T i m wrote:
Hi All,

Well, not the wife (this time) but her exercise bike ;-)

It's quite a nice Tunturi Ergometer 420 (she's getting ready for when
we go out on our solo's / tandem this year) but it squeeks a bit now.

It uses a flat, toothed belt (like a cambelt) to drive the magnetic
'friction' flywheel and as that gently drifts against the guide /
tension rollers it gives of a sort of rhythmic squeak.

The makers suggest the use of talc (on the drive belt g) and that
does work but not for very long?

I believe the front toothed wheel is a sort of plastic / nylon as is
the (smooth) tension roller but I think the rear drive gear / roller
clutch is alloy.

Any tribologists out there?

I had to look that up in the dictionary! :-)

If it's the pulley teeth that are squeaking on the belt (and vice versa)
then painting on some light silicone grease (NOT ordinary mechnical
lubricant grease) sparingly can be very effective - I use this for squeaky
toothed belts on blood sample tube sorting robots in hospital labs. They
move pretty fast, and go all day, unlike your wife's exercise bike. See
http://www.olympus.co.uk/diagnostica...htm?id=ola2500 .

Alternatively, if you don't have any silicone grease, or if the noise is
caused by the sides of the belt rubbing against the guides etc., try some
spray polish like Mister Sheen or Mansion. It can be very effective, and
I've used that on the robots as well, but I don't know how long it would be
before the effect wore off. Rather than using polish, a 'dry' silicone
lubricant spray might be better still - my wife used to have a can to
lubricate her knitting machine some years ago.

Good luck.

Rick