'm on a rough surface. Smooth surface and it's quiet.

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Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Omaha, Ne
Posts: 83

Who did the build on your bike? That is where all your problems lie. I would send it back to be adjusted. The Goldrush done right is not like how you described.

Mike

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

The dealer did the build and I've talked to him about the shifting and the rattles. His fix is the same as most all of us. Tighten, and recheck everything. I'm sure glad to hear that this isn't the normal for the GR. I was wondering if the chain/derailer would cause any of the rattles but all seems pretty tight. I'll keep on looking and listening and am sure I'll find the culprit. As I said, glad to know this isn't normal.

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Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Northcentral, Wisconsin
Posts: 20

quote:

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Originally posted by putttn
Actually my $900 Burley Koosah was so much quieter and quite frankly smoother in operation I'm a little surprised.

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Last edited by HenryWirz on 07-20-2007 at 01:51 PM

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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

There were some screws that would hold a bike rack if I had one and they were loose. I thought that I had found part of the rattling when I saw those (first "find") but evidently there's a something that I'm just not seeing. As I said earlier, I've even taped up the legs on the bikestand/kickstand.

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Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 95

putttn,

I have had a TE for about five years, and most of the time it is quite quiet. However, I find if I make an adjustment to seat location, I often have a hard time getting it to quiet down. It makes a very unlikely rattle noise. I discovered I could get it to stop if I twisted my body over to one direction on the seat base.

I am using a half inch wood block to raise the front edge of the seat to prevent slipping forward. I find I need to put grease around any contact points and tighten like crazy. This usually works. Not quite your situation, but these seats can make unlikely noises.

Paul

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Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 569

I think you did say "rattle" so this doesn't apply, but . . .

One source of noise can be the stock mid-ship takeup idler. Replacing it with a Terracycle idler usually helps in the noise department.

Can you at least identify the rattle's location, fore or aft?

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New Orange Gold Rush EX
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Registered: Apr 2007
Location: Eastern Wa
Posts: 30

I have the Terracycle idler so I'm covered there. The noise is coming from the aft section of the bike. The first rattle was up front but I've fixed that.

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 9

Do you have a luggage rack ? Fenders? I have a rattle on my luggage rack that goes away if it is loaded. I have not been able to find it, but I seldom ride with it empty. The other rattle I had was the chain hitting the rear fender. A small adjustment eliminated that. My Gold Rush is whisper quiet (w/terracycle idler).

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Cannondale Upright Road Bike

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