How to Silence a Noisy Bike

Silence a Noisy Bike

Follow this guide from former Garmin-Slipstream wrench Daimeon Shanks, owner of the Service Course, in Boulder, Colorado, to quiet your ride.

By Matt Allyn

Spokes and Valve Stem
TEST Check for loose spokes and valve stems. Otherwise, spokes may be rubbing the nipples.
FIX True your wheel. (For a video tutorial, click here.) Grease the nipples and spots where spokes cross. Matte-black spokes are apt to creak. If the valve stem wiggles, wrap it with electrical tape.

Wheel Skewers
TEST Open, then retighten both skewers.
FIX Lightly grease the frame dropouts and tighten your quick-release. And not just to kill the noise: A wheel could pop out while you're riding.

Pedal Bearing and Cleats
TEST Ride with another set of pedals.
FIX Grease your cleat. If the noise persists, retighten the pedals. If the sound is more of a pop, try cleaning and replacing worn bearings.

Seatpost and Saddle Rails
TEST Pedal out of the saddle to see if the noise stops.
FIX Grease your rails and post. Use carbon paste instead of standard grease for carbon-fiber parts.

Bottom Bracket
TEST Listen for a creak from below while riding. If chainring bolts aren't tight, they will click.
FIX Remove your cranks and feel the bearings. If they turn smoothly, remove the bottom bracket to clean and regrease the threads. If the frame's bottom-bracket opening edge is rough, take the bike to your shop.

Handlebar and Stem
TEST Lube all the bolts and contact surfaces.
FIX Clean, then grease contact surfaces and the steerer tube (use carbon assembly paste for carbon parts).

Hubs
TEST Wiggle your wheels to feel for side-to-side play. Hold the hubs and spin the wheels to ensure the bearings roll smoothly. If you suspect the rear wheel is the culprit, also check that the cassette is tight and the freehub bearings are in good shape.
FIX Most hub bearings aren't easily tightened or cleaned. Take the wheel to your shop.

Headset
TEST To identify continuous clicking, ride with no hands. To check for occasional creaking, stand over your top tube and keep the front wheel planted. Then grab the drops and pull up on one while pushing down on the other
FIX Clean and grease the bearings. If the head-tube surface is uneven, take the bike to your shop. For clicking, grease the cable housing mount.

Off-Season Strength Training for Cyclists: A Well-Planned Transition Phase

I share with you a great article I found online on Strength Training. 

by Harvey Newton

Contributor - Cycling, Olympic Weightlifting

For those of us cyclists in the Northern Hemisphere the days are getting shorter, the big events have passed, and we turn our attention to preparation for next year's season. Part of that preparation includes utilizing an effective transitional phase that marks the start of off-season training. The proper design and execution of this phase of training pays big dividends later in the season.

A periodized training program should always include a transition phase. Characteristics of a transition phase include a reduction in both the volume and intensity of training. A well-designed transition phase helps the body recover from the recent race season and aims to reenergize the rider, both physically and psychologically.  

This is not a time to lose conditioning, however. Cardiorespiratory fitness must remain a priority throughout the year. Using other forms of aerobic conditioning (cross-training) serves to accomplish this goal while allowing for a mental and physical break from the road or track bike.

The transition phase is also a time to include resistance training, with a goal of strengthening not only the legs, but all parts of the body that contribute to better cycling performance. Unfortunately, many riders fail to maintain some form of resistance training during race season, which often results in loss of strength in areas such as the upper body and the core. It is particularly important for females and master cyclists to effectively utilize proper resistance training, not only in the offseason, but also throughout the year.

This article provides guidance on getting started with an effective transitional phase resistance training program. Monthly articles to follow will address all the various stages of a well-designed, periodized, off-bike training plan.

First Steps

One of the main keys to success is to start this off-season resistance training easily. Much can be accomplished with your own bodyweight as resistance. In some cases, the use of light weights is in order. Regardless of the resistance used, there is not a need to engage in hard efforts in the gym during the first few weeks.

Just as the first time back on the bike after a layoff would not include hill repeats or intervals, the first resistance training phase involves relatively low intensity exercises performed in a moderate repetition range. You should be able to do each exercise in perfect form, including the last rep. Of course, after this break-in period (the first two weeks) the effort must increase in order to be effective, but to do so early on increases the odds of injury or unnecessary muscle soreness. Believe it or not, the “no pain, no gain” mentality in the weightroom is truly contraindicated. Getting muscularly sore is neither an aim nor a realistic outcome of lifting weights.

Some years back, some USA Cycling coaches asked me to help an elite junior rider transition from his previous year's junior weight program to something a bit more challenging. I met the rider in the Colorado Springs’ Olympic Training Center gym and offered advice on some basic exercises done with one set of 12-15 reps each. As we wrapped up the rider said, "Is that all? I did three sets, and used more exercises and weight all last week. I'm still so sore I can hardly move, but I thought that’s what’s needed." No doubt this young stud figured I knew nothing about training, as I never saw him in the gym again.

The First Two Weeks

In the first workout one set of 12-15 reps is appropriate for most exercises. At a minimum, cyclists should include one multiple-joint exercise for upper body pushing, one for upper body pulling, one for the lower back, one for the abdominals, and one for the lower body. It’s unnecessary, and not a good use of time or energy, to perform more exercises that address the same muscle groups. Cyclists do not need to train like bodybuilders.

Far too many cyclists hold unfounded beliefs that light weights and high repetitions in the gym are what needed for an endurance athlete. This might be true if the athlete demonstrates poor muscular (not cardiorespiratory) endurance on the bike, but that is an unlikely characteristic for a cyclist.

Cyclists want greater strength and power, but that comes later in the training plan. Actual strength or power gains require greater effort (higher weight, lower reps). The transition phase is simply a break-in period. By the way, fifteen repetitions is considered high volume in the strength training world.

The second workout can progress to two sets. During the final session of week one the rider should utilize three sets per exercise, with slightly greater resistance in each set. There should be about 1.5 minutes of recovery between sets. Monday, Wednesday, Friday workouts are well suited for most riders at this time of the year. Cyclists should aim to be in and out of the gym in 45 to sixty minutes.

Exercises

There are no magic exercises for cyclists. Keep exercise selection simple in the beginning. In the first two weeks, bodyweight works well. Use exercises like lunges or step-ups for the hips, thighs, and hamstrings; back extensions for the lower back; trunk curls ("crunches") for the abdominals; push-ups (on the knees or traditional) for the shoulders, triceps and deltoids; and inclined pull-ups for the biceps and mid-back muscles.

After two weeks of break-in, riders should move to free weights or some resistance machines to work the same muscles in slightly different ways. For example, hold a light barbell or a pair of dumbbells while lunging. Place a 5- or 10lb weight behind the head for back extensions. Perform light bench press or shoulder press for the upper body pushing muscles. Use the lat pull-down machine or one-arm dumbbell bent-over rows for the biceps and mid-back. Since riders are not focused on developing hypertrophy (muscle growth) they can use different exercises each workout (Mon, Wed, Fri) for the same body parts.

A Note of Caution

I did not mention leg extensions or curls. Hip and knee extension is the main force behind the pedal stroke. This requires multiple-joint movements, no single-joint, isolation exercises. This will be addressed in future articles.

We’ll get more serious later. Right now, take it easy. There is plenty of time to graduate to the more serious efforts at resistance training in the coming months.

Any cyclist can improve performance on the bike by engaging in a sensible resistance training program throughout the year. Most cyclists engage in weight training only in the winter, but real benefits that contribute to better cycling performance throughout the season require a year-‘round approach to this part of the training plan.

Don't Be Left In the Dark

Now with daylight savings time in effect and the days being shorter, it is even more important to make sure that you are safeguarding yourself, and others, with the proper lighting if you are still out riding your bikes. Bicycling Magazine just published this article on their blog talking about how to illuminate you and your bike properly to be seen out on the road.

Enlighten Yourself

By Bob Mionske

Illustration: Erin Benner

Don’t be in the dark when it comes to bike safety. Here are answers to common questions about illuminating your ride.

What types of lighting does the law require? Most states require a white front light with a beam that can extend at least 500 feet ahead and a rear red reflector when ­riding at night or in low-visibility conditions (Figure 1).

If I have lights on my bike, do I need reflectors? Many states require reflectors—usually on the front, rear, wheels, and ­pedals (Figure 2). Lights generally can’t legally replace reflectors, but they may (and should) be used in addition to them. Some devices, such as CatEye’s Reflex taillight, double as reflectors when they’re turned off. While it’s rare for a well-lit cyclist to be pulled over simply for missing reflectors, it’s possible that you could be blamed if you were involved in a collision and didn’t have any on your bike.

How strong can my bike lights be? Is there such a thing as too bright? The law doesn’t specify a maximum level. But keep in mind that a few lights, ­particularly ones made for nighttime trail riding, can be even stronger than automobile lamps. Although it’s unlikely that you’d be ticketed for an excessively bright beam, you might be culpable for causing an accident if a blinded motorist crashes. If you’re riding with such a device, consider controlling the angle and intensity of the beam, either by cupping your hand over it or by momentarily dipping the light downward to keep it out of the faces of oncoming drivers.

What else can I do to increase my visibility? Wear bright clothing with high-vis logos or other details, place reflective tape on your wheels or frame, and clip additional lights to your ­helmet, bar, or pockets (Figure 3).

Hill Training Article from Bicycling Magazine

Since we are on break from cycling for a few months with TNT, I thought I'd share some cycling-related articles that I come across with you. 

Below is an article from the Bicycling Magazine website that is entitled "Hill Training In Your Head." This article caught my attention because visualizing is a big part of my own success on the road. I hope you enjoy this short article on the psychology portion of cycling and hill climbing!

Hill Training In Your Head

Photo: Andrew Bannecker

Occasionally when he was riding his bike, Dan Freedman would find himself on a stretch of road that confounded him. It looked steep, yet he’d fly to the top. Then, when he thought he was cresting it, his legs would still be screaming. Every cyclist outside the flatlands has a story like this—but Freedman isn’t just any cyclist. He’s an MIT physicist who eventually­ concluded that the trouble with his hill wasn’t gravity; it was psychology. The surrounding trees grow at an angle that creates an optical ­illusion that fools his brain into thinking the terrain should be leveling out. “Cyclists talk about power-to-weight [34] ratios,” says Robert Swoap, PhD, a professor of sport psychology at Warren Wilson College, in North Carolina. “But they fail to consider the psychological aspects.” Try these mental tricks to increase your slope savvy. 

SET ASIDE FEAR“If you’re afraid of a hill,” says Swoap, “you’re more likely to want to get it over with.” You might wind up attacking it too hard and too early, and wear out too soon. 

THINK POSITIVE“Negative thoughts become self-defeating behavior,” says Ileana Sisson, MS, a psychotherapist and cycling coach. Come up with your own version of Jens Voigt’s famous “Shut up, legs!” mantra. 

FOCUS ON NOWThe best competitors stay in the moment, Swoap says. They’re not thinking, How am I going to make it to the top? Instead they focus on immediate concerns like, What cadence do I want right now?How is my breathing?Are my shoulders relaxed? 

DIVIDE AND CONQUERBreak a climb into manageable chunks, says Kevin Dessart, director of coaching education and athlete development at USA Cycling. Picture crossing each segment off a list as you complete it. 

LOOK DOWNHere’s a chance to use a visual illusion to your advantage: Instead of gazing toward the top of a hill, direct your gaze toward the shortest safe distance ahead of your front wheel. “When you look down at the road,” Dessart says, “it seems level.” 

LOSE YOUR ILLUSIONDon’t let your perception of terrain fool you. Pay attention to objective clues to your effort, like heart rate or pedal pressure.