Road bike, rattle is slight but enough to be annoying especially on rougher roads. If I pick the front end up and drop it an inch (not whilst riding) it sounds as though there’s a loose nut/bolt somewhere.

Things I’ve tried so far:

Putting the washer on the valve, despite flouting the ‘rules’ – rattle still there.

Checked all spokes with a spoke key, all seem fine (snug).

Removed, cleaned, lubed and refitted QR – still there.

Tried the QR off my winter bike – still there.

Tried the wheel off my winter bike – rattle gone.

So, obviously points to the front wheel, but not the QR and not the spokes??

If you just bounce the wheel on its own does it rattle? Taken the tyre and tube off and given it a shake? Maybe something loose inside the rim?

Wheel by itself is fine…

rim joining sleeve loose. find the join, take the rim tape off and squirt some spray grease or a small bit of expanding foam into the area where the sleeve is, should stop it.

Interesting Daver, will take a look tomorrow…is this a bad thing though?

Hmm does it sound like a co2 canister rattling about in a saddle bag? I have similar symptoms at the back of my road bike

Sounds exactly like a loose washer on a valve, first thing I checked.

Thinking again on Davers post, it’s only rattling when it’s in the fork, not when I take it out and shake it?

No joining sleeve that I could see, did remove a couple of burrs left over from drilling the rims which had found their way loose.

Thought that was it but still rattling.

So, despite them being silky smooth and having no play, I slackened the hubs off and nipped them back up again…resulting in a rattle free bike and an owner with another set of finicky Fulcrums on his hands.

Never again!