Registered: May 2004
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
Posts: 30

A couple weeks ago I had just returned from riding the Tour de Kota. When I got back I needed to get my rear derailleur cable replaced (I must have nicked it somehow and it was starting to unravel just in front of the seat). When I returned from the bike shop I put my fairing/etc. back on the bike and prepared to go for a ride. But, when I started... there was this terrible rattling/buzzing noise. It sounded like it was near the handlebars by the computer. I tried grabbing cables, touching anything that I thought could rattle/buzz but couldn't find anything. I removed the reflectors off the spokes, and everything I could think of.

Bottom line, after much frustration and a couple hours I realized that I didn't secure one of the screws for the front fender (which I chose not to put back on, since I normally do not choose to ride in rainy weather). Sure enough, after removing the loose screw everything was quiet and back to normal. Unfortunately, due to all the time lost that day, I didn't have time to get in my ride....

Live and learn....

Mark

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

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

"Don't you just hate it when... "

Yes I do! Rattles and buzzes are intolerable to me, too. Maybe we need ear plugs? But then, unusual noises might point to something wrong with the bike's safety.

__________________
Dick Thornton
New Orange Gold Rush EX
+ a Diamondback Insight 1
Bakersfield, CA
bike_tourist@yahoo.com
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/dire...ckthornton&v=1s

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2008
Location: Jackson, MS
Posts: 77

If you hear a metallic tinkling sound or the sharp click of plastic falling on pavement, stop and go back. Look for the part that fell off the bike, even if it "seems" to be operating just fine.

I would rationalize that I just ran over something in the road and keep going after a brief in flight systems check; brakes, shifting, steering, pedaling, "naw not my bike. Must've been something in the road."

Get home and rats, something fell off out there. I call myself inspecting these things on a regular basis but not good enough. I just lost the skewer, thrust washers etc from the tandem hitch on my Hase.

I have dropped the plastic wing nuts from the fairing more than once...that has been the one repeat item. It is easy to get in a hurry while re-installing the fairing after transport to an event.

Hey, we all scan the road surface in our subconscious or sensory memory, if there was something there, we would have seen it. Something falling? Stop, turn and Go Back. It came off your bike!

__________________
Keith M.

Two Tour Easys
Two Hase Ketts
Two EZ Sports
Two Hobie Kayaks
and a WW Tour trike

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged