Clicking - ?Bottom Bracket - Bike only 3 months old

Secteur

Todays 73 miler to Southport was called off due to a loud "click" or "tick" every time the left pedal gets to it's apex and I begin to apply force through it. Turned back after 2 miles thinking this might not be a good idea.

Good job too as it's now raining heavily despite accuweather saying dry & cloudy/sunny with no chance of rain, and me therefore going out in "dry warm weather kit".

Anyway, the bike has done around 1000 miles after 3months of ownership from new.

Have done some searching and apparently this is most likely due to water in the BB. Since I generally dont ride in the wet, it's probably from me cleaning the bike.

So, how fragile must this £1k bike be to develop such a problem so soon, and how on earth do I clean it (with the products the LBS recommended) without causing this problem!

How can I fix this, or will it need to go back?

Secteur

PS further info - I noticed that some thick grease had extruded from the "seam" at the top end of the crank arm - the end nearest the rings (see arrow).

The crank-arm bolts weren't at all loose when I tried to tighten them.

gaddster

I'd bet that although the bike cost 1K the BB won't be top of the line. My commute bike is a secteur and the BB failed on mine after 400 miles, got replaced witha a different type that has been sound since.

There was another chap on here also with a secteur and similar problem wasn't there?

Anyhow, it should be covered by warranty!? Do you have the tools to remove and diagnose? Are you sure it's not pedals or something else clicking?

I try to avoid water anywhere near my bikes, they never really get that dirty anyway but a damp cloth dipped in a small amount of washing up liquid does me ok. Obvioulsy stuff like chain, cassette, hubs are different and can be removed for proper cleaning. Personally I'm not confident enough to tackle stuff like removing the BB or forks (don't have the tools yet either!) but that's something to learn!

Secteur

when it finally stops raining I will have a good look at it on the drive.

If it did need a new BB, a quick search on wiggle shows that they aren't very expensive - £20-30 - so maybe I should get a better one?

The bike is 105 (5600) full set, so I assume the BB is 105 as well?

I have a feeling that the LBS will say it's because I have been using too much mucoff & degreaser - but it's the one they recommended and gave me when I got the bike and didnt know any different.

gaddster

well it's up to you if you want to pay for something that is covered by warranty especially as you have followed their advice with regard to cleaning! Stick to your guns and insist it is replaced FOC if it is faulty. Unless you've been pressure washing it then it shouldn't go that quickly under normal use.

father_jack

Clicking may not always be from the BB, could come from seatpost, saddle, spokes, bars, stem, pedals...think mine came from stem spacers are thereabouts, mates seatpost.

Papapete

Don't use Muc Off anywhere near the BB or hubs etc.....dissolves anything it touches.

slowallonian

Are you sure your BB is not just loose?

Had this problem with my road bike. At first it only clicked at a certain point when I applied some pressure to the crank but eventually it was happening when just lightly pedalling along.

I suspected at first:

1. Loose crankarms, checked but fully torqued up.
2. Cracked frame, noise seemed too clicky for a BB bearing failure.
3. Knackered BB, but again noise seemed too clicky rather than rumbly.

Anyway, I got myself a BB tool from my LBS which was cheaper than letting them look and it and (maybe) repair. Got home, got crankarms off and found that the BB needed tightening up at least 3/4 a complete rotation, clicking went away immediately. Can't have been tightened up properly in the first place and over a year and many miles later BB is still smooth as anything.

Secteur

Have emailed my LBS and asked about a warranty repair / diagnosis.

Will have a look myself, but as above since it should be a warranty repair I wont start dismantling it yet!

fizz

Have you got a Shimano Hollowtech II Bottom bracket ?

If so take the non drive side arm off and clean off the crank arm / cup faces and then do the same on the chain set side. Sometimes dirt gets in between the face of the pedal arm and the external cups and it causes the click you are describing. I've had it many times on my road bikes.

You'll need a special tool to take it apart though, one of these will do the trick :

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tools-holl ... -arm-tool/

I'd try giving it a good clean first and then make sure everything else is tight first before you start shelling out for a new bottom bracket.

buder

Secteur wrote:

Have emailed my LBS and asked about a warranty repair / diagnosis.

Will have a look myself, but as above since it should be a warranty repair I wont start dismantling it yet!

Hi Secteur

Although it does sound likely to be the BB what wheels do you have on yours ??.

I have the Mavic cxp22's with spesh own brand hubs there are known issues with this wheelset, dodgy freehubs Im on my second and thats going also (slipping, clicking etc).

Just a thought mines done over 2k on the original BB so ive been lucky in that department I suppose (touch wood).

Secteur

took it to my LBS - the guy spotted the fault immediately - a loose headset which was rattling (being my first road bike & like this since new, I thought it was normal!).

Also, there was some grit & dirt on the L side of the BB (as someone described 2 posts above).

He stripped the BB and gave it a clean, re-greased it and tightened the head set up and it's as good as new.

I havent been out on it, but we tested it in the carpark of the LBS and no sound was heard.

Apparently problems in distant parts of the bike can "echo" along the frame tubes and be heard in weird places.

Anyway, it's sorted and took him about 10-15 mins at most, I think.

buder

Secteur wrote:

took it to my LBS - the guy spotted the fault immediately - a loose headset which was rattling (being my first road bike & like this since new, I thought it was normal!).

Also, there was some grit & dirt on the L side of the BB (as someone described 2 posts above).

He stripped the BB and gave it a clean, re-greased it and tightened the head set up and it's as good as new.

I havent been out on it, but we tested it in the carpark of the LBS and no sound was heard.

Apparently problems in distant parts of the bike can "echo" along the frame tubes and be heard in weird places.

Anyway, it's sorted and took him about 10-15 mins at most, I think.

shame it ruined your ride today but glad you got it sorted.

ForumNewbie

I hope its sorted, but may be hard to be definite from a quick test in the car park. If it does come back I would trying greasing the seatpost. I couldn't believe that was what was causing my click at the pedals in my Audax bikle but it was. I then had the same problem in my hybrid. I knew it was the seatpost again, as when I stood up on the pedals out of the saddle the click had gone and came back when I sat down again.