login
Chain noise?
-
No new posts
 2009-09-02 1:13 PM |
Veteran  204 |  Subject: Chain noise?Let me start my question by saying that I do have an entry level/lower end roadbike. It is a 2008 Fugi Newest 3.0, with all original components except the pedals. I'm not 100% sure what brand or whatever the gear set "stuff" is, but safe to say it is lower-end. I know that when I'm in the smallest front ring, I need to stay to the larger sized rings in the back. And vice versa for the largest front ring. But, should I be able to use more than three or four rear gears when I'm in my middle ring in the front? |
| 2009-09-02 1:19 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Veteran 378  The Cold North | Subject: RE: Chain noise? My road bike with 3 chainrings in the front is set up to allow me to switch between all gears with no noise when I'm in the middle. On the largest chainring, I can switch between all but the 2 lowest (most teeth) gears and on my smallest front ring, I can switch between all but my 2 highest (fewest teeth) gears without rubbing. I think this is the standard setup. I don't think yours sounds like it is adjusted properly. I think it's worth the $20 (that's what my local shop charges) to have your bike checked/adjusted by another shop. I don't think you should have any rubbing when you're in your middle chainring. |
| 2009-09-02 1:24 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Veteran 499 El Segundo, CA | Subject: RE: Chain noise? Sounds like the chain might be rubbing on the inside of the front derailleur. How many miles have you put on the bike? There is a certain amount of stretching that takes place in the shifting and brake cables when they're new. This can cause the shifting (and braking) to become a little sloppy. Could be that your LBS is making the correct adjustment, but the cable stretches slightly afterward. If that's the case, the cables just need to get "broken in" so they keep their proper tension. Also, keep in mind that the bike is not meant to be ridden with the chain on the large chainring and large cog, or the small chainring and small cog. This is called called "cross chaining", and will wear down the drivetrain components on any bike, low end or otherwise. In any case, sounds like you might want to try a different LBS. Good luck! |
| 2009-09-02 1:28 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Veteran 585 Kenosha, WI | Subject: RE: Chain noise? I don't know if its suppossed to be that way or if its fixable, but I have the same issues... I have 3 forward rings and 8 rings on the rear cassette. I use the big 2-3 in the rear with the bottom the middle 3 with the center ring, and the smallest 2-3 with the outside ring. I was told the bike is most effecient when the chain is realitively straight, so as you move the chain in front you need to be aware of where the chain is on the back. |
| 2009-09-02 1:42 PM in reply to: #2385409 |
Cycling Guru 15134 Fulton, MD | Subject: RE: Chain noise? First thing I would check is the front derrailleur alignment and mentioned before. Second thing I would suggest looking at is if the chain is rubbing on the inside of the outer chainring (the biggest one). There is some "cross chaining" that can be expected when you are at the extreme ranges of the cassette (the cluster in the back), but it should not be so loud that everyone can hear you. |
| 2009-09-02 2:19 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Master 2380 Beijing | Subject: RE: Chain noise? When you are in the middle front chainring, and the smallest or largest rear cog, you are very likely to get noise from the chain rubbing on either side of the front derailleur. This is one reason front shift levers are not indexed, but friction-only. You need to move your front shifter enough to stop the noise, but not enough to shift. As other posters mentioned, this "cross chaining" will wear your components faster. However, you should take this noise as your bike telling you: "You need to be in a different gear combination." Here is an approximate speed matrix for your bike (well, Sheldon Brown didn't have your cassette as an option, so I used a 12-23 instead of 12-24) for a cadence of 90 RPM. (table fromhttp://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/) I can't really label the rows, but the rows are for the 12T cog at the top, to the 24T cog at the bottom. Big Mid Small
As you can see, there is alot of overlap. In fact, there are 3 gear combinations that will give you a speed of ~17.5 mph. There's no amount of adjusting that your LBS can do to eliminate the noise that you're hearing, IF you're trying to use the middle front ring 90% of the time. They can adjust it to make it more likely in the large rear cogs, or more likely in the small rear cogs, but they can't eliminate it. YOU need to either: 1. adjust the position of your front derailleur to stop the noise without shifting. 2. shift to a different gear combination that maintains your speed and cadence, but aligns the chain straighter (and thus keeps it from rubbing on the front derailleur. |
| 2009-09-02 4:44 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Extreme Veteran 3177 | Subject: RE: Chain noise? First thing I would recommend is this, Do you have a trainer or a friend with one you can use? If so put the bike on, hope on and start riding in a way it makes noise. Have a friend look at the entire drive chain while you are riding to identify exactly where the noise is coming from (assuming it is from a run somewhere). After you have it identified it is much easier to fix it. I am also curious if you can feel the rubbing of the chain on something when pedaling? or does the pedal stroke not feel any different, it is just noisy? have you had a full tune up since you got the bike (assuming as it is a 2008 that you got it last year?) or just taken it in for minor adjustments? If you have not had a full tuneup I would consider getting one. |
| 2009-09-02 4:54 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
| 1 | Subject: RE: Chain noise? Can you trim your front derailer? What I mean is when you shift gears in the back and the chain starts to make noise can you do a small shift in the front (small click) to trim it? I have a triple up front as well with Shimano 105 shifters and they let you "trim" the front derailer. |
| 2009-09-02 7:58 PM in reply to: #2385876 |
Master 1993 Riverside, IL | Subject: RE: Chain noise? a004455 - 2009-09-02 4:54 PM Can you trim your front derailer? What I mean is when you shift gears in the back and the chain starts to make noise can you do a small shift in the front (small click) to trim it? I have a triple up front as well with Shimano 105 shifters and they let you "trim" the front derailer. "Micro-adjust" is what I've always been told it's called, but yeah, I was thinking the same thing. My previous bike was a triple ring, and I constantly had the chain-rubbing problem. Sometimes, depending on what gear I was in, a "micro-adjust" would lessen the noise a bit...but sometimes it didn't help at all. After numerous attempts of having my bike adjusted and constantly being told "it's a triple, it's gonna do that"...I basically just lived with it until I got a new bike this (a compact) this past spring. |
| 2009-09-02 8:31 PM in reply to: #2386098 |
Veteran 215 Kalamazoo, MI | Subject: RE: Chain noise? nscrbug - 2009-09-02 8:58 PM a004455 - 2009-09-02 4:54 PM Can you trim your front derailer? What I mean is when you shift gears in the back and the chain starts to make noise can you do a small shift in the front (small click) to trim it? I have a triple up front as well with Shimano 105 shifters and they let you "trim" the front derailer. "Micro-adjust" is what I've always been told it's called, but yeah, I was thinking the same thing. My previous bike was a triple ring, and I constantly had the chain-rubbing problem. Sometimes, depending on what gear I was in, a "micro-adjust" would lessen the noise a bit...but sometimes it didn't help at all. After numerous attempts of having my bike adjusted and constantly being told "it's a triple, it's gonna do that"...I basically just lived with it until I got a new bike this (a compact) this past spring. You can read more about trimming a 105 shifter here. To quote the document, "there is one click where trimming (the noise prevention mechanism) engages, and a second stronger click when the gear shift stroke is completed". Trimming the front derailleur is one of the more annoying parts about a triple. I'm not sure it this applies to triples/shifters other than the 105 but it might be worth a try. |
| 2009-09-03 4:58 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Veteran 204 | Subject: RE: Chain noise? Thanks for the tips. I was playing around with it today, holding it while I shifted and spun the pedals w/ my hand so I could see what was going on. I think the sound is coming from two places...my finger is pointing to one of the spots in each picture. (hopefully these pics will attach.) Edited by jessm 2009-09-03 5:04 PM (Bike 009 Small.jpg) (Bike 008 Small.jpg) Attachments ---------------- Bike 009 Small.jpg (35KB - 43 downloads) Bike 008 Small.jpg (36KB - 34 downloads) |
| 2009-09-03 9:42 PM in reply to: #2385364 |
Master 1651 Breckenridge, CO | Subject: RE: Chain noise? jessm - 2009-09-02 12:13 PM I've taken it in to the LBS where I bought it a few times. I'm kind of getting the impression I'm starting to annoy them. Keeping your deraileurs adjusted is really easy and unless/until you learn how, your bike will never really operate correctly. It will also wear out faster if not propertly tuned all the time. Taking it to a LBS to do a one minute adjustment that you could learn in less than an hour and then know forever doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I make minor adjustments to my gears all the time to keep them perfectly tuned (I.e. totally quiet with zero shift delays). You should be able to find plenty of info by searching the 'net on maintaining whatever your components are. |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK