Bike makes noise in the train!

Strida Forum Strida Problems and Answers
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Ok, so another question from this strida newbie :slight_smile:

So I’m now on my way for an interrail trip (by train of course). Took the strida with me in order to bike around when I make stops. Very handy that it easily fits in the overhead luggage rack.

However, it makes a strange noise from time to time! When placed on the rack above me. A small ticking noise, reminds me of the sound it makes when changing gears. It’s slightly annoying, actually. It seems to me that the gravitational forces in the train makes something move around somewhere on the bike. It’s a strida evo, could it be inside the gearbox? Or rather inside one of the hubs?

EDIT: It definitively seems like the noise comes from the gearbox and not the wheels. Could be mistaken though.

Anybody else encountered this problem, who knows what I can do to make the noise stop?

Update: After searching around a bit it seems like this kind of clicking is common with sturmey archer gears, at least when using the bike. Haven’t read anything about noise on trains though, but it seems logical to me that it’s connected. Some report that it clicks less in some gears than in others. I may try to stop in a different gear prior to boarding next time, and see if it makes a difference.
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/1072493-sturmey-archer-3-sp-clicking.html

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Hmmm…always hard to tell where a noise comes from. :thinking:
I’d think first of the rear brake cable, it is laying loose inside of the frame tube…you could try to pull a little bit on the rear end, at the point where it leaves the frame, close to the brake caliper.
Inside of the drive there should be no loose parts which could rattle.

Edit: I mean the post which you are referring to belongs to a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, but not to the SA KS3 bottom bracket drive.
The clicking sound comes from built-in freewheel(s), but - for my meaning - this sound can’t occur when the bike is standing still.

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Thanks a lot, will have a look at the rear brake cable!

And you are correct, I confused the SA speed hub and the SA KS3. Still new to the strida world…

Indeed, it is a bit mysterious that it makes this sound. It’s not constant, it comes and goes, so it seems to be specific to certain kinds of lateral or vertical movements which generate forces on the bike.

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Update: Had a small stop where I rode the bike again, and compared the noise it makes when riding to the sound it makes in the luggage compartment on the train. It is definitely the same sound as when cruising, i.e. when not pedalling. So it’s the freewheel(s) then?

It does sound strange that it can happen when the bike isn’t moving, but it has occurred on several occasions now. I guess there’s nothing to do about it. Will just have to place the bike in ways where the sound gets muffled and doesn’t disturb other passengers too much…

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If it’s really the freewheel then all you have to do is applying the “handbrake”. The loops at the bar ends are intended for this, just pull the brake levers and put the loop over their ends to secure them. :wink:

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If the solution is this simple, you have saved med a lot of hassle for the second time in less than 24 hours! Thanks a lot! Fingers crossed it works. Right now the bike is tucked below the seat and I cannot hear anything in any case, but will try tomorrow morning when I’ll board a new train :slight_smile:

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Short update, if other run into the same problem: The solution was actually as simple as applying the handbrake-loops. Completely eliminated the noise. Appears that the forces of gravity in the high speed train somehow created freewheel noise (but I will not claim that I understand the physics of it). The handbrake-loops fixed it though. Thanks again, @Blackstridaaustria

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