"Boing, Boing, Boing" When Turning Sharply?

[newbert]

When I turn my Rad Mini ST2 sharply (ie - the bike is leaning into a turn), I hear a "boing, boing, boing" or "ping, ping ping". I can't really tell exactly where it's coming from, but I suspect it's from one of the wheels. No noise when riding in a straight line though.

Spoke problem, or something else?

Thanks!

 

[ruffruff]

Is it coming from the front wheel?

 

[AHicks]

You need to start eliminating the possibilities. Does the tread pattern change as the bike leans? With the weight off of the wheels, is there any slop in the wheel bearing area? Are the rear axle nuts tight? Front?

And don't be to quick to rule out a spoke issue. Just go around and grab each at the center and give them a shake. Loose ones will be obvious usually. -Al

 

[rich c]

Just do a general overall fastener and bearing check. Good to do that every month anyway. Check fork bearings and wheel bearings. Then just check every fastener on the bike.

 

[indianajo]

I check the spokes by tapping them with a screwdriver while I'm changing tires. Loose ones have a lower pitch. BTW in rad known problems thread, service told one owner to torque check his spokes monthly!
I had 2 loose spokes on the bike left after 5000 miles, and that was on the replacement hub motor wheel.
I check my wheel bearings by trying to shake wheel from side to side when I change tires. About every 2000 miles. No problems with that yet. I do have double countertorqued nuts on the motor wheel. I did find a cheap Pacific MTB got loose axle bearing problems after about a year. I think the axle stretched.

 

[MechaNut]

If your bike is new it is entirely normal for your spokes to ping a little as the wheel breaks in. As the wheel breaks in the spokes may loosen a bit as the wheel experiences its first load cycles. The break in period on a new bike is usually 100-150 miles. Machine built wheels tend to do this more than hand built wheels.

 

[Mike_V]

Hi
Please elaborate about these sounds "normal for your spokes to ping"
Like a broken music box?

Could pings be emanating at the hub motor and be from less than perfect spoke fit ( swaged and rough ?) into the corresponding round (er) hub holes?
Mike

 

[MechaNut]

When you ride your bike both the spokes and the rim flex slightly. The rim slightly flattens on the bottom and the spokes flex slightly as well. As the wheel rotates past its contact point with the road the rim and spokes spring back to round. This is what is called a "load cycle". When your wheel pings, and it really does sound like a ping or a bing, it is a result of this flexing and springing back into shape. As the all the parts of the wheel break in the pinging sound will go away gradually. If the pinging sound doesn't go away after the break in period is over you might have some loose spokes that need to be tightened.

A spoked bicycle wheel has a lot of moving parts. When they are new, or out of adjustment, those moving parts can make sounds. Spokes "pinging" or "binging" when the wheel is new is entirely normal as those moving parts flex and settle.

 

[indianajo]

If your bike is new it is entirely normal for your spokes to ping a little as the wheel breaks in. As the wheel breaks in the spokes may loosen a bit as the wheel experiences its first load cycles. The break in period on a new bike is usually 100-150 miles. Machine built wheels tend to do this more than hand built wheels.

Normal for poor quality bikes with loose spokes off the machine.

 

[Nova Haibike]

If your bike is new it is entirely normal for your spokes to ping a little as the wheel breaks in.

It is only normal if the wheel has not been stress-relieved. So for an online bike it is probably normal because the wheel was build by a machine (although some wheel building machine do perform a stress relieving step). If it pings from a bike out of a shop, the assembler did not do it. Regardless, generally pinging due to spokes settling would go away very quickly, like within a single ride.

Boing is a lot different that a ping. Can you be more specific? Is it a metallic sound? Sharp or long? Soft or loud? When you say turning, is it fast turns at speed, or slow turns with a lot of steering input?