Squeaky front wheel

[Sommermann]

When I walk my bike backwards the front wheel makes a squeaking sound. Has anyone else experienced something like this and what might be the cause. When the bike goes forward it makes no such noise.

[inoxa]

that's a little odd.  have you check to see if you wheel is aligned properly?  probably the brakes.  they might need adjustment.

[JimInPT]

I had a similar problem a couple years ago on my MiniST2, drove me nuts.  Back then, Rad Support was stellar, and the guy who answered the phone stayed on the line with me until it was fixed; after asking me to make it squeak over the phone, he walked me through it while I was out in the garage.  The good ol' daze.

Anyway, if you're sure it's not brakes, it may be a bearing grease seal.  See attached photo - it's a sort of truncated-cone rubber cover, circled in yellow.  If the lip's edge is dry, it squeaks since it contacts a rotating surface.

The fix is simple, just pull the edge back a bit (gently; use a fingernail, plastic or wooden stick to avoid possible tearing) and put a bit of oil on it.  Use a TINY amount of oil (one drop of 3-in-1 was all I needed) and you shouldn't have to do more than apply it with a fingertip along a half-inch of the rubber edge, if that - spinning the wheel, slowly at first, will distribute the oil.  You are NOT injecting oil; you're just applying it to the outermost lip of that rubber cap.

BE CAREFUL to keep your oil away from that brake disc - I recommend covering it in paper towels or something, just in case, and watch for any seeping out for a little while.

For me, this was an instant fix and two years later it's still silent.

Good luck with it!

[Sommermann]

I took the bike in to have some stubborn bolts in the frame loosened and I had the service person take a look at the squeak issue. I thought it was fixed but alas it is back and there is a scraping or brushing sound coming from what seems like the front wheel. It is particularly noticeable when I'm going around 10-11 mph. It's disconcerting.

[Water Doc]

Is your fender properly attached to the frame?  we had a squeaking issue with my wife's new Runner + and discovered I attached the fender bracket on the front not the backside of the frame.  I switched it to the rear and the squeaking stopped. 

[handlebar]

It has happened to me from time to time, maybe with both bikes. I think it's the front brake. I guess the pad can lightly touch the disk normally, but when you roll backwards, it's like stroking a cat backwards, and you get vibrations.