Creak, creak, creak

tmg

Hi
I have an annoying creak on my Sworks Sl4, it only comes on when going up hill and my cadence drops. Its been going on for a while and still not completely got rid of it. I have changed the entire bb area including crank, I've changed seat post, seat, cleats, shoes, pedals, ensured skewers are tightened etc. etc. etc. and still it creaks.

Through my local spesh dealer (who has been doing all the work on the bike) he has also been in discussion with Spesh, I have video'd the noise whilst riding to show them I am not going mad and hearing noises, spesh view is that its not the frame its something that is attached to it causing the creaking noise. TBH its doing my head in and I cant think of anything else it could be, anybody got any thoughts?

Ben6899

What cassette are you using?

bernithebiker

Ben6899 wrote:

What cassette are you using?

Good question.

I have an SL4 and SL5, and have had various creaks.

It was never the frame.

Mostly pedals, (2 lots of Look Keo Blades, now swapped for DA9000).

Occasionally a dry lower bearing in the headset.

But recently I've had a creak that I couldn't track down. Checked everything.

Then did 2 last things at the same time; changed the DA9000 cassette for a new one, and tightened 3 chainring bolts a bit.

Noise went, so I don't know which one was causing it.

But tales of creaky DA9000 cassettes are all over the internet.....

Ben6899

bernithebiker wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

What cassette are you using?

Good question.

...

But tales of creaky DA9000 cassettes are all over the internet.....

I have ridden a DA9000 cassette and on steep climbs - so spinning 39-25/23 for example - the cassette exhibited a definite creak.

wishitwasallflat

Saddle rails often creak can be worse when pushing hard climbing - have you eliminated that?

tmg

Thanks for responses:

1. I'm running SRAM Red, so rear cassette is Red 12/28
2. Have had the saddle of a few times and cleaned, regreased etc. (it creaks in or out saddle)
3. Chainring bolts are torqued up correctly, I've even changed them out just to see if it was that simple

I think I might bite the bullett and replace the chain, cassette and chainrings to see if that does the trick

Bozman

Try the headset.
I went through the same when I got a creak when the crank was under load, there was no noise when I was spinning along but as soon as I came to a hill I got this annoying creak, I cleaned or swapped the BB, crank, chainring bolts, pedals, cleats, wheels and skewers but it was still there.
I removed cleaned and greased the headset and bobs your uncle.

paulleary

Check the screws on the saddle and locative them , other one that fixed me was the bottle cage creaking. Solved it with a tap washer between the frame and cage. Reckon the frame was flexing under load and causing a creak.

bernithebiker

If it's creaking out of the saddle, then it ain't the saddle or anything related to it!

Agree on headset; as I said, one of my creaks was just that, could have sworn it was from the BB or rear, but noise travels right through a big hollow carbon frame like a drum.

Pedal axles is another one - are they well greased?

lapavoni10

I would go for the headset, I did exactly the same with all the BB/pedal stuff, and turned out to be noise transferring from headset.
Take apart, regrease. Make sure there is no movement between spacers, and especially look for the top cap touching the top of the steerer....it only needs to be tickling it to create a bad creak....from experience

tmg

Will look at headset next then, its not pedals as have changed them over three times now and zero change to noise