Chirping sound coming from the rear or left side of the bike

Posted 1/29/06 by Kevin "Fergy" Ferguson

This is likely your belt drive. To prove it's your belt drive, squirt a little bit of WD40 on your belt and pulley (front and back). Take the bike for a test ride. Do you hear the squeaking/chirping anymore? If the sound has gone away and you're all happy and excited, then now you know your belt drive was making the noise and there was no serious harm done. You may have a slight alignment problem with your belt but other than that, there's nothing wrong.

However, if the squeaking/chirping persists and it sounds like it's coming from your rear, it could be that your pulley bearing in the rear is going bad. This is a known problem which is easily solved. Purchase a 6006 double-walled sealed bearing and have it replaced the next time you get a new tire or sooner if you like. This should stop the squeaking/chirping if the WD40 test didn't work.

If the sound persists, post a message on the newsgroup and we'll help you figure out what's going on.