Found the strange squeak

[bobhamlin]

Everytime I move to a new bike, it takes a while before I know what "normal" is--particularly with noises. This Nomad is coming up to 2 years on the road, so I perceive myself to be in tune. This morning, I heard something abnormal on my way into DC.

As I was slowing down for my first light, I heard a squeak. I just broke out my full-face helmet for the cold weather, and it will take a while to calibrate a sense of direction for subtle noises. The squeak might have been coming from a nearby car.

The light changed before I had to put my feet down, and the squeak stayed with me. I had bumped heavily on a sunken manhole cover (hard to see prior to dawn). Did I knock something loose?

As I slowed down at the next light, I heard it again. Loose windshield bolt on my quick release set-up (Gadget's)? Sometimes a bolt works loose, but that's more of a rattle than a squeak. And the squeak seemed to disappear at higher speed/rpms.

I couldn't get a sense of direction. Strangely, when I listened very carefully, the squeak stopped. I recently put new tires on. Did I screw up a bearing?

At the next light, I found the squeak. My nose was whistling! I couldn't hear it at higher speeds and part of listening carefully involved holding my breath--stopping the squeak.

Not the sharpest tool in the morning shed, am I? I don't every recall seeing a "Nose whistle?" on a mechanic's trouble shooting protocol.