Make It Go Away!

I don't know about you, but unnecessary noises coming from bicycles drives me nutty. You know, like the sound a squeaky chain makes as another rider passes you on the trail. I want to stop the rider and force chain lube on them. Make them take care of that irritating noise! (Of course, I don't get so aggressive) The point is, those kinds of things are like finger nails drug across a blackboard to me. I can't ride a bike that's noisy.

Enter one of my favorite bikes which has developed a noise that for the life of me I can not get rid of........yet! Oh, I will eradicate this noise, but so far it has eluded me. It's an aluminum framed bike, and the usual bottom bracket solution wasn't it. Then I tightened a couple loose chain ring bolts. Ahh! I thought I had it! But no! It came back on the next ride, although it waited until about halfway through that ride before it reared it's ugly head again.

So, I started looking at the seat post collar, the seat post clamp head, and some other places. Took things apart, greased them, cleaned them, lubed them, but to no avail. That devil noise would come and go as it pleased unabated. Squee---eek snap! squee---eek snap! Whether I pedaled hard or soft, standing or not standing. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it's so loud it's embarrassing, like yesterday when I was caught riding with some RAGBRAI riders that were on there way out of town. I will find this noise and kill it if it's the last thing I do!

I have a sneaking suspicion it's still the aluminum chain ring bolts in the Stylo crank set. I am going to remove them all and start from scratch. I'll get you, you devil! That noise will die!

Okay, I'll have to report back on this one later, but for now, I wish all of you a creak free and glorious weekend of cycling! Get out and ride!