Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Tick-Tock Noise

[mfd14534]

I have a Turbo Vado SL 4 with about 1700 miles on it. When I pedal between 40 rpm - 50 rpm at a higher power level (like accelerating or climbing) I hear and feel a Tick-Tock noise once per crank revolution. It goes away when I get up to 80 rpm. The noise happens in all gears seated or standing. It also happens with the power on or off, but it seems easier to recreate with the power on. I can't recreate this noise on the work stand.

I've changed the chain and the bike shifts well. I've cleaned and lubed the seat post and rails, jockey wheels and chain ring. The noise seemed to go away for a while when I changed the chain but it came back within 100 miles.

One thing that seems suspicious is that rear derailleur has a fair amount of play and If I wiggle it around it makes a sound similar to what I'm hearing while riding .When I push in the pin that hold the derailleur so the chain is slack, there is about 1/4" of play at the bottom of the jockey wheel cage. The mounting bolt is tight but you can see there is some slop in the mounting mechanism. Is this typical for an NX-11?

Other ideas?

 

[twy]

Probably a totally useless piece of info but I had a similar problem on my old Specialized Pitch 650B. Took me forever to find it but it turned out to be the pedal bearings.

 

[teskow]

I have a R1U with the same brand motor that started doing that at about 1500 miles. It near drove me to drinking.
It turns out it was the motor cover must move a bit a bit against the mating surface to the motor because it went away when I squirted some WD-40 on the area where the cover meets the motor.
Yes the cover screws were tight.

 

[mfd14534]

Good idea. But I changed the pedals and the noise is still there.

 

[mfd14534]

Not the motor cover. I put a piece of rubber in the gap where it was rubbing. The problem is still there.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Yeah was going to suggest a stiff link in chain but you changed that. Can be crazy frustrating a noise like that.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Can be crazy frustrating a noise like that.

Amen to that! Last time I thought for sure it was my motor. It was my freehub.

Interesting how hard it is to localize bicycle noises. Reflections, transmission through frame members could all contribute, I suppose.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Can be anything. I can still remember squeaking of my Vado SL that was heard from the fork area for months. It was the suspension seat-post

 

[LazyJ]

Mine had a twig/stick like a short pencil that had gotten behind the motor cover that I found while attempting to remove the motor to send it off for repair, being convinced I had bad sprag clutch causing the click. For me it was occuring on every crank rev when my right leg began its power stroke, over 80 rpm and over 240 watts I could recreate the tick with perfect reliability. Twig would have cost me $500 rebuild if I hadn't noticed it and decided to retest it, having no confidence a twig could cause such a malady.

 

[BioWheel]

Amen to that! Last time I thought for sure it was my motor. It was my freehub.

Interesting how hard it is to localize bicycle noises. Reflections, transmission through frame members could all contribute, I suppose.

So true. I recently had an intermittent clicking noise and was convinced it was coming from my headset or the spacer rings—but it turned out to be the seatpost. Nothing more frustrating. I’ve spent entire rides just trying to track down noises, even using a big empty stadium parking lot with smooth pavement so I can really focus on diagnosing it.

Honestly, I’d love to see some kind of diagnostic kit—this is getting ridiculous—like four small sound sensors you could place around the bike to triangulate exactly where the noise is coming from. I can’t stand clicks and squeaks. And with a Sprague clutch, silence is the whole point of the ride for me.