Beard Posted May 28, 2019 Share Im hoping some of you far more experienced guys and girls might be able to assist with a technical problem I cant seem to find the source of... I ride a 29in Hardtail as a commuter, on recent rides I've been noticing vibration coming from the rear of the bike and a slight sluggish feeling. Initially I thought it was the rear break calliper so I put it on the stand, align it and all is good for about two days... then the same vibrations and sluggish feeling. Surely cant be the brake again... put it back on stand... nope... calliper aligned, rotor true, no issues there. Spend some time spinning the wheel and no visible or audible rubbing or vibrations anywhere. I ride the following day and now it seems the vibration is getting worse and its felt through the seat tube. The rear rim very very slightly out of true but I cant see that causing this. So here is what I know - The brakes are properly aligned.- the rotors or true- there is no noticeable play in the rear wheel/hub- Problem does not show on work stand, only under rider load- It is present both under pedalling and freewheeling HOWEVER its not constant although progressively getting worse.- Possibly related... my shifting on the rear is not as smooth and quiet. Does anybody have any Idea what could be causing this? Brakes: Shimano mt400 , groupset: Shimano XT , hub: Bontrager, rims: Bontranger mustang, Frame: Trek Xcaliber Year: 2015 Edited May 28, 2019 by Beard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeisLife Posted May 28, 2019 Share Wheel in the frame straight and properly?Tyre seated on the rim properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allrounder Posted May 28, 2019 Share how is the bearings in the wheel? Wheel fastened properly? How old is the sealant? anybody seen george?, Traveler, Eugéne Alberts and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted May 28, 2019 Share Tyre seated on the rim properlyWheel is sitting in the frame straightI redid the sealant fresh about a month agoWheel bearings seem fine... they spin smoothly and quietly without any play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edkin Posted May 28, 2019 Share Condition of the tyres? Any bubbles forming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddy Gordo Posted May 28, 2019 Share Check the hub and freebody bearings. Also check if the freebody is fitted properly. anybody seen george? and Traveler 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted May 28, 2019 Share Check the hub and freebody bearings. Also check if the freebody is fitted properly.Would the bearings deteriorate so quickly? Ive done about 200km with no issues at all, just the last 50km suddenly this crops up and I haven't changed anything on the bike or even removed the wheels... just sort of started one day. I do feel though I might have to open everything up to check to see if there any issues... just hoping with my limited skill set and youtube videos I can put it back together again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted May 28, 2019 Share Condition of the tyres? Any bubbles forming?Tyres in good shape, no bubbles or deformations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babse Posted May 28, 2019 Share mind games? get a second opinion perhaps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quagga Posted May 28, 2019 Share Check the axle, mine did this when the axle broke in half so take freehub etc Capricorn, Schnavel, Hairy and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypot Posted May 28, 2019 Share Have you checked that there isn't a cable tie which has broken and allowed a cable to rub onto the tyre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted May 28, 2019 Share Take the rear wheel off and wiggle the derailleur side to side to see if the hanger is a bit loose. It happens sometimes and may be the reason for noisy sloppy shifting........also not totally impossible that it could be vibrating under load.....? Not sure but easy enough to check and tighten, perhaps with a bit of Locktite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted May 28, 2019 Share Thanks everyone! Im going to do all your checks and suggestions tonight and Ill report back to see if I found/fixed the issue tomorrow. Hairy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted May 28, 2019 Share Thanks everyone! Im going to do all your checks and suggestions tonight and Ill report back to see if I found/fixed the issue tomorrow.What does the winner get? Hairy and dirtypot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 28, 2019 Share Tyre seated on the rim properlyWheel is sitting in the frame straightI redid the sealant fresh about a month agoWheel bearings seem fine... they spin smoothly and quietly without any play. My EX5 also "felt smooth" to the very end ..... ONLY indication was a creak under power .... and then the bearing disintegrated !! Due to TREK's design it is almost impossible to get the outer race out of the counter-sunk hub .... Louise at Knipe_Racing made a custom puller to get it out .... for the sake of your budget ... please have that bearing checked properly .... the normal "turn the axle by hand" simply is not good enough with the Bontrager rims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 28, 2019 Share Would the bearings deteriorate so quickly? Ive done about 200km with no issues at all, just the last 50km suddenly this crops up and I haven't changed anything on the bike or even removed the wheels... just sort of started one day. I do feel though I might have to open everything up to check to see if there any issues... just hoping with my limited skill set and youtube videos I can put it back together again. Mine went from the first creak to disintegrate in less than 100km .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now