07-29-2015, 11:05 PM
Two rides ago I heard a noise coming from the rear wheel. My first description of the noise was it sounded like a tiny baseball card in bicycle spokes. A better description would be the noise the rear axle of a 10 speed bike when you are coasting. My first reaction was to apply the rear brake, but that didn't affect the noise at all. So I stopped the bike and checked carefully for any foreign objects, nothing. My son, who was following me said that he could hear it from 20' behind me. After the shortened ride I put it up on the centerstand, in neutral, and spun the wheel. It definitely sounds like 10 speed coasting noise and seemed to come from the rear wheel sprocket area. When I spun the wheel forward the clicking stopped after a few revolutions, but when I spun the wheel backwards the clicking was consistent. The chain didn't look especially dry and there is only 550 miles on the bike, but I lubed it anyways and the sound seemed to diminish, but Jane was rushing me to get to a dinner engagement so I just put it away. Fast forward to yesterday. The clicking is still there. I found that it was very quiet when I was accelerating, but the minute I backed off the throttle it was very apparent. I stopped and saw ACK and we put it up on the centerstand and he was baffled. He looked at the chain tension and he thought that it was a bit slack, but by no means bad, especially with only 550 miles. To me it sounds like the noise is coming from the left side of the hub near the sprocket. Its not nearly as loud when I listen from the right side. Has anyone else heard this clicking ?