noises from spokes

[Jim Higson[_2_]]

When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a twangy
noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was gently
touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels are Campy
Neutrons.

They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the wheels.

Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?

--
Jim

[Jim Higson[_2_]]

Geraint Jones wrote:

> Jim Higson > wrote:
> | When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
> | twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was
> | gently touching them as they go round, although nothing is.
>
> Are you sure nothing is? I've just cured a similar pinging from
> her indoors' better bike which was caused by the derailler just
> clipping one spoke when in its lowest-front-lowest-back gear and
> under load. Pootling around the yard with almost no tension on
> the chain caused no noise at all. The flexing of the frame may
> be enough to make a difference. The limit screw on the derailller
> was a bit further out than it needed to be, and the slack caused
> by wear and ageing was just enough to clip a spoke every now and
> then. (I was amazed at how flat the dishing of that wheel is,
> and how close the derailer runs to the spokes, but.)

Pretty sure.

It happens not just in the lowest gear, also with it a few up from that,
which puts the derailleur quite far from the spokes.

Btw, the wheels are Campagnolo Neutrons.

--
Jim

[PhilD]

On Jun 7, 10:20 am, Jim Higson > wrote:
> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?


Possibly not a cure for your immediate problem, but may be of help to
someone else:

1) Often odd sounds appear to come from one place but actually come
from another. If the noise is once-per-wheel-turn, check the front
wheel. If it turns out to be once-per-pedal-turn, check front
deraileur, chainwheel, etc.

2) My lad's bike was making a funny noise. Turned out to be the
speedometer sensor and magnet (just) hitting each other, solved with a
little tweak.

PhilD

--
<><

[Rob Morley]

In article >, Jim Higson
says...
> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a twangy
> noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was gently
> touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels are Campy
> Neutrons.
>
> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the wheels.
>
> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
>
>
Is there crud between the spokes where they cross, or between the spokes
and the hub flanges?

[Jim Higson]

PhilD wrote:

> On Jun 7, 10:20 am, Jim Higson > wrote:
>> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
>
>
> Possibly not a cure for your immediate problem, but may be of help to
> someone else:
>
> 1) Often odd sounds appear to come from one place but actually come
> from another. If the noise is once-per-wheel-turn, check the front
> wheel. If it turns out to be once-per-pedal-turn, check front
> deraileur, chainwheel, etc.

The noise is very distinctive as being a "spoke noise" - like a quiet
version of them being twanged.

It is very quiet, I only noticed it when riding out in the country. It is
roughly coinciding with the downstroke on the cranks, but if I turn my feet
in a circle a bit more I can get it to make the noise for the whole
revolution of the crank.

> 2) My lad's bike was making a funny noise. Turned out to be the
> speedometer sensor and magnet (just) hitting each other, solved with a
> little tweak.

I have a magnet on the back wheel, but it is plenty far from the sensor. In
fact, it is on the other side of the spoke.

[Jim Higson]

Rob Morley wrote:

> In article >, Jim Higson
> says...
>> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
>> twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was
>> gently touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels
>> are Campy Neutrons.
>>
>> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the
>> wheels.
>>
>> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
>>
>>
> Is there crud between the spokes where they cross, or between the spokes
> and the hub flanges?

No on the first count.

On the second count, the flanges aren't directly exposed on this kind of
hub, but I can take a look.

Do you think that could cause this kind of problem?

[soup]

Jim Higson wrote:
> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a twangy
> noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was gently
> touching them as they go round,

Perhaps being totally silly but is the actuating cable (the spare bit)
really long and dangling in the spokes?
Maybe normally it is JUST away from the spokes but when you go to
mash uphill the frame flexes and the cable JUST twangs of the spokes

--
www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

[Duncan Smith]

On Jun 7, 10:20 am, Jim Higson > wrote:
> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a twangy
> noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was gently
> touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels are Campy
> Neutrons.
>
> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the wheels.
>
> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
>

I had a noise like that develop out on a ride with an old bike I'd got
from e-bay and it turned out to be the rear-mech jockey cage knocking
against the spokes - it got progressively worse until the smaller
sprockets were un-usable.

Must have been a relaxed spring or worn out something or other because
no amount of H-L tweaking would sort it out. Replaced the mech an
entry-level Shimano Sora for about £15-20 and it's been fine since,
not that I ride it much though.

Regards,

Duncan

[Rob Morley]

In article >, Jim Higson
says...
> Rob Morley wrote:
>
> > In article >, Jim Higson
> > says...
> >> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
> >> twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was
> >> gently touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels
> >> are Campy Neutrons.
> >>
> >> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the
> >> wheels.
> >>
> >> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
> >>
> >>
> > Is there crud between the spokes where they cross, or between the spokes
> > and the hub flanges?
>
> No on the first count.
>
> On the second count, the flanges aren't directly exposed on this kind of
> hub, but I can take a look.
>
> Do you think that could cause this kind of problem?
>
It's the only thing that doesn't involve spokes hitting something else
or the sound being transmitted from somewhere else. I'd also check the
freehub and cassette are tight, the hub and bottom bracket bearings are
healthy and properly adjusted, and that the chain, chainrings and
sprockets are all good.

[Jim Higson[_2_]]

soup wrote:

> Jim Higson wrote:
>> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
>> twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was
>> gently touching them as they go round,
>
> Perhaps being totally silly but is the actuating cable (the spare bit)
> really long and dangling in the spokes?

Not silly, but it is cut really short and couldn't hit the spokes even if I
push the wheel as far as it would go to the side

> Maybe normally it is JUST away from the spokes but when you go to
> mash uphill the frame flexes and the cable JUST twangs of the spokes
>

[Jim Higson[_2_]]

Duncan Smith wrote:

> On Jun 7, 10:20 am, Jim Higson > wrote:
>> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
>> twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was
>> gently touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels
>> are Campy Neutrons.
>>
>> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the
>> wheels.
>>
>> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?
>>
>
> I had a noise like that develop out on a ride with an old bike I'd got
> from e-bay and it turned out to be the rear-mech jockey cage knocking
> against the spokes - it got progressively worse until the smaller
> sprockets were un-usable.

No, nothing is touching the spokes. Even if I flex the wheel as far as it
will go to the side, nothing touches them.

> Must have been a relaxed spring or worn out something or other because
> no amount of H-L tweaking would sort it out. Replaced the mech an
> entry-level Shimano Sora for about £15-20 and it's been fine since,
> not that I ride it much though.
>
> Regards,
>
> Duncan

[John[_5_]]

In article >, Jim Higson
> writes
>I have a magnet on the back wheel, but it is plenty far from the sensor. In
>fact, it is on the other side of the spoke.

Some sensors have a reed switch which can make a quiet, but audible tick
when the magnet passes, even if the two do not touch.

--
John

[Jim Higson]

John wrote:

> In article >, Jim Higson
> > writes
>>I have a magnet on the back wheel, but it is plenty far from the sensor.
>>In fact, it is on the other side of the spoke.
>
> Some sensors have a reed switch which can make a quiet, but audible tick
> when the magnet passes, even if the two do not touch.

Indeed. My specialized computer did that. The Cateye one on this bike
doesn't though.

So... the spoke twangy noises remain a mystery, but at least nobody is
claiming they are dangerous. If this was a dangerous symptom I think
someone would probably be warning about it.

By the way, my favourite theory at the moment is it is caused by a twisted
spoke slowly un-twisting itself. Maybe the wheel will go a little out of
true over the next few weeks and need looking at.

--
Jim

[naked_draughtsman[_2_]]

Sorry I've missed the start of this thread - what's the hub like?

On my front wheel there's something odd going on and the plastic bits
covering the cones turn with the wheel (as expected) but at one point they
stop, then continue. I've had the bearings and cones out to clean and put
back but it's still happening and it results in a change in the "whirr" but
not a pinging noise.

I magine if there's a damaged bearing or an imperfection in the hub the
bearings might go "bump" every now and then as they spin.
--
peter

Cheap train tickets database
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[Jonathan Schneider]

"naked_draughtsman" > writes:

> Sorry I've missed the start of this thread - what's the hub like?

Sort of round in the middle of the wheel I expect. Could be black or shiny.

Jon

[Jim Higson]

Jim Higson wrote:

> When I push hard on the pedals (standing to go uphill) I'm getting a
> twangy noise from my rear wheel spokes, similar to if something was gently
> touching them as they go round, although nothing is. The wheels are Campy
> Neutrons.
>
> They don't seem loose, and there is nothing visibly wrong with the wheels.
>
> Any ideas what this sound could be, and if it is a problem?

Been going round the search engines over this. There's a thread I found here
that describes a similar thing:

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=31381

Sounds like tightening the spokes up might help, although they do feel
pretty tight already.

Doesn't sound like it is anything to worry about, but I'll get the hubs
serviced and the spokes looked at next week.

--
Jim