Soothing cycling sounds

[ededwards]

As I rode home last night in sub zero temperatures my mind turned to evocative cycling sounds, such as

- the snick of an SPD as you clip in
- the purr of a well maintained drivetrain
- the squeal of a canti (odd, but I find this reassuring!)
- the slap of chain on a quality steel chainstay
- the silence of a singlespeed

I'm sure there's more out there (particularly the nasty sounds, gritty drive chains, the wear of pads on rim etc., although I try not to think of those).

 

[andy.l]

The whirl of knobbly tyres through a tunnel

 

[cce]

when i cycle-commuted the snick of my SPDs meant hometime.

 

[JeRkY]

Porcs on tarmac.... wrong surface, nice sound

 

[ajm]

I thought of this the other week funnily enough, on a snowy off-road cycle. One sound I love is the satisfying crunch of ice under your wheels. Best when it's just not quite thick enough to take the weight of the bike. Frosty gravel makes a nice crunch under fat tyres too...

 

[mrkawasaki]

Sensory Overloand

The soft clicker-clicker-clicker of a Hugi hub....

The feel of an XC Pro thumby as it snicks a gear...

Agreed on the squeaky brakes - but preferably someone else's, hidden deep in the trail I'm riding...

The smell of GT40 in the morning...

Stroking the 'hairs' on new rubber...

Mr K

 

[LTS Biker]

- The "thumbing" (how to explain that?) of magura pads to the rims.
- The rattling of a good cassette body.
Especially a Chris King or Hugi, but also my GT hub or a Shimano.
- Slipping the brakelever of a non-hydraulic rimbrake.

Oh and the puffing sound of a good working suspension fork.

 

[ededwards]

Re: Sensory Overloand

Stroking the 'hairs' on new rubber...

Is that a cycling sound or just a specialist pastime?


Oh, and have to agree about the angry bee buzz of a CK hub (does let others know you are freewheeling though)

 

[FSR-Si]

The silence of a single speeder just humming along

 

[mattbrown]

the clicking of a DCD (mark2 mind you)