Zipp noise

[Mr.Gib]

This winter Zipp replaced my 404 rims due to discolouration. Today I rode them for the first time since the rebuild. I noticed a ticking sound with every rotation of the wheel. The sound continued whether I pedaled or not and the frequency matched my speed. When I checked the front wheel after I could hear loose "bits" rattling around inside the rim

I figured that anything loose would be pinned against the inside of the rim from the centrifugal force off the wheel rotation once I picked up some speed.

What do you all think - can some debris in the rim cause this noise? If not what else could it be?

Thanks in advance.

(BTW I tested without the magnet - no change.)

[marko]

Are they tubular? A tubie with a bad spot of glue can creak.

[tpatnode]

I've also found that sometimes the valve stem extension can vibrate against the rim and make ticking noises.

Tony

[monkey]

Hopefully there is not a loose spoke nipple inside the rim!!!!

[spoke n words]

Most likely: valve stem is off center.
I believe if its something other than that then the sound will occur anytime the wheel is spinning such as picking up the front of the bike and spinning it by hand. Most often the off center valve stem will not make a noise unless there is weight applied from the rider against the road.
If it is the valve then ideally remove the tire and reglue/recenter. Not something a lot of ppl do so try and place something thin between the valve and rim. If a shop glued the tire for you then take it back to them and let them know what is happening.

[Mr.Gib]

Tubular of course but held on with tape - no bad spot.

As for the valve stem thing - with Zipp 404's there is not a lot of play and the hole is so long the stem either goes in straight or not at all. Still I will wedge something in their to see if this is the issue.

[Rippin]

Hmmm...you say it's coming from the front wheel. I think I had the same sound that you are describing with my previous 303 clinchers and now with my American Classic carbon tubies. But it was from the rear wheel. The solution for the 303s was to simply grease the ratchet pawls.
I don't think any of the loose bits would cause the ticking sound. Could it be the spoke tension settling in on the newly rebuilt wheel?

[Oswald]

1)You could put a litlle black tape over the valve, so it is fixed in the rim. That way you will know if it is the valve ticking the rim or not.
2)Maybe the builder lost a nipple inside the rim and couldn't get it out.

[cyclist14]

If your tires have "hairs" on the side's sometimes they can rub on the inside of the fork and cause a little noise as well.

[Frasertri]

I know this might sound stupid, but a buddy of mine..... recently found that the 1 per rev ticking was his Polar speed sensor being struck by the magnet, having been pushed in during bike transportation.

Worth a quick check.

[Rich_W]

I've had problems with Corsa CXs becoming unglued just before and after the valve causing a ticking sound. Annoying as hell.

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

Hi, this sound you're talking about I know with every carbon wheels my friends have.. To me it was from the rear wheel.. it makes a "click" at every rotation, so it matches the speed too... I have friends, with a rear Bora, another with a rear Velomax Tempest carbon (zipp 404 rim) and another with a set of Zipp 404 regular. The two guys that are using only a rear wheel do have the same noise you've described and to me it should be because the wheel is not perfectly built and there is a "flat" on the wheel, so that is without being square, not perfectly round (hope you understand ) and so that makes this noise... May be it's the reason, we need the point of view of a wheel builder to know it.

[roleur21]

I have seen numerous tubulars glued with tape where the tire is not stuck down at the step in the base tape and when the wheel rolls, the high spot in the base tape is intermittently stuck down and then pops up again causing this noise.

The sure way to know is to drop a drop of lube at all the spoke holes on the rim and at the hub and lube the QR as those tend to creak and make noise sometimes. If you shake your wheel and it doesn't rattle, then it is not something in the rim.

If none of that works, then I have no idea

[Mr.Gib]

After talking to some people it seems the most likely culprit is the valve or around the valve. I will take the tire off, wedge the valve in the rim hole with some electrical tape and re-apply the tire with some glue with extra attention to the step of the backing tape and valve area.

[rustychain]

I have had the tick tick with my Boras. I put a small bit of electric tape on the valve stem and had no further problem. The sound of a tire that has become unstuck in a spot sounds close but is not as sharp of a sound. Hard to explain in words.