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diagnosis needed

(15 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by SRD
  • Latest reply from Tulyar
  • This topic is resolved

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  1. SRD
    Moderator

    My folder's started making a grinding, creaking noise. Worse when well loaded. Doesn't do it at all when on a stand.

    Does that mean it's something horrible like the bottom-bracket?

    I have to be on a train on Monday, schlepping around the country all week. Is there any point to seeing if the bike coop or someone could look at it quickly tomorrow? Can I take it with me and just ignore the noise? Should I leave it here and ask MrSRd to take it to Cycleservice while I'm away?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. gembo
    Member

    Last option gets my vote

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    “Does that mean it's something horrible like the bottom-bracket?”

    Only when pedalling?

    Maybe, or very worn chain crunching the sprockets.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    It could be what Dahon called the "ReBar", the small 'top' tube above the hinge. I used to sandwich a piece of a Tyvek envelope between the cone-shaped parts as it sometimes creaked a bit.

    The bike does use an ISIS bottom bracket, and they can be a bit fragile. Easy enough to replace though.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. SRD
    Moderator

    Thanks all. MrSRD says it's not a creak. more of a scraping/rubbing sound. Will see if I can get someone to take a look at it tomorrow.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. sallyhinch
    Member

    Never ignore a new noise ...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. SRD
    Moderator

    Chap at EBC says he doesn't think it's in danger of imminent collapse. I shall take my chances...and get CycleService to look at it next week.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. SRD
    Moderator

    bizarrely (but happily), despite ridiculously heavy panniers this week have heard not another creak or squeak.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    Spontaneous remission? Creak only revealed when not under heavy load?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. neddie
    Member

    Creak has disappeared because a split ball-bearing has now ground itself into a metal-grease paste?

    I've opened these things up before and found a few of the bearings "missing"

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. unhurt
    Member

    At the start of this summer's Newfoundland bike ride I suffered "is that noise a sign of imminent bottom bracket failure???" paranoia (as @Iwrats can attest as I might have sent some text messages of Technical Trauma). Day three the noise stopped.

    HOWEVER, on finally rebuilding bike post-trip & post-back injury (so, erm, after about 9 weeks of it sitting about the place in dirty bits) the cranks were making some fun grinding noises. It did seem to get harder to pedal the last few days of travel but I had put that down to filth / tiredness. Formal Bike Station diagnosis: drive side bearing totally seized. So, possibly I wasn't entirely off track - or 650km of washboard gravel is hard on bearings...

    Lesson: my paranoia is possibly justifiable at least some of the time?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. SRD
    Moderator

    @unhurt @neddie probably right.

    @unhurt I know what that surface is like (even if I can hardly imagine riding that distance on it) and would be surprised if your bike wasn't suffering afterwards.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Formal Bike Station diagnosis: drive side bearing totally seized.

    For some reason I'm seeing the delivery of this news as low budget medical drama. Taken into side room by young medic with stethoscope. 'I'm sorry but it's bad news. Nothing more we can do. The bearings should put their affairs in order.'

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. unhurt
    Member

    I hope this side room is in Darkplace Hospital.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. Tulyar
    Member

    An occasional cracking noise revealed itself catastrophically on Thursday as I juggled a set of gas safety inspections, delivery of a bed, an unexpected failure of the gas fitter to bring a part (bike dash to Tool Station where ONE was in stock), and a closely timed annual Christmas lunch for ex BR ScR CM&EE staff, plus a few young whipper-snappers from LNER, Scotrail & Hitachi (letting them all in now).

    Naturally right at the critical T plus 1 minute (late) completion of gas fitter visit, and need to cover a mile across Glasgow in minus 4 minutes..... The pedals stopped going forwards abruptly.

    Oddly and luckily they did still go backwards and the brake worked, but what little was visible did not look good,either something had caught & dragged round between chain and rear cog, as does happen when the spokes break, or.... Very large balls were visible..

    Luckily these seemed to be the carrier bearing for the cog carrier, one of the 2 moving parts in the hub with the 2-start ACME screw thread that drives the ACME nut with the cone clutches to drive or brake positions. The wheel bearings still ran smoothly.

    So now I'm sadly looking at a Perry hub (made in Brum around 50 years ago) calling for some urgent TLC, as the combination of chrome plates steel rim (stamped Raliegh Made in England) & steel shell 28 hole hub has proved less of a spoke-eater than my 36 hole Sachs Torpedo hubs in alloy rims....

    A visit to Big Al & Wheelcraft may be called for

    Posted 5 years ago #

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