My left tire has started making this loud creaking/ticking sound every few seconds. What's the problem and what should I do about it?? Do I need to take it to a bike shop?? Would getting spoke guards help prevent this in the future?? I think it's from my tire getting caught up on the control box for the seat in my van from time to time (so I guess that might be a question about the guards). THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!

Did you gat a tool kit with your chair? if so, you could check the spokes, but its best to take the wheel to a shop. O fyou get he tension wrong wou could distort the wheel even more
Give it a try, It stopped mine a few years back after an airline threw it on the conveyor belt with a suitcase on top of it !!

You probably need to tighten a few spokes. A spoke wrench is by far the easiest way, I tighten mine until they have a similar sound when you pluck em like a guitar.

+ 1

well I tried to tighten them and it's still doing it. I don't think I did it right. I'm gonna bring it to a bike shop and get some spoke guards. Thanks for the replies!!

This is really common, it's loose spokes. Take it to a bike shop. They'll fix it up for you. It requires a few special tools. Many bike shops will even do this for chairs for free.

The noise could also be coming from your push rims, as the wheel flexes.

Simon

I had a couple of loose spokes and took it in to a bike shop. They didn't have the right size of tool, so they just used pliers to tighten them. And they did it for free.

You will need to tighten them from time to time... spoke wrenches can be purchased from sportaid or the likes for 2 or 3 dollars.

If the spokes are just loose, then sure tightening them as others suggested could work? Not sure as when mine are just loose they've never made those sounds. Normally that starts to occur when your spokes and wheel get out of tune and it's not rolling straight. There is more pressure on one side then another. To fix the sound the wheels need to be tuned, if you don't know how, then as some one else said, by just tightening things down, you could make it worse. Take it to a bike shop and they'll be able to fix it up for you.

Loose spokes - cracked spokes - spokes hitting somin on the chair - solid tyres=uneven pressure on wheel rim - loose push rims - wheel spindle not fully engaged in slot - damaged wheel rim - basicaly anything that can happen to our wheels, has happened to mine
Beware of spoke tightening, espesually with solid tyres, proper bike shop your best bet
Where they balance and true the wheel on a spindal jig

LOL