Bike clicking under tension.

ashgill

My hardtail bike has devoloped a clicking noise and it is starting to annoy me now tracking it down.
I've lubed all the screws and tightened everything, replaced bottom bracket what I was sure would fix it, replaced cranks, still the sound remains. I tried without the seat tube and different pedals but could still feel the inconsistent clicking what feels in the crank area. Like I said the clicking is inconsistant and sometimes I can pedal hard but not hear anything, usually always hear it it from a stop start though.

So the front of the drivetrain isn't causing it. Pockets a bit lighter but at least I know that now. :x

I have noticed recently that the rear wheel sounds gritty when spinning it what may have been caused by me using a strong degreaser on the cassette(cilit bang :oops: ) Maybe over time that could have eaten away the grease in the bearing??? It is on correctly and quick release has been lubed.
It was fine for ages after using that degreaser I should add.

Could a loose cassette cause this as well?

My next thing I'm going to do because I've been trying one thing at a time is try my old rear mech out.
Unfortunately can't service the hub and cassette yet as I don't have the correct tools and being a man I don't want to take it to the lbs.

So any educated guesses/advise fellas?

CitizenLee

Took me ages to track down a creak once and it turned out to be saddle rails.

zx6man

CitizenLee wrote:

Took me ages to track down a creak once and it turned out to be saddle rails.

He mentioned trying without the seat tube :-)

Strong degraser is fine on cassette, but done on the bike could get into the hub.

Chunkers1980

CitizenLee wrote:

Took me ages to track down a creak once and it turned out to be saddle rails.

Did you not work out it didn't do it when stood up? :-/

ashgill

zx6man wrote:

CitizenLee wrote:

Took me ages to track down a creak once and it turned out to be saddle rails.

He mentioned trying without the seat tube :-)

Strong degraser is fine on cassette, but done on the bike could get into the hub.

I just sprayed it on the cassette on the bike being careful not to get anywhere else and then brushed it off.
Should add when I put the brakes on and put pressure on the crank and can hear a slight creak in the cassette area but its so hard to pinpoint it.
Does that cassette screw get loose over time?

CitizenLee

Sorry, skim reading on my phone.

Haha, I didn't notice when I stood up as it was intermittent even when seated. I tracked it down and that's the main thing

ElliesDad

I had an annoying clicking once, like you it drove me up the wall trying to track it down! Turned out to be the front derailleur cable. The end of the cable was sticking out and catching on the pedals!

ashgill

I can asure you it isn't that or the seat tube, crank, bottom bracket, shoelaces, pedals, chain, stem, handlebars, suspension, front derailer clamp, bolts for water bottle holder, brakes, cables.
It's got to be the rear derailer, cassette, rear hub or possibly a cracked frame what I doubt.


Just need to get the tools to remove a cassette now.
I've got a SRAM 9speed cassette, would one of these lockring things work to open it or do I need a specific one http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0028N5 ... X110_SY165 ?
Thx

ashgill

Well its definitely not the rear mech:/

pesky_jones

Spokes?

cooldad

Knees?

ashgill

cooldad wrote:

Knees?

Well, that solved the creaking

Pesky Jones wrote:

Spokes?

Any tips on checking and could that cause the noise?

ashgill

Think I'm just going to give up and take it to decathlon because my LBS's are shite.

pesky_jones

Not sure decathlon with definitvely be better...

Erm besides getting a proper spoke tension checker, I wouldnt know how to locate a loose/ too tight spoke.

pilch

Wheel bearings woul be my guess, particularly as you mentioned a 'creaking noise' from the cassette. Can you borrow another wheel to stick in temporarily to check?

If not take the wheel off, stick a whip on then load up the cassette using the tool & apply pressure on and off. This will simulate the load you put on it when you pedal and will hopefully show up the clicking/creaking noise...

snotty badger

I had a creaking noise I couldn't trace. Tried pedals, BB, fork, fully striping bike and rebuilding it. My mate kept saying the frame was cracked, no visible cracks though.

Stripped the frame down, clamped the BB in a vice and put a brush shank through the head tube and gave the frame a flex. Creak.

Ended up putting a bore scope in side the frame- cracked internally where the down/top/head tube meet! Could of been nasty if kept riding it!

ashgill

pilch wrote:

Wheel bearings woul be my guess, particularly as you mentioned a 'creaking noise' from the cassette. Can you borrow another wheel to stick in temporarily to check?

If not take the wheel off, stick a whip on then load up the cassette using the tool & apply pressure on and off. This will simulate the load you put on it when you pedal and will hopefully show up the clicking/creaking noise...

I told them to do the rear wheel bearing and try and find out what's causing the cracking

snotty badger wrote:

I had a creaking noise I couldn't trace. Tried pedals, BB, fork, fully striping bike and rebuilding it. My mate kept saying the frame was cracked, no visible cracks though.

Stripped the frame down, clamped the BB in a vice and put a brush shank through the head tube and gave the frame a flex. Creak.

Ended up putting a bore scope in side the frame- cracked internally where the down/top/head tube meet! could have been nasty if kept riding it!

I did mention that the frame might be cracked.
I'm picking it up on Tuesday.

I took it in and explained the problem and what stages i've took to stop the problem. He then quickly took the cassette off and put it back on (not sure what he actually did) and said that would have fixed it, quick stop start on the shop floor and it was still doing it.
Being hypothetical but considering the frame has a lifetime warranty on it what would happen if they discovered a crack in the frame, would they just give me a new one and leave me to transfer it all :shock: ?

Honestly I have very little confidence that it will be solved. On Tuesday I'll be expecting the worst (not fxed, huge bill) and hoping for the best. If it's not fixed honestly I don't feel like putting another penny into the bike and may just buy a new one.

Rightarmbad

Try looking to see if the freewheel body has become grooved by cogs eating into it.
Make sure that the cassette locks fully down when fitted.
If it is a Mavic wheel and runs the white bush on the inside of the freehub, that can do it, simply replace bush.
Sometimes a marked up dropout will allow a rear wheel to creak in the frame, a bent dropout can cause this also.
A drop of oil on each spoke nipple where it enters the rim is a good idea.
Most spokes have lock on their threads or are corroded reasonably solid, but a drop of oil on here can do wonders.

These types of noises can echo all over the frame and confuse you.
Once had a customer repeatedly bring his Pinnerello in with complaints of a creaking but none of us could here or find anything until he rode in one day fully kitted up and said that it was doing it.
I took it for a ride and discovered that his water bottle cage was creaking when he had a bottle in it.
He had fitted this himself and never greased the bolts when he did.
A quick grease and he was on his way and very apologetic about going off at us for not finding his creak during the first three visits.

Sometimes silly things like where a cable end sits in its stop can creak as the frame flexes under load.
Always a good idea to grease inside of these and cable outer end caps to stop this and also prevent early rusting of the outer.

Even a creaky stem or handlebar can sound like a bb or coming from the rear.

A full comprehensive service should make it disappear as most of these things will be attended to.
I have however seen an inside gusset cracked before in the head tube down tube junction area as mentioned above.

By far the easiest way to find it is by mass substitution until it disappears.
Swap wheels, forks first as they are easy and write off a bunch of things in a short space of time.
A good inspection of the headset whilst the fork is off is good.

A bb that is only slightly rough feeling can creek and check for scoring on the crank axle indicating movement or bearing freezing,
Make sure the axle is greased to stop rusting if it is a shimano.
Also look for a front derailleur tipping the teeth on rings under power if it is mounted close.
DU bush in the shock a possibility and a shock is a quick substitution as well.

All this is easy in a shop environment with a bunch of donor bikes and parts available.

Make sure you let us know when you found it to add to the ever expanding database of what to look for.

FishFish

I used to get an annoying creak but got rid of it by going off a fairly high kerb and hitting the road hard. Might need to lock the suspension.

ashgill

Thanks for the input two posts above.
After exhausting the internet recently though I've come across every possibility there is.
Like you say though hopefully it can be diagnosed when other parts can be put on it to quickly rule out things in a bike woekshop.
What a day on Tuesday, first need a tooth removed and then goingto be underwhelmed when I pick my bike up.

FishFish wrote:

I used to get an annoying creak but got rid of it by going off a fairly high kerb and hitting the road hard. Might need to lock the suspension.

Nope.

ashgill

So I phone Decathlon last night asking if it will be ready for pick up for today and estimate of how much it will cost. I did ask them to re grease the bearings in the rear wheel what was like £12 and he said up to now it'll be £25 because he's had the bottom bracket off even though I told him is replaced the bottom bracket and cranks and told me that wasn't the problem. So I was pretty annoyed after I came off the phone.
Went to pick it up this morning and he told me he's still not happy with it so I just go browsing in the shop while I'm waiting and he ends up just replacing the rear wheel taking one off a new bike with the cassette and rotor on it. So it is now fixed Glad I didn't go to my LBS.
Only cost me £25 as well. I'm over the moon with the result after thinking it wasn't going to be fixed.

He told me that there was loads of crap in the rear wheel or something but I didnt hang around questioning him because I wanted to get out the door with my new wheel

Decathlon

tonybied

I once had an annoying creak on my road bike that took me a couple of months to find. Turned out to be the screws that hold my mech hanger were slightly loose. Drove me barmy and was such a simple fix in the end, I'd tried almost everything. My bb is a bb86 I was convinced it was fubared and was about to order a new one and the tools to replace it!

FishFish

ashgill wrote:

What a day on Tuesday, first need a tooth removed .

If you put the tooth under your pillow then you'll get 25 quid - enough to pay for the repair.

ashgill

FishFish wrote:

ashgill wrote:

What a day on Tuesday, first need a tooth removed .

If you put the tooth under your pillow then you'll get 25 quid - enough to pay for the repair.

Didn't even need it removed. Today was a good day.