[jnooth]

Everybody likes a quiet bike am i right? when i built my bike up it seemed to be almost silent. I keep my bike well maintained so its not like i have parts falling off but it seems like my bike keeps getting louder and louder (especially after a week at Sol Vista)

Does anybody have any tips or things that have worked well to keep your bike running silent?

thanks

 

[DarrylB]

Put a new chain on

 

[ekimox]

I throw mine out when it gets dirty and buy another one. Always uber quiet. That's my advise.

 

[thom9719]

Chainstay protectors break down over time (especially if you use velcro)

Make sure the shrink wrap is covering the middle of your spring in your fork.

lube/grease all of your pivot bolts/bearings/bushings

pull apart and clean/grease your headset

pull your seat off the seat post and grease the rails and the inside of your frame.

properly tourque upper and lower crown bolts.

tighten any loose spokes

clean/lube moving chainguide parts and make sure it is properly adjusted.

pull apart and lube pedal spindles.

pull bottom bracket out and grease BB shell interface.

tighten derrailur hanger and derrailur.

grease rear hub pawls.

-KT

 

[Demomonkey]

Everybody likes a quiet bike am i right? when i built my bike up it seemed to be almost silent. I keep my bike well maintained so its not like i have parts falling off but it seems like my bike keeps getting louder and louder (especially after a week at Sol Vista)

Does anybody have any tips or things that have worked well to keep your bike running silent?

thanks

Step 1. Go to a DH race.
Step 2. Spectate with your ears.
Step 3. Investigate up close with your eyes.

Just kidding, but thats what I did over several years and now have a bike so quiet it spooks me out!!!

I've found that breaking a frame down (i.e seperating the rear triangle) and sticky back velcro (get the widest you can) on all potential areas of chain slap before you bolt it back together is the best way to minimise the ol chain slap. Seperating the frame allows the best access and you can literally 'trace' the required cuts on the wax paper to get the perfect fit before you make the cut.

Make sure the frame is clean before you stick it.

Putting the velcro on while the frame is built up never results in as good a job in my experience.

Bonus tip 1: consider including the area inside the rear triangle where the axle/cassette meet. There is little room in there and the chain can bounce around when you're in top gear. Velcro on the inside there can prevent frame wear and also noise. The additional drag is negligible.

Bonus tip 2. Buy a quiet hub.

Its well worth the effort. A quiet bike is much more fun to ride IMO.

 

[Sandwich]

Step 1: Sell your foes.

Step 2: buy a bike with small diameter tubing, preferably steel or even better carbon

Step 3: get a stealth hub, or a hub with slightly less engagement points. Use thicker oil or grease on the pawls to help dampen the noise. I had a hope that made very little noise, but I've heard some that are buzzsaws.

Step 4: get a derailleur with a strong return spring, or go single speed

step 5: wrap all chain contact areas in velcro or rubber. Put some rubber between the derailleur and any contact area, IE the horst pivot or the stopper in the case of a saint.

 

[DirtyMike]

Step 1: Sell your foes.

Step 2: buy a bike with small diameter tubing, preferably steel or even better carbon

Step 3: get a stealth hub, or a hub with slightly less engagement points. Use thicker oil or grease on the pawls to help dampen the noise. I had a hope that made very little noise, but I've heard some that are buzzsaws.

Step 4: get a derailleur with a strong return spring, or go single speed

step 5: wrap all chain contact areas in velcro or rubber. Put some rubber between the derailleur and any contact area, IE the horst pivot or the stopper in the case of a saint.

I had a customer with a foes DHR that litterally drilled a couple small holes in teh box area and fill it with expanding foam. He just got tired of the noise it produced and did something about it.





Soft side of velcro at contact points, sticky 3m vinyl for cable areas, and a good derailleur, and a properly sized chain... Bike will remain quiet. Mine is just as queit as the day I built it up, velcro on the chainstays, vinyl to protect cable rub and rock chips on the downtube, and a saint derailleur

 

[Tomasis]

dont mention about my dh frame (norco dh2002)

pretty loud

 

[BmxConvert]

Metal to metal contacts need to be greased.
This includes where your swing arm and derailleur hanger mount, sandwich a light layer of grease in there. Between your top crown and direct mount stem, seat rails, seat post, seat clamp, axles, spindles.

Clean your drive train regularly which includes tearing down your derailleur/chainguide and cleaning out the pulleys. Any time there's a chance at grit/grime hanging around there is likely to be noise.

 

[soul-skier]

do what i did. put your foes in the basement and get an xprezo furax.

 

[Daman]

Get a full 4130 DH frame.

 

[nelsonjm]

Step 1: Buy hope pro 2 rear hub to cover up noise of all other components.

 

[ZoRo]

Step 1: Buy hope pro 2 rear hub to cover up noise of all other components.

Exactly! I use to do that with the car radio when I had some odd noise in the car. Turn up the volume, BAM, noise gone! Ended up blowing the head gasket in the long run, but hey, I enjoyed loud music for a while

 

[rigidhack]

Run chainless.