Infernal Racket
There are three broad categories of bike noise tolerance among cyclists:
- Absolute Silence: Some riders want no noise coming from their bike whatsoever. They regard any click, creak, buzz, or rattle as an affront to them, and a condemnation of their machine. All noises must be corrected immediately, even if it means halting the ride. People like this are almost all roadies. Or, in extreme cases, they may be triathletes, in which case they may need to be treated pharmaceutically.
- As Long As It Rolls, It’s Fine: On the other end of the spectrum are people who simply don’t care about noises their bikes make. Creaky chain? So what. Chuffchuffchuff sound from the brakes? Hey, as long as they do their job. A loud metallic twang every time you go over even a slight bump? Whatever. These people generally ride wearing iPods, and eventually, they wind up riding alone.
- As Long As I Know What It Is: Somewhere in between these first two types is the group of cyclists — the sane cyclists — who realize that a bike is nothing but a contraption in service to your cycling experience. As a machine, it will wear, and it will have imperfections. And that means it will make noise. However, it’s a good idea to know what those noises are, so you can be aware of whether they’re serious. Do they need attention now? In a week? Never? As long as we (for I put myself in this group) know what’s going on, the noise is unimportant.
And that is why my ride into work today just about drove me insane.
Perfect Weather
It’s been a long, cold, windy, snowy, rainy winter, so today’s weather is especially welcome. When I rolled out the door at 7:15am, it was cool but not cold. My long-sleeved jersey was zipped up all the way, but I didn’t need the bulk of a jacket. My Ibis roadbike felt smooth and fast.
Even better, I knew I had a wonderful commute home to look forward to this afternoon, where I’ll be able to where shorts and short sleeves. Forecast calls for mid-70’s.
I was just so happy to be out on the road again, and excited at the prospect of getting in about 40 miles a day of riding each day, just by riding my bike to work and back (not to mention the fact that I’ll be saving about $50 / week in gasoline alone by biking to work).
But there was one problem. A really annoying, confounding one.
Clackaclickaclickaclackaclick
Just a few minutes into the ride, I noticed a strange sound intermittently coming from below. A clicking sound, with no rhythm to it at all.
I started the ritual of bike noise discovery.
First, does it continue when I coast? Sometimes it does, for a second, but then it stops.
Does it happen always when I pedal? No. Weird.
How about when I stand and pedal? Yes, that’s when it happens. Whenever I stand and pedal, I’m getting that weird clickaclickclickclickaclack sound.
And sometimes when I’m sitting, too, but not always.
So I get off my bike and take a look, trying to figure it out. I can’t. The bike’s totally quiet. Thinking maybe the magnet’s too close to the cadence sensor and is knocking it when I pedal hard enough to flex the frame, I tweak it back a little, and start riding again.
And there’s the intermittent sound. I can’t even tell where it’s coming from is what’s driving me crazy. I turn my head side to side, triangulating, trying to figure it out. I can’t locate it. All I can tell is that the sound’s coming from somewhere below, which isn’t especially helpful.
Maybe the bottom bracket? Hard to imagine it being that — the sound’s too erratic.
By now, this thing had gotten into my head. I was no longer enjoying the ride. I was no longer watching the road. I was just trying to figure out where that stupid random clicking sound was coming from.
And then, suddenly, I figured it out. I made one simple adjustment, and I was on my way, the problem permanently resolved.
Your Diagnosis The AnswerI’m curious to see whether anyone — or maybe everyone — can tell what the source of the noise was, based on how I’ve described it. All the clues you need are here, and I will add that I felt a little bit silly that it took me so long to figure the source of the noise out.
I’ll post the answer here later this afternoon, after seeing what kind of responses are posted in the comments section.
As many — surprisingly many, in fact — of you have deduced, the sound was…my jersey zipper pull striking my helmet strap fastener. Which actually made it hard to discover the problem, because the sound was coming from right below my chin — which is not a spot my ears are used to pinpointing as a source of mechanical issues.
Oh, who am I trying to kid? It was just goofy of me.
Comment by Shadowduck | 04.14.2008 | 9:04 am
Something in your pocket rattling? I’ve fallen for that one before…
Comment by Richard | 04.14.2008 | 9:05 am
Spoke on the back rim?
Comment by Noah | 04.14.2008 | 9:05 am
Front derailleur grazing the chainring or chain is my guess. It happens on my bike occasionally if I stand and hammer it, flexing the cheapo OEM chainrings.
Comment by Scott | 04.14.2008 | 9:05 am
I’m also going to cast a vote for something on you (such as keys) rattling. I’ve also fallen for that.
Comment by Craig | 04.14.2008 | 9:07 am
My guess is a buckle undone on your messenger bag (or whatever sort you ride with).
Comment by tyson | 04.14.2008 | 9:09 am
kickstand? just kidding maybe it was a loose chain on the chainstay?
Comment by Rob | 04.14.2008 | 9:11 am
Zipper on your jersey? If not that I still think it was something on your person.
Comment by Mike | 04.14.2008 | 9:11 am
the zipper pull on your jersey?
Comment by Yeagermeister | 04.14.2008 | 9:13 am
I vote chainring bolt.
Comment by joe | 04.14.2008 | 9:13 am
Pedal working lose? Or as another suggested, front der rubbing the chain. Those are my two guesses, so that’s my .04. :)
Comment by AdamBomb | 04.14.2008 | 9:14 am
moved your keys and cell phone in to separate pockets?
Comment by dug | 04.14.2008 | 9:14 am
i love that people are suggesting things like “spoke in rear wheel” and “der too close to chainring or chain.” do they not know you at ALL? you clearly say in your post that you actually FIXED the problem. i love that some think you might have fixed a faulty spoke in your wheel. on the road.
the only problem within your mechanical range would be that you had a squirrel in your shoe, and you finally found him and let him out.
Comment by Fish | 04.14.2008 | 9:15 am
I’m also going with something in your bag.
Comment by TIMK | 04.14.2008 | 9:17 am
Gravel in your training wheels.
Comment by Gillian | 04.14.2008 | 9:17 am
Your sweatshirt zipper.
Comment by Pammap | 04.14.2008 | 9:20 am
your keys were dangling from your water bottle cage?
Comment by Don (http://cyclingphun.blogspot.com) | 04.14.2008 | 9:22 am
Because it JUST happened to me I’ll say front Derailleur rubbing chain.
Comment by Chris | 04.14.2008 | 9:23 am
One of your skewers was loose enough to make a slight rattle of your wheel?
Comment by Turt99 | 04.14.2008 | 9:23 am
I’m going to say the extra cable from your front D clipping your feet.
Comment by mbonkers | 04.14.2008 | 9:26 am
I’m going with strap on messenger bag.
Comment by john | 04.14.2008 | 9:26 am
ball bearings in the seat tube dampened by grease.
Comment by Rick S. | 04.14.2008 | 9:26 am
It was your stomach. My guess is you ate a Honey Stinger Bar and that fixed it.
Comment by Bryan (not that one) | 04.14.2008 | 9:27 am
I’ll agree with the chain rubbing the front derailleur and trimming fixed it. Except that the sound happening for a moment when you stop pedaling doesn’t fit in with that…
Comment by Ethan | 04.14.2008 | 9:28 am
I was going to say something about the front derailleur. But I’ve changed my mind.
It’s definitely something to do with your catalytic converter. Either that or the spark plugs.
Comment by BP | 04.14.2008 | 9:30 am
I’m going to go with your water bottle was loose and moving around in the cage.
Comment by Dave | 04.14.2008 | 9:34 am
Loose water bottle cage…?
Comment by Chris | 04.14.2008 | 9:37 am
I’d vote for something silly like a slightly loose handlebar connection, something that’d creak under hard pedalling load or when you hit bumps while coasting… creak/creak or sometimes click/click depending on materials.
Comment by Jonnie | 04.14.2008 | 9:43 am
Simple….because it happened to me this year too. Your front derailler cable was sticking out and hitting your shoe as you pedaled.
Comment by chtrich | 04.14.2008 | 9:45 am
I was going to guess chain and front ring, but I like the keys in pocket answers more.
Comment by Clydesteve | 04.14.2008 | 9:50 am
your leg warmers bunched up and were hitting the crank and/or seat tube and/or seat stays.
You pulled them up.
Or, your new custom bar plugs with a dancing bear in the window on the end had the bear rattle loose.
You tossed the plug, bear & all.
Comment by jmd | 04.14.2008 | 9:51 am
Loose pie plate or spoke reflector.
Comment by Clydesteve | 04.14.2008 | 9:53 am
Actually, the one Jonnie said was going to be my guess, but he said it first. And bending the cable in so it did not hit your shoe would be about on par with Dug’s assesment of your mechanical abilities: tossing a squirrel out of your shoe.
Dug is on the core team, and I have to trust him in this.
Comment by Husted | 04.14.2008 | 9:55 am
I’m going to go with keys in back pocket too. Not that I’ve ever fallen for that too… ahrm… :-)
Comment by LanterneRouge | 04.14.2008 | 9:57 am
Clearly the clothespin holding the baseball card in your spokes had fouled in some manner.
Comment by Carl | 04.14.2008 | 9:58 am
A loose buckle on your shoe rubbing the frame or wheel? Loose shoe cleat?
Comment by gr@sshopper | 04.14.2008 | 9:59 am
Keys and cellphone. Always a bitch to diagnose.
OR! frame pump with flip out handle.
Comment by Michael S | 04.14.2008 | 10:00 am
Definitely water bottle related
Comment by Epic Adam | 04.14.2008 | 10:02 am
The cable was not hitting the shoe, but rather the crank arm?
Comment by Boz | 04.14.2008 | 10:02 am
I don’t know what crank/bottom bracket you run, but I had a simular noise in my road bike w/ an FSA crank set. I had to re-torque the crank arm bolts three time before the damnable click would stop. I pulled the bolts, applied blue lock-tite, and torqued to 32 inch pounds. Now all’s quiet on the western front.
Comment by stefano | 04.14.2008 | 10:02 am
You mention the cadence sensor but not the front wheel sensor and magnet. That would be my guess. Although thebaseball card thing is good too.
Comment by pikkumatti | 04.14.2008 | 10:03 am
Baseball card in the spokes.
Comment by Northern Neighbor | 04.14.2008 | 10:05 am
You left your seat bag unzipped and your tools/keys/lunchbox were banging around.
Comment by gewwez | 04.14.2008 | 10:07 am
one of the velcro strips on your shoes was undone
Comment by rubeboy | 04.14.2008 | 10:08 am
The jacket, which was too bulky to wear on the ride, was haphazardly stuffed into you jersey pocket and the zipper was clanking against sumthin.
Either that or it was the sound of you cracking a smile due to the first nice spring ride of the year…
Comment by tobeistobex | 04.14.2008 | 10:19 am
a strap from your bag or back pack?
Comment by TomE | 04.14.2008 | 10:29 am
The strap on your backpack was “blowin’ in the wind”
Comment by traildiva | 04.14.2008 | 10:32 am
One of your cleats was either slightly loose or gunked up.
Comment by guzzijason | 04.14.2008 | 10:34 am
Cable slapping frame. Fixed by sliding donut back into place.
Comment by Richard | 04.14.2008 | 10:34 am
I was going to say the clothespin and baseball card was out of adjustment…….a little late….but it has been the thorn in the side of bicycle riders for centuries.
Comment by James | 04.14.2008 | 10:35 am
Someone played a joke on you…
They snuck into your garage, pulled your seatpost and dropped a couple of ball bearings down your seat tube.
Comment by mamafitz | 04.14.2008 | 10:41 am
My first thought was a cleat issue
Comment by The Neil | 04.14.2008 | 10:46 am
I got to go with a loose water bottle cage.
That or the flux capacitor… “88 miles per hour!”
Comment by cheapie | 04.14.2008 | 10:47 am
DUG…that was so funny i nearly choked trying to stifle a belly laugh here in my cubicle!
Comment by Bob | 04.14.2008 | 10:51 am
The buckle from your messenger bag was hitting your cod piece.
Comment by Tyson | 04.14.2008 | 10:52 am
When this happens to me its always one of:
a) Shoe lace wacking the crank arm. This can be surprisingly loud.
b) Keys and CellPhone conspiring to treating your pocket like a mosh-pit.
c) The last little bit of the rear-derailleur cable (the part that hangs down after the cable clamp) sticking out and either getting wacked by the crank arm, or vibrated by contact with the rear tire.
Comment by Hamish A | 04.14.2008 | 10:54 am
Only because I fell for it myself – Jersey zipper. It was pulled all the way up and was catching on your helmet buckle. I nearly drove myself mad trying to figure that out when it happened to me!
Glad the weather’s improving for you. It’s been nudging 80 here the past couple of weeks and I love those early morning rides when you still need a long sleeve but nothing too bulky… ahhh… dry roads.
Comment by Lazy Bike Commuter | 04.14.2008 | 10:55 am
My most annoying one was when the SPD cleat holder in my shoe was rattling around…it would make a “thunk” on the right with most pedal rotations. Took forever to figure out what it was (since I was using Time cleats the SPD portion was free to move around in my shoe).
After walking in the shoes a lot it got better, then I switched to Eggbeater Quattros that use the SPDs, so now it’s all better.
Comment by bikemike | 04.14.2008 | 11:02 am
it’s the therma-throttle switch behind the bottom bracket. usually you only see these on 747 jetliners but Ibis used them on some of their road bikes.
or, it could be a loose nut behind the handlebars.
Comment by Robby | 04.14.2008 | 11:03 am
One of your skewers wasn’t tightened!?
Comment by stephen | 04.14.2008 | 11:03 am
I’ll bet on a loose cleat…those metal rectangular bits that guide the bolt was probably sliding back and forth–so it only clacks when you pedal
Comment by Scoops | 04.14.2008 | 11:11 am
The nut behind the wheel.
Comment by Highwaymunky | 04.14.2008 | 11:22 am
If you were much older and not so hardcore and obviously the fashion icon you are i’d have to say your steel mudguards wobbling loose. But i’m going for loose saddle bag!
Comment by Bikerchick_IL | 04.14.2008 | 11:30 am
The cable ties you just installed in your MD-80 landing gear were rubbing where the wiring bundles smoosh together. For your own safety, Fatty, the FAA advises you ground this Ibis right away until you are inspected!
Comment by mel | 04.14.2008 | 11:40 am
It’s a wild guess because I don’t know your bike set up… but only because it’s happened to me, and I live in Portland where half of my bikes have them – I’m gonna go with fender rub.
Comment by rexinsea | 04.14.2008 | 11:44 am
One of three possibilities:
• You were cross chained and derailleur was making a funky noise.
• Keys/phone/spare change in your pocket.
• You have marbles loose in your head.
Could be a combination of one of the first two and the third but not sure with the information given. ïŠ
Glad it’s fixed.
Comment by Den | 04.14.2008 | 11:53 am
Jersey zipper. That’s my guess. You’re lucky, I have a current unidentifiable noise that I still can’t figure out. It always sounds like someone is riding right behind me, and when I look, noone is there. I’m sure I’ll figure it out once the weather gets nice and I take the bike out of the trainer.
Comment by tim | 04.14.2008 | 11:53 am
any of the above……pls reveal, the suspense is too much…….
Comment by Mike from PA | 04.14.2008 | 11:57 am
Here’s my guess:
The windshield bolt was loose causing the muffler bearings to vibrate ever so slightly. This problem is easily rectified by applying antenna grease to the main framastat and torquing to 1.447230 Newton Meters.
However, it should be noted that serious damage could occur if you fail to properly extend the toes on your brakes to recommended length. Good Luck!
Comment by Tpher | 04.14.2008 | 12:09 pm
Based on the clues: Can’t triangulate – the source is moving. Not rhythmic – can’t be chain, wheel or bottom bracket. Happens when you stand up to pedal and you felt rather idiotic when you figured it out, the answer must be failed to buckle the stap on one of your shoes.
Comment by Pista Largo | 04.14.2008 | 12:14 pm
No clue. I have noticed, however, that unidentifyable squeeks, creaks, groans and rattles always sound like they are coming from the bottom bracket…even if the cure is to tighten the seat clamp.
Uhmmmm…since this was your first commute of the year, one might enquire whether you checked the quick releases ere you departed from home.
Comment by Robb | 04.14.2008 | 12:15 pm
magnet & speed sensor hitting each other!
Comment by Dave M | 04.14.2008 | 12:18 pm
My vote is a loose spoke – but front der cable bent and rubbing on your ankle, crank or chain-ring spider could cause a clickaclickclickclickaclack AND be hard to diagnose too.
Comment by mark | 04.14.2008 | 12:21 pm
Your shorts were on chamois-side-out.
Comment by team rodan | 04.14.2008 | 12:26 pm
maybey its the curse of the paragon….ahhahahahaha!!
and its all in your head…ahhahahahahahahah!!!!!
Comment by Anthony | 04.14.2008 | 12:28 pm
Another vote for stuff in your pockets. Happened to me this morning, a regular clanking sound on my way to work. Turns out it was a 13 mm wrench in my pocket clanging off some loose change.
Comment by Steve | 04.14.2008 | 12:32 pm
“I’m going to say the extra cable from your front D clipping your feet.”
I’d second this one. It happened to me one time with similar, ride ruining effect. In my case the excess cable was hitting the crank arm.
Comment by John B | 04.14.2008 | 12:36 pm
Naw, if your bikes is making noise this means it needs to be replaced. Yes, cannabization to a new frame is acceptable, but all major (those exceeding one (1) hours wages) need to be replaced. Obviously, the major part is subject to interpretation, but regardless, replacement must occur. The road bike (ibis) is jealous of all the superflys sharing space with it in the garage. Really, though I agree with jonnie above, the cable was bent outward and hitting your shoe.
Comment by Canadian Roadie | 04.14.2008 | 12:37 pm
Your knees are going. You rectified the problem by using earplugs.
Comment by Weean | 04.14.2008 | 12:46 pm
My first thought was loose cleat, but you would have spotted that as soon as clipping in. I think it’s a loose shoe strap. Did you forget to do it up, or do it up after forgetting to pass it through the buckle?
Comment by Sophia | 04.14.2008 | 12:50 pm
I’d guess a loose waterbottle cage, too.
Comment by graisseux | 04.14.2008 | 12:53 pm
I second Boz. You stopped at the side of the road, whipped out your repair stand and torque wrench, removed the crankset, applied Loctite to the bolts and torqued the thing to 32 inch pounds–piece a cake.
Actually Boz, I feel you on this one. I’ve got a creaky FSA crankset too. I haven’t fixed it yet though. For some reason it only squeaks about one in five rides–and only slightly. Not yet worth my effort to fix. I guess I’m in category number three, maybe two-and-a-half.
Comment by blinddrew | 04.14.2008 | 12:55 pm
definitely the squirrel in your shoe.
Comment by pod | 04.14.2008 | 1:01 pm
I had a creaky FSA crankset too. Started a weird clicking under after about 500 miles, always at the same point of the pedal stroke. It wasn’t a shoe or pedal, because it happened when unclipped. The mechanic pulled it apart, found nothing wrong, re-assembled it and the problem was gone.
Clearly it isn’t a derailleur, chain or cable problem, because it continues for a short while coasting. Clearly something in the jersey pockets, or the head.
Comment by KeepYerBag | 04.14.2008 | 1:06 pm
You forgot to shut off your Geiger counter.
Comment by DRF | 04.14.2008 | 1:10 pm
Bike lock?
Comment by Lifesgreat | 04.14.2008 | 1:12 pm
I bet sound went away when you connected the helmet straps under your chin.
Comment by Jack | 04.14.2008 | 1:14 pm
Shoelace knocking on the crank arm. That’s what it usually is for me.
Comment by Clydesteve | 04.14.2008 | 1:17 pm
Fatty, I noticed that your commuting mileage is the same as mine, almost. Do you commute daily, 3X/week or what?
Comment by MonsieurM | 04.14.2008 | 1:25 pm
Warp core breach? Inertial damper failure? [insert other geeky Star Trek reference here]
Comment by bikemike | 04.14.2008 | 1:35 pm
Elden, imagine if you’d offered some kinda prize, someone may have actually guessed correctly or at the very least non-nonsensically.
then again, it wouldn’t have been any fun, would it?
Comment by isela | 04.14.2008 | 1:36 pm
I am going to guess on either your zipper on your jersey, or something in your pockets or in your bag.
Comment by FLatsMan | 04.14.2008 | 1:48 pm
I spy with my little eye, the end of the cable on the front der hitting the big ring when the chain is in the small ring and brings it within range so it only clicks when you are climbing or idling along.
That drove me crazy once for a whole weekend.
BTW it poured on us here in Broward County yesterday.ONLY here it rained.
Comment by Toxteth O'Grady | 04.14.2008 | 1:56 pm
Sooo…your car gets 13.5 miles to the gallon?
Comment by Jerry H | 04.14.2008 | 2:00 pm
Pretty sure it was a loose pedal clip. Two screws holding the front toe clip on the pedal not the shoe.. at least one loose.
The hard part is believing that you actually discovered and fixed it!
Comment by Jeremiah | 04.14.2008 | 2:02 pm
Arrgh I have been dieing to find out what it was since you posted. Here it is the end of the day and now I have to wait till after my workout. Have you no consideration :-).
Personally I vote for zipper on your jersey.
Comment by Mike Roadie | 04.14.2008 | 2:28 pm
Loose training wheel?????
Comment by Miles Archer | 04.14.2008 | 2:35 pm
water bottle rattling in its cage.
Comment by Tripp | 04.14.2008 | 2:36 pm
Easy. Loose change in your ear canal. I’ll sometimes put a small amount of change in my ear, just to, you know, hold it for a moment while I do something like vacuum the rug or whatever. I forget it is there, and later I started hearing noises when I ride.
Comment by Toxteth O'Grady | 04.14.2008 | 2:40 pm
Does it have anything to do with the tin-foil around your avacado sandwich?
Comment by Kathy | 04.14.2008 | 2:41 pm
The clue was in the title, “Infernal” Racket, you know, like inferno? My guess is a small box of kitchen matches or maybe a lighter mixed in with the rest of that stuff in your tiny little bag under the seat. Now why would Fatty need a lighter? I don’t know. Why does he need duct tape? Or maybe it was a flame thrower …
Comment by kentucky joe | 04.14.2008 | 2:48 pm
what was left of the opossum you ran over in your driveway lodged in the rear brake fixed by finally being ground into roadkill after you applied said brake so many times to check on the noise OR your ride parallels the Union Pacific rail line and the sound was made by trains going by, fixed once they passed you.
Comment by Philly Jen | 04.14.2008 | 2:57 pm
You stopped running over Encyclopedia Brown? That was mighty upstanding of you.
Comment by Steve Zimmerman | 04.14.2008 | 4:29 pm
I intentionally have not read any of the previous posts. I’m guessing a loose water bottle cage.
Comment by Steve Zimmerman | 04.14.2008 | 4:31 pm
I have another guess. Something clanking against the CO2 cartridge in your saddle bag.
Comment by Vince | 04.14.2008 | 6:53 pm
Mine was the co2 cartridge rattling in its case in the toolkit below the saddle…I even took the bike to the shop to get it checked out. All the way to the bike shop I heard the rattle (here in Redlands the roads are so crappy that getting the bike to make the sound was easy)…I dropped the bike off, of course taking the toolkit off when I did so…And the guys at the bike shop couldn’t find the sound no matter what they did.
How I discovered the problem? I had a flat…and as I pulled the co2 pump out…I heard the sound…never again will I mention it.
Now I just put a piece of paper inbetween the inside of the pump and the co2 cartrdige…I used to use a condom…but that’s another story for another time and another blog…
Comment by Philthy in Oz | 04.14.2008 | 7:36 pm
Yeah I had something similar and was about to strip down the entire bike and rebuild it when I noticed that the padlock I hung under the back seat would occasionally swing enough to contact the seatpost. Very satisfying to finally fix it.
Comment by ibisss | 04.14.2008 | 10:00 pm
A: It’s the Henweigh.
Q: What’s a Henweigh?
A2: ‘Bout five pounds.
My delight at using that “joke” is surpassed only by the two times in my life when I was able to one-liner
“rectum? It damned near killed him!”
You could always pose the question to Jobst Brandt–perhaps he has some sort of formula to prove it was the tread pattern or something–definitely NOT the jersey zipper.
Comment by Jenni | 04.15.2008 | 2:19 am
I have been there.
Comment by TigerMouth61 | 04.15.2008 | 3:47 am
Off topic to today’s post, but relevant to the original intent of the FatCyclist blog.
from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/04/15/a_web_contract_for_personal_goals/
A Web contract for personal goals
Want to lose weight? Exercise more? Quit smoking? Sign up online
By Sarah Schweitzer
Globe Staff / April 15, 2008
A new website created by two Yale professors asks self-improvers – anyone from smokers who want to quit to runners trying to get in shape – to post their names and promises for everyone to see.
Those who slip get black marks. Some additionally opt to put up cash wagers and agree to forfeit their money to a charity they choose, preferably one they don’t like, if they don’t live up to their pledges.
Since its launch two months ago, stickK.com (stick, as in “carrot and stick,” and K, the legal shorthand for “contract”) has attracted some 13,000 registered users, 5,500 of whom have signed contracts.
Comment by Hamish A | 04.15.2008 | 4:24 am
Woohoo! I claim my ‘prize’ as the only one to specify Jersey Zipper on helmet buckle!
Yay me!
Comment by FLatsMan | 04.15.2008 | 5:47 am
Jersey Zipper on helmet buckle!
You must be a hunchback.
I think you should rexamine the whole premise.
Here in hot FLA we rarely if ever zip up our jerseys.
Comment by Marrock | 04.15.2008 | 7:23 am
I usually start worrying when my bike -stops- making noises… seven times out of ten that means something just fell off and I need to go find it.
Comment by brokeMBA | 04.15.2008 | 9:58 am
It wasn’t a squirrel? Dang… That would have been worth listening to during a ride… That is if I could have heard it over me laughing so hard that I snarfed acellerade…
Comment by KanyonKris | 04.15.2008 | 10:17 am
I’m not buying the zipper diagnosis. It’s surely a cracked top tube about ready to break. Just compare notes with dug.
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Comment by The Fat Kid | 06.6.2008 | 1:34 pm
It was the crank arm hitting your kick stand.
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