Technical FAQ: Noisy Mavic wheel

Dear Lennard,
I own a set of Mavic SL wheels with about 4000 miles on them. Today for the first time when I was riding over train tracks, just when I got over them, I heard this loud screeching noise coming from the wheels while I was gliding. I stopped thinking I had a flat. When I started again it was fine.

Until about 20 minutes later I was traveling down a hill and when I applied the brakes, same thing. It sounds like a bearing to me but when I spin the wheels up on the stand they seem fine. How will I knowif I have a bearing problem? They are cartridge bearings by the way.
-David

Dear David,
It sounds like your bearings are shot. They just don’t squeal whenthey’re not under load. They are easy to pop out. Push the new ones inwith the old ones tapping on them with a wooden or rubber mallet.
-Lennard

FILED UNDER: Bikes and Tech / Technical FAQ TAGS: FAQ / freehub / Lennard Zinn / Mavic / noises

Lennard Zinn

Lennard Zinn, our longtime technical writer, joined VeloNews in 1987. He is also a frame builder, former U.S. national team rider, and author of many bicycle books including Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance and Zinn’s Cycling Primer: Maintenance Tips and Skill Building for Cyclists. He holds a bachelor’s in physics from Colorado College. Readers can send brief technical questions to Ask LZ.

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