Clicking issue: need some advice

clydefrog

I'm having a clicking issue with my bike that was supposed to have been fixed, this is the situation:

I bought a Boardman Comp HT MTB from Halfords at the end of April, after a few weeks it developed a ticking sound every revolution of the pedals. After a few more weeks this tick sound developed into more of a click sound and got more frequent. This gradually got worse within 6 weeks of buying it then I took it for the 6 week service and mentioned it to them, they did a few things but it didn't fix the problem. I then took the bike back and told them I'm still having the problem and asked them to look at it, they looked at it and decided it was the bottom bracket.

They replaced the bottom bracket and I got my bike back, it was completely silent and all I could hear was the tires. Now today I have used it again for the first time since and after about 15 miles riding I hear the clicking sound again every revolution. What should I do now? Do I go back to Halfords again and tell them I want it replaced again even though it seems to have hardly helped as I have the issue again already? Do I tell them I want to replace the bike for a different one? I don't know what to do now, anybody have any advice? Thanks

PS the sound is definitely coming from the crank/BB area, I know that for sure having turned the bike upside down and put weight on the pedals as I turn them, and hear the clicks. I am not going to go taking the BB apart myself to clean it (after 15 miles lol) as I don't have the tools for that and I shouldn't have to anyways after such a short time.

supersonic

Is a process of elimination. Park Tools has a great guide on clicks from that area, are very, very common as there are loads of parts.

I'd check the pedal bearings, tighten the chainring bolts, check the crank bolts as a starter. You need to be doing stuff like this fairly often anyway. Do you have any manuals/tools?

nicklouse

bet it is a BB30 BB?

they have issues.

clydefrog

No I don't have the tools required for any crank or BB maintenance. I can hear the sound is coming right from the side of the BB.

clydefrog

nicklouse wrote:

bet it is a BB30 BB?

they have issues.

It's an FSA Powerdrive.

clydefrog

So I guess I should just take the bike back there again and tell them I think it's something else other than the BB that's causing the problem? I think it must be the crank or something, surely it can't be the BB again after 15 miles and I bet it wasn't last time either, I'm sure the noise was worse and more consistent when I got it back from the 6 week service which makes me think it's one of the thing they adjusted that's causing the noise. What's worrying is they don't appear to be able to figure out what it is if it's not the BB.

cooldad

I would follow Supersonic's advice first. These things need a fiddle around, and another and another. Often bike shops won't fiddle, they'll just replace something obvious and bill you.

clydefrog

cooldad wrote:

I would follow Supersonic's advice first. These things need a fiddle around, and another and another. Often bike shops won't fiddle, they'll just replace something obvious and bill you.

I don't have the tools at the moment to tighten the cranks or chainring bolts, that's why I 'd take it to them to do it, and they won't charge me for anything as for the first year they will (try to) sort out anything that goes wrong with it for free. Is it possible to get problems like that from tightening the crank arms too much? I ask this because when I said it seemed like it got worse and more consistent after the 6 week service, that's one of the things they did and I think it could possibly be down to maybe tightening them too much. But then if it was the crank arms surely the sound would've developed from it becoming looser, not tighter?

If it did turn out to be the bottom bracket and they replaced it again (which i think is probably unlikely - both it being that and them thinking it's still that and replacing it again) I think I'd just ask them if I can get a different replacement bike but it shouldn't come to this, hopefully they are adept enough to find out what the cause of the problem is.

cooldad

I'd buy some basic tools. A multitool for a tenner will cope with most jobs. And bolts etc need to be checked regularly, if not it leads to consequential damage.
And possibly injury and death.

cooldad

Don't know anything about Powerdrive, but I think it's a cartridge BB, so no, cranks need to be tight.

clydefrog

edited last post

Yeah I will get some, I have a small multitool but pretty sure it's not compatible with crank or chainring bolts though.


"Power Drive bottom brackets have a proprietary arc-splined, forged hollow SCM4130 steel spindle, with industrial 6002KRS sealed cartridge bearings and oversized 3/16” diameter balls bearings."

cooldad

Will probably work on chainring bolts, crank bolts depends on the fitting/BB.
The only things a multitool won't work on on my bike are the BB and the cassette.
Everything else just needs 2 or 3 allen keys.

supersonic

clydefrog wrote:

cooldad wrote:

I would follow Supersonic's advice first. These things need a fiddle around, and another and another. Often bike shops won't fiddle, they'll just replace something obvious and bill you.

I don't have the tools at the moment to tighten the cranks or chainring bolts, that's why I 'd take it to them to do it, and they won't charge me for anything as for the first year they will (try to) sort out anything that goes wrong with it for free. Is it possible to get problems like that from tightening the crank arms too much? I ask this because when I said it seemed like it got worse and more consistent after the 6 week service, that's one of the things they did and I think it could possibly be down to maybe tightening them too much. But then if it was the crank arms surely the sound would've developed from it becoming looser, not tighter?

If it did turn out to be the bottom bracket and they replaced it again (which i think is probably unlikely - both it being that and them thinking it's still that and replacing it again) I think I'd just ask them if I can get a different replacement bike but it shouldn't come to this, hopefully they are adept enough to find out what the cause of the problem is.

Maintaining your bike is part and parcel of having one. They are lightweight, intensive items held together with small bolts. I go over my bike at least once a week, oil it, make sure is well adjusted. You may have a problem with it... but some parts just need looking after.

Investing in tools is the best investment you can make by far.

cooldad

Looking at that it is an allen key, probably 8 or 10

clydefrog

supersonic wrote:

clydefrog wrote:

cooldad wrote:

I would follow Supersonic's advice first. These things need a fiddle around, and another and another. Often bike shops won't fiddle, they'll just replace something obvious and bill you.

I don't have the tools at the moment to tighten the cranks or chainring bolts, that's why I 'd take it to them to do it, and they won't charge me for anything as for the first year they will (try to) sort out anything that goes wrong with it for free. Is it possible to get problems like that from tightening the crank arms too much? I ask this because when I said it seemed like it got worse and more consistent after the 6 week service, that's one of the things they did and I think it could possibly be down to maybe tightening them too much. But then if it was the crank arms surely the sound would've developed from it becoming looser, not tighter?

If it did turn out to be the bottom bracket and they replaced it again (which i think is probably unlikely - both it being that and them thinking it's still that and replacing it again) I think I'd just ask them if I can get a different replacement bike but it shouldn't come to this, hopefully they are adept enough to find out what the cause of the problem is.

Maintaining your bike is part and parcel of having one. They are lightweight, intensive items held together with small bolts. I go over my bike at least once a week, oil it, make sure is well adjusted. You may have a problem with it... but some parts just need looking after.

Investing in tools is the best investment you can make by far.

I don't have a problem with the stuff needing to be maintained and having to do it, I knew that when I bought the bike. What I do have a problem with is apparently a bottom bracket developing noise after about 100 miles on it and having to be replaced, and then after it's all been put back together getting the same problem again after another 10-15 miles. Surely that shouldn't be happening, most people get these problems after a lot longer, not on a pretty much brand new bike.

supersonic

If it is the bottom bracket - it well maybe, all I am saying is check things through.

cooldad

That's true, but I doubt that's actually what it is, cartridge BB's can last indefinitely. So it could be cranks arms, pedals etc.
Only way to be sure is to check everything.
Creaks etc are annoying and can be difficult to pin down.
I had one for a while, turned out to be the pivot bearings, replaced them but got some spacers wrong (broke the golden rule of making a note of how things fit together). Got a creak again, fitted the spacers correctly.
A month or two later I got a creak again, didn't notice it sounded the same, until a loose pivot bolt jammed up the chainrings. Now loctited and hopefully sorted.
Sh1t happens.

clydefrog

Yeah, I will check the other things out/have them checked out by somebody else and as I said I also doubt it's the BB, mainly because I can't believe I'd be unlucky enough to have another one go bad (that's if the first one even did) after a few miles. If it helps when I got it home I turned it upside down and I pushed the pedals around in reverse with weight on them to try and replicate what it's like being ridden (the sound doesn't happen without weight on them) and when I did this (and put my ear up to it) I heard a single click in the same part of each revolution coming from the non drive side BB/crank area. From what I've already been told that means it is the bottom bracket, could it be something else, is it a symptom of a particular component if it does it in the same place each revolution? When I was actually riding it it was more than one click each revolution, it was more like 3.

supersonic

Could still be the pedals, though seems more likely is the BB or crank interface. Do you have tools to remove the crank?

clydefrog

I tried tightening the crank and the chainring bolts, turns out my multitool does fit both of them, but they all seem fully tightened already, there was no give in any of them. I didn't try removing the pedals but with the pedals off I wouldn't be able to test for the noise anyways as there'd be nothing to push on. If it is the BB again I won't believe it, how can I have 2 go bad in such short amounts of time?

supersonic

If you have a spare set of pedals is worth trying.

clydefrog

supersonic wrote:

If you have a spare set of pedals is worth trying.

Yeah unfortunately I don't otherwise I would've taken them off and put on a new set, and then tried it. Looks like I'll be taking it back to halfords again then. I'll tell them what I've told you and ask them to check the pedals/cranks again (I did this last time and they said they checked them then came to the conclusion it was the bottom bracket so they replaced it which did solve the problem for all of 15 miles). If they end up saying the same again and replacing it again, then I get the problem again I think I'm just going to have to say to them that I want to replace the bike with something else... What do you think? I just can't believe it could be the BB twice, never mind three times. I didn't read of other people having problems with the BB on this bike before buying it or anything.

Chunkers1980

You're barking up the wrong tree. The only thIng maker really make is the frame, most other things are off the shelf, so not really the manufacturer.

Bikes do make tick and click occasionally. It is the regular clicks where there's actually fault with the bearings.

Just rule things out.

clydefrog

It is regular, it started then it didn't stop and got worse, until the bottom bracket got replaced then after 15 miles it started again and didn't stop.

trigger118

I have exactly the same problem with my bike (2011 Cube AMS Comp) a clicking noise coming from the right hand side of the BB/Chainrings/Pedals I havent got round to having a look at it yet but I have replaced the BB (Hollowtech II, Deore I think) and this hasnt resolved the problem, my top suspicion is the chainring bolts however as I say I havent had a chance to look at it yet.

I have done nearly 500 miles on my bike, not that this is a lot but it is a tad more than 15...

Let me know if you cure it and I will do likewise

clydefrog

Well I'm going to try a different pair of pedals on it tomorrow, if that doesn't resolve the issue it's going back to the shop again for them to sort out. I'll post in here what happens with it.

clydefrog

Just replaced the pedals with some off another bike, nothing's changed, still get the click in the same place when pushing the pedals around so didn't bother riding on it to check. I'm going to take it back to Halfords again on Monday and will probably end up leaving it there while they try to fix it again. I don't know what else could be causing it but the bottom bracket again now.

clydefrog

I took it in today and left it there for them to inspect it, should know tomorrow or the weekend what's going on with it, the guy I spoke to also suspects it's the bottom bracket but like me finds it hard to believe it could be again after such a short time. I'll post after I speak to them again, I guess they'll just ring me when it's been fixed in the next day or two probably.

cameronb

Did they definately replace it the first time? They didn't just grease and re fit it did they?

clydefrog

They told me it was replaced with one from another bike (same model) in the back that hadn't been all put together yet. I also asked them what would happen if it's replaced again and then I got the problem again and they said they'd probably upgrade the part to a higher quality one, that's the least I would expect them to do really.

clydefrog

They rang me before, they've put a new bottom bracket in it and said if it does happen again they will replace the cranks, chainset, all of it.