I initially thought the headset, so undid the stem bolts and tightened the cap bolt, which was already tight, room for a turn, but tight enough to suggest that was not the issue.
Holding the left leg and working the action of the suspension the knocking sound is evident. So im drawn to the conclusion its coming from that.
Anyone know what might be the root cause.
Bike isnt quite a year old, used only on the road and suspension hardly worked much or hard in that time. Fork is a fox 36 rhythm. Distance traveled via the computer states 470 miles.

Solution ?.

Fork begging to be used off-road?

Are you certain it’s the forks and not the disc pads moving about in the calliper as you rock the wheel back and forth to find the knocking?

Honestly Bigginge, i dont know. pads have been in there a while, from new so id think must be close to needing replaced, but you know sounds on a bike. Bloody notorious to track down unless its obvious.

Fork begging to be used off-road?

My spine cant take that kind of punishment. Ive the ebike on health grounds to keep myself mobile and out the type of bike where the wheels are side by side 😆

Axle?

Wheel tightly attached?

Axles fine, tight,nothings moved there

The sound seems to be in two parts. A Clack clack noise as if something is moving, then moving back, which is why i initially thought it was the headset.

After the weekend I’ll put the bike on the stand and remove wheel, take a good look at the brake and maybe drop the fork out to check the internals of the headset and refit it all to the correct torques.

Might be a good time to fit the new carbon bar , hope fortus front wheel and V4 brake. At least those parts are new and i can eliminate the wheel/brake from the equation.

Like everyone, I hate noises. noises equal money, especially if left to their own devices.

I’ve had the click clack from loose fitting brake pads in brand new shimano brakes, so I think it’s more related to design and/or build tolerances than wear. Best way I found to get it to show up was to put both hands on the bars, apply the front brake (not too hard but enough to lock the wheel) and then try to rock the bike back and forwards.

First time I did this I thought I’d done something stupid with my headset as the amount of travel and noise it resulted in seemed to match what I would expect if you did that with a comically loose headset (guess how I know). Quickly ruled that out and chased it down the fork (really loose bushings? Nope) and onto the brake pads/callipers which were letting the wheel rotate a few degrees back and forth when “locked” on.

…and tightened the cap bolt, which was already tight, room for a turn, but tight enough to suggest that was not the issue.

A full turn on an already tight headset? That’s too much and you’ll cause some more noises

Also check you don’t have a loose token in the fork….previously I had an issue with a knocking I couldn’t find from the front of my hardtail…after much fettling it turned out to be a loose token👍

Turn the bars 90 degrees, and try rocking back and forth, if it still knocks it’s most likely the headset, if it stops/reduces the knocking it’s likely the forks.

Clamp the front brake on hard and lift the front of the bike off the ground.
Try to turn the front wheel. If it moves back and forth slightly that’s the pads moving in the caliper. Can often be seen too, not just felt.
Shimano (road) ones do that a lot more than Hope (MTB) ones

All forks rock and knock to some extent as there needs to be a certain amount of play to allow the legs to move.

My BOS deville were really noisy rocking back and forth with the brake on. But they’re built to go up and down, not back and forth with the brake on and they were silent on the trail.

My fox 34’s were exactly the same but much quieter. Could feel the knock in the leg if i held the lower leg near the stanchion.

TFT said not to worry unless it was also really noisy on the trail. Play in the bushes is normal and intended, can be adjusted but generally ignore it unless it does it riding. Next service they commented there was normal wear on the bushes but well within tolerance. Forks still knocked.

Since moved to Rockshox and they dont do it.

If you cant hear anything moving them in the direction they’re meant to move and out on the trail then I wouldn’t worry.

I’ve had a similar issue on my ebike, I was convinced it was battery or battery cover so removed both and rode it, still the same. I now thinking it’s the fox 38 elite fork, if I bounce it up and down very quickly without touching the brakes I can hear a clear knocking noise coming from them. It becomes really apparent when descending, need to get them looked at I think.
I’ve had forks out, checked headset, checked volume reducers.

I recently had a rattle when descending that appeared to be coming from the headset/fork area. It was actually caused by a loose pivot bolt where the rear triangle mounts to the lower linkage, check everything you don’t expect it to be would be my advice

Check the headset bearings

I had this and I also tried tightening

When I finally opened them up, bearings were traahed

I’ll throw out something different, in that fork bushings need to be lubricated in order to take up the ‘slack’ between the bushing and stanchion, and if not there will often be some play. If the fork hasn’t been used off-road then there’s a good chance that the bath oil hasn’t been splashing around and getting to where it needs to get. I’ve seen forks where the customer has commented on ‘bushing wear’ only for the play to go away with a lower service.
Probably not this but something to be aware of.

I’ll throw out something different, in that fork bushings need to be lubricated in order to take up the ‘slack’ between the bushing and stanchion, and if not there will often be some play. If the fork hasn’t been used off-road then there’s a good chance that the bath oil hasn’t been splashing around and getting to where it needs to get. I’ve seen forks where the customer has commented on ‘bushing wear’ only for the play to go away with a lower service.
Probably not this but something to be aware of.

Fair comment and good point. I’ll turn the bike upside down and pump the lowers a few times to get the oil into places it might not be getting into.

I am leaning towards the brake though. Ive held the crown and bumped the fork up and down and am getting nothing, but it only seems when i hold the front brake on hard and do the same the knock appears, and it doesnt appear all the time. I can bump away and get nothing, then a knock or two, then nothjing again.

But as im changing the front wheel and brake that will at least eliminate that if the sound vanishes.

My bike was making a racket but had problems tracing it. Was heard under breaking and hitting big bumps. Eventually tracked it to the headset. No evident play in it, smooth when turning the bars but pulling the races out, a wipe clean, a light greasing of the outside of the races before reinstalling (races themselves were good) and all is quiet. Think it was the top race which had a thin corrosion surface on it which given the bike has only been ridden in the dry of Texas is a bit odd. Can only be water from washing it that has done that. And that’s using no more than a running hose (no squirty pressure) and a soft brush to get the dust off.