# Weird ticking/knocking when reverse pedalling.



## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

Hi guys,

I just got a new bike and I am fairly new to road bikes so maybe this is normal but when I was moving my bike pedal in reverse during my bike maintenance, I could hear additional ticking noise as if the cassette teeth rubbing wrong with the chain. Its a sora gear set. It only happens when moving the chain backwards.
Is this normal behaviour? If you pedal backwards continuously on a stationary bike does the rear cassette make any other noise apart from the free hub ticking?
Here is the video. You can hear the additional metallic sound at around 8 second mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVmQMiMUrXU

It happens about 3-4 times for a complete rotation of pedal.

The noise is not present when pedalling forward.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Why are you pedaling backwards? .... then why are you worrying about it?


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## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

I was just cleaning and lubing my chain when I heard it. I dont have a bike stand thats why I was pedaling backwards.

I made a slo mo video and saw that the chain was slightly jumping - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut6--znN-YY and the noise concincides with it. Is this normal?


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Free hub body noisy. Cheap wheels come on a $800 bike. First upgrade besides training and riding more is better wheels.

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## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

frdfandc said:


> Free hub body noisy. Cheap wheels come on a $800 bike. First upgrade besides training and riding more is better wheels.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


The free hub is pretty good shape. If I take the chain off and rotate the cassette and front crank seaparetly - regular noise and smooth.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

There isn't any tension on the chain when backpedaling, so it may jump like that. As for the knocking noise, could be the fact that it's a inexpensive wheel.


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## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

frdfandc said:


> There isn't any tension on the chain when backpedaling, so it may jump like that. As for the knocking noise, could be the fact that it's a inexpensive wheel.


I mean if I take the chain off the wheel sounds smooth and I can only hear the pawls. The cassette is a sora not the best but isnt the worst either - pardon my ignorance but what about the wheel could be knocking?


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

So far, the only thing I can think of is a shifter cable slightly out of adjustment. Maybe you can turn it more slowly and watch carefully to see if you can see the chain hopping off a cog or chain ring.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Hulldown said:


> I mean if I take the chain off the wheel sounds smooth and I can only hear the pawls. The cassette is a sora not the best but isnt the worst either - pardon my ignorance but what about the wheel could be knocking?


So with the chain off and you rotate the cassette backwards, there is no noise other than the normal clicking from the pawls?


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## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

frdfandc said:


> So with the chain off and you rotate the cassette backwards, there is no noise other than the normal clicking from the pawls?


Yup normal pawl noise


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Check to see if there maybe a stiff link in the chain. Also check by looking from the rear if the top derailleur pulley lines up directly below the cassette cog. Make sure it's not offset to one side or the other.


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## Hulldown (Mar 7, 2019)

frdfandc said:


> Check to see if there maybe a stiff link in the chain. Also check by looking from the rear if the top derailleur pulley lines up directly below the cassette cog. Make sure it's not offset to one side or the other.


It only happens when reverse pedaling. As you can see the slo mo video - it happens when you can see the chain jump. 

It doesnt sound like that when pedaling forward.

No stiff link in the chain either.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Does the chain hop on all the cogs or just the one in the video? In any case, pull the wheel off the bike and inspect the cassette; there may be something amiss with one of the teeth on the troublesome cog.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

It's because there isn't a derailleur to guide the chain onto a particular cog. If you're not line up perfectly w/ the cog the chain is on it will want to jump off. It won't happen in every cog, just the ones w/ non-ideal chain line. Doesn't happen when pedaling forward because the derailleur guides the chain onto each cog. There is no mystery to this, it's just common sense.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

cxwrench said:


> It's because there isn't a derailleur to guide the chain onto a particular cog. If you're not line up perfectly w/ the cog the chain is on it will want to jump off. It won't happen in every cog, just the ones w/ non-ideal chain line. Doesn't happen when pedaling forward because the derailleur guides the chain onto each cog. There is no mystery to this, it's just common sense.



This. It's probably the chain jumping a bit on the cog or cogs that are cut differently to improve shifting. If there are no "special" cogs that the chain touches, then it's just random and maybe tied to your hand motion as you turn the cranks backward.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

If you take the chainrings off and turn them around, do you get the same noise?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

duriel said:


> If you take the chainrings off and turn them around, do you get the same noise?


:shocked:


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Kerry Irons said:


> This. It's probably the chain jumping a bit on the cog or cogs that are cut differently to improve shifting.


Yep, that's what I was going to say.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

duriel said:


> If you take the chainrings off and turn them around, do you get the same noise?


How does one do this?

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