A Perfect Day on the Bike Turns Ugly – and My 27 speed Trek turns into a Fixie…

The Venge started making some weird clicking noises immediately after I installed the new upgrade Ultegra derailleurs last week. I assumed I’d done something wrong with the installation, so I took the derailleurs off, inspected them, re-cleaned everything, lubed the proper parts and put everything back on the bike.

The bike was silent for ten miles before the ticking resumed.

This meant it was probably something else. I threw everything at it. Chainring bolts, seat post, saddle collar, stem, headset, checked every single bolt on the bike… and the problem was fixed. For thirty miles this time. The bright side, at least every part on the Venge is now properly tight (there was a chainring bolt about a quarter-turn loose, and the headset adjustment yielded a smoother operation, etc.) and my derailleurs, and more important, my installation of them – aren’t causing any problems. The clicking wasn’t all that loud, but like all things mechanical, if something doesn’t sound right, keep using it… sooner or later it’ll let you know where it’s at.

Well, I decided to get the Trek ready for a big ride I’ve got coming up next week…. I like to opt for the Trek when A) the weather’s bad, and B) when there’s a lot of climbing involved. It’ll be B for sure. I also like the wheels on the Venge, the good wheels, to go on the Trek. They’re faster and a pound lighter than my other wheels. So I changed everything over yesterday evening… and the click transferred from the Venge to the Trek. My problem is the rear wheel.

Unfortunately, while I was out riding last night, the cassette body froze up on me effectively turning my Trek into a fixie with 27 gears. If I stopped pedaling, very bad things happened. The chain started wrapping itself around the cassette and derailleurs and pulley wheels. Fortunately I was a few blocks from the shop…. They had my cassette fixed (the pin that holds it together worked its way loose and pinned itself against the hub…. If I’d have let it go, or not recognized what was happening immediately, my hub would have been toast.

So I half-expected to hop on and have the clicking be gone. Nope.

I pulled the wheel apart last night, cleaned everything and lubed the parts, checked all of the bearings (which were smooth) and put the wheel back together. I’ll have to check it out tonight after work to see if my click is gone. If not, it’s going to get interesting.

On a brighter note, my cable guide tubing came in so I can put the Ultegra shifters on the Venge and complete that little project before upgrading the Trek with the Venge’s old parts. Good times, man. If I can figure this wheel thing out.

UPDATE: Okay, so we could argue that this isn’t an update, it was written before the post even published, but whatever… I took the Trek out for a test at 6:15 am and I think last night’s operation on the wheel worked. More later (after a proper ride).