Biting cage bars

Question
Well, any changes or cage enhancements are out of the question; my wife isn't thrilled with it in the first place (it was a surprise gift). Until I installed the balcony, he didn't really bite the bars, probably because the cage (Habitrail Playground) has plastic up the sides, so it's not easy/comfortable for him to reach the bars from anywhere else. I tried to improve his living conditions by giving him more to explore, but it seems to have backfired. That's why if I can put some deterrent on the cage bars, it'll probably help because he (she?) can only reach it easily when on the balcony.

As for the wheel,I've already installed and removed 2 wheels. One a cheap plastic one made too much noise, and the other (the Habitrail Space Wheel) had its own peculiar problems:
1) He wasn't big enough to easily run on it and
2) somehow he kept pulling it off the side of the cage and having it fall on top of him. Twice in one day we found him stuck underneath it.
I would like to find a wheel that is safe AND quiet. Maybe an outside add-on to the Habitrail system.


I feel bad for the little guy, but there's only so much I can do, and he isn't helping himself by keeping my wife up all night.. :(

Thanks

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Followup To Question -
I've installed a 'balcony' to give my hamster (2 months old) some extra exploring room. But from this second floor he seems to spend most of his time biting the bars which keeps us up at night. We already had to remove the wheel because of the noise, so I wonder if there's any suggestions you have for getting him to stop biting the bars? Maybe putting some sort of coating that smells bad? He doesn't seem to bite the cage bars so much from other areas of the cage.
Answer -
Dear Neal,
thank you for your question.
Cage bar biting is a popular problem with hamsters. They have enormous energy and all they want to do is run,run,run and dig,dig,dig (and of course eat and sleep). Most cages sold in pet shops are way too small for them and they are bored which makes them bite the bars of their cage. They can get addicted to this behaviour quickly.

How big is your cage? A good cage for a Syrian hamster is at least 3ft long, 2 ft wide and 2 ft high, with at least two second storeys. A dwarf hamster cage should be at least 2 ft long and 1 ft wide and high with second storeys. If your cage is smaller than that, I strongly recommend getting a bigger one. For a dwarf hamster, old fish tanks make a good home (no higher than wide with a lid from mesh wire for proper ventilation) and can be bought cheap at garage sales and pet stores - ask for cracked tanks.
For Syrian hamsters you can construct a cage out of a tank and a wire cage on top - that way you can fill the tank with bedding fot the hamster to dig and the normal cage with climbing toys.
Here are some pictures of my hamster cages:
Syrian cage
http://www.arcor.de/palb/alben/80/94180/400_6133626162336432.jpg
dwarf cage
http://www.arcor.de/palb/alben/80/94180/400_6639366436373333.jpg
http://www.arcor.de/palb/alben/80/94180/400_3738313738616436.jpg
and a picture I copied from the magazine "Rodentia" showing a combined tank/wire cage
http://www.arcor.de/palb/alben/80/94180/400_6239633266316431.jpg

If you put something smelling bad on the cage bars, the hamster will choose another spot. You can try moving the second storey to another place, maybe he will need some time to adjust - but he will start gnawing again.- The only way to prevent this is a big cage and plenty of toys: cardboard tubes, boxes, baskets, dry leaves, tufts of grass (you can grow one in unfertilized soil from the grains in the hamster food), food wrapped in paper, scattered in the cage or wedged into the cage bars (make him search for it - he doesn't need a food bowl), ropes, branches and ladders for climbing ect. Don't use plastic toys or huts, they can be chewed and swallowed, killing or hurting the hamster.

As for the wheel: I always recommend the Wodent Wheel. It comes in three sizes and is big enough even for a Syrian hamster. Many wheels are too small, leading to back injuries, and have spokes as well as a open surface, the hamster can break his legs in them. The Wodent Wheel has a closed surface and is entered through several holes, avoiding the danger of injury. If chewed, the plastic won't break into sharp bits and the plastic it's made from is very sturdy. And it's not noisy :)
You can order it here (or ask your local pet shop, they might carry it or be able to order  one)
http://www.transoniq.com/

I hope I was of some help
Jennifer  

Answer
Dear Neal,
I'm sorry to hear this. I really cannot give you any other advice. The Habitrail cages are absurdly small and pose a serious danger for the hamster's health because of lack of ventilation and because of all the plastic. The hamster is just bored - imagine living your live in a bathroom.
This may sound harsh, but maybe you should consider giving the hamster away. Hamsters ARE noisy and active, there is nothing you can do about it. And apart from what pet shops tell you, they are not that easy to care for any need lots of room.
Jennifer