Cycling UK Forum

Syd wrote:With a solid rear carbon disc wheel the sound is very distinctive but difficult to describe.

Large, stiff, light area; bit like a loudspeaker cone

I think it was an expensive looking carbon bike that came past me the other day -- sounded like a stone breaker ( not on free wheel but while he pedalled ) -- that would do my head in if I had to listen to that for 30 miles. My xt and 105 groupsets on mtb and road bikes are silent.

Hi All, I would be a good diversion for those who hate the sound of noisy cycles? My cycles are quiet, sadly I'm not called "Mersey Mouth" for nothing No Bell needed! MM

My old Ti warhorse with 23 mm tyres was as quiet as a mouse in brothel-creepers. My current carbon butterfly sounds like someone running a tap full on into a steel sink. My nice new DT Swiss rear freewheel sounds like a young football rattle, and when I tried a 28 mm tyre on the front the wretched thing sang. No chance of folding your tent and silently stealing away on that clunker.

It is a very comfy ride, though.

I commented earlier about how much smoother my 80’s bike was than my 2000 era 10 speed bike. Far, far worse than that relatively modern machine are the various 1x systems on bikes I have serviced. Without exception all the machines I have mentioned are in excellent condition and running faultlessly so it’s not a wear and tear related din, it’s just inherent in the system.

In my experience one of the noise culprits are modern wheels. The fluted low spoke count ones seem to set up a whirring noise. My old 36 spoke wheels are almost silent.

My bikes are both aluminum framed and my road bike is 2019 with 36 spoke wheels, 28mm tyres and therefore a little heavy at about 10kg ( probably about 13kg now with rack, locks and spares on board etc) but I don't think I could put up with carbon if that's the noise it made even when pedalling. Sounds like the frame is amplifying and the pilot doesn't know how to set up the derailers.

bigjim wrote: ↑5 Sep 2021, 4:12pm In my experience one of the noise culprits are modern wheels. The fluted low spoke count ones seem to set up a whirring noise. My old 36 spoke wheels are almost silent.

The reason I didn't go for low spoke wheels is that I'd heard too many stories of how a bump off the curb could result in loose spokes and a clink on each revolution. I want my bike to be able to transport me to far off lands while loaded with all but the kitchen sink.

Got a new carbon bike with ultegra gears and fulcrum wheels, only you can generally hear is the tyres, otherwise very quiet.
Hope hubs are very noisy when freewheeling but also seem to be pretty well made and last well, quite handy for alerting pedestrians!

Agree with the above consensus.

I'll add that the noisiest component around CAN be disc brakes! (only a few do it, but you know one when you hear one ... )