Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 373
Loc: Never where I want to be
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If anyone followed my excited post about getting my new bike "Ignore all my previous posts" found here...
http://www.bikefanclub.com/forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3160/page/1/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
...you'll know I experienced a "ticking" or whatever noise from the headset pretty much early on. I have about 300 miles on it. Already had it back once when I told the shop I've heard similiar stories from others online. Saw many mentions on the Litespeed forum, Litespeed's site. They "replaced the cups." This time I called Litespeed, they said no problem will send a new redesigned headset and cups to the shop no charge. So that's where it is. The shop should have them Wednesday, when I can hopefully pick up the bike.
It's not the skewers, a noise I did experience after picking it up the first time, tightened and fixed. Cranks are tight, they tightened those the first time I brought it in. Noise starts after a mile or so and really only when I stand up. After a ride, before getting off, if I just coast not pedaling as slow as I can and either turn the wheel or lean little S-turns it makes the noise while sitting. Also, new DuraAce front deraileur still rubs on the outside in the lowest gears, big front, little back. Had them tweak that first time also. How much to these cables stretch?
A bit of a bummer so far. But I'm not losing any sleep over it...yet. There is obviously an issue with this integrated stuff in the early days, which is what I have: '02 vortex. I really like this bike a lot, but the noise is really not tolerable. Hopefully these new parts will fix it up. Otherwise, Litespeed said, they'll have to take the frame in and see about pressing a new sleeve in the head tube. No more quick 20+ milers before and after work for a few days. And all the trails here are soaked, so the mtb bikes sit as well. Blah...
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TheMightySkunk
journeyman
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 82
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Nev:
You need to become a detective because all bikes come up with this occasionally, and the culprit isn't usually the obvious one.
My 04 Vortex started ticking last weekend in the middle of an uphill TT on the right pedal downstroke. The ticking was asymmetrical, so it's gotta be the BB, right pedal, or right crank, right? Except I've got the D/A 7800 crankset, which rarely makes noise.
So I went home and started going through my list - adjusted star nut, lubed steerer & adjusted headset & stem, lubed & checked barrel adjusters, lubed skewers, removed and lubed pedals. All of those things should be done regularly anyway. Found a slightly loose hub on my front wheel, tightened it.
Changed shoes to insure it wasn't the cleats. Went out for a test ride. No change. AAAAAARGH!
Came back to the driveway and did the quick-S-turn thing, like you did. Beeeeg noise.
Changed wheels. Eureka! I've got a blown front hub in my piece-of-sh*t Spinergy Xaeros, which Spinergy doesn't support and for which my LBS can't get parts because the people at Spinergy are useless diabolical sons of whores. So into the trash can the Spinergys go, thus ridding me of one of the truly BAD decisions I've made on bike parts.
Bike is now silent wearing my trusty old American Classic Deep-V's.
A friend got a new Ghisallo w D/A 10 spd this month. It ticked. He called me a couple of times asking me about the D/A 10 spd crankset, because at 210 lbs I'm the team crash test dummy, and I told him my D/A 10 cranksets have never made a peep, so it's gotta be something else. This guy is a GREAT wrench, so he systematically replaced everything on the bike. Pedals, stem, headset, handlebars, wheels, skewers, shoes, barrel adjusters. No improvement. He was ready to throw the whole thing in the trash. Then he replaced the BB and cranks with an old, known-good Ultegra BB and crankset. No change! Was the frame itself cracked or something? FINALLY, he found the culprit. The noise was coming from the little plastic cable guide thingie bolted onto the frame under the BB! THAT'S a new one!
A while ago I had a big squeal coming from the headset of my Serotta Legend. After futzing with everything on the front of the bike for a few weeks, I finally decided it MUST be the headset itself. Except the headset is a Chris King. What are you going to replace a Chris King headset with, because CK headsets are already is the undisputed world champion. Finally, a teammate riding next to me made a suggestion, and he was right. The front cable housings had been cut on a slight angle, and they were scraping the inside of the barrel adjusters! I took the cables apart and epoxied cable cups onto the ends of the cable housings, and EUREKA! My Legend was finally silent, and remains so.
It would be cool if someone could invent a small, battery-operated dB meter you could duct-tape to your bike in various places to diagnose these problems, so as to scientifically determine from where ticks & squeaks are emanating.
One thing is for sure, and that is if you ride a lot, your bike will periodically develop ticks & squeaks.
--------------------
"I haven't failed. I've just managed to find 100,000 ways that don't work"
--Albert Einstein
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 373
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
TheMightySkunk wrote:
Nev:
You need to become a detective because all bikes come up with this occasionally, and the culprit isn't usually the obvious one.
One thing is for sure, and that is if you ride a lot, your bike will periodically develop ticks & squeaks.
You are wise.
I've experienced much of your story with my mountain bikes, which, up until the last month, I've only ridden once -- due to rain (muddy trails) and my new Vortex.  The more I've ridden through the years the "closer" I came to my bikes. Little noises of any type a) became more noticeable and annoying (Nev to wife: "Hear that?" Nev's wife: "No.") and b) in some ways became easier to diagnose. Gradually I learned to pull the cranks/bottom bracket, rear cassette/hub, brakes and whatnot, to clean and take them apart to pack for traveling. The combo of many miles and knowing how to assemble/disassemble has brought me to quieter rides, and made me a better detective. Also, importantly, learning what needs to be tightened/checked after a while. Simple things "seem" big when you don't know much about what's between your legs and can be more quickly fixed when you do. (Coincidentally, The more time you spend with anything that might be between your legs the better you know it and the better it works, eh everybody?  )
In any case, the vortex is new, and I'm not that "close" to it yet. I'm looking forward to becoming the detective you are with yours, and I am with my other bikes. I've never installed a headset beyond the caps or whatever when removing forks. But I do hear ya. Ain't this fun stuff? I only wish these bicycle aggravations were exclusively the only ones I had in life. I would never complain again.
I picked up the bike today with the new cups and bearings from Litespeed. It was raining, as usual, so couldn't ride it out back. But, without a doubt, it feels different/better, less resistance, in fact zero, in the headset area. Bars go all the way left and right smoothly. If the sun out now holds the streets will be dry when I get home from work and will check it out. I'll give an update.
I do freaking like this bike. It's a GD blast to ride.
Thanks,
Nev
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 373
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Noise seems to be gone. At this point I think the new cups and bearings have made a big difference. Every now and then I'll get something when I stand, but nothing consistent or from an obvious area. Thankfully, I'm nowhere near as obsessive with anything else in life.
But major change for the better has happened. The front end also feels a lot more stable now. Sit right up without hands and the front wheel doesn't move a bit. Happy Happy.
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