Seeking advice from creak doctors

pmorgan1

Hey guys,

My bike creaked on each rotation of the cranks. I was like, that's OK, but then it was time to replace BB, the whole chainset, pedals, cassette and chain, which I did.

Guess what? The bike still creaks on each rotation of the cranks, even out of the saddle, and I'm puzzled now.

What else could be the source of creaks that come to life on each revolution of cranks?

shirley_basso

In or out the saddle?

How much effort?

- skewers
- wheel bearings - front, rear, freehub
- headset bearings
- stem clamp on both steerer and bars
- shifter bolts
- dodgy bottom bracket shell
- seatpost
- saddle

keef66

As you've discovered, the bike moves side to side as you pedal, so a creak once every revolution isn't necessarily BB related. If it happens seated and when out of the saddle, you may have eliminated the saddle and seatpost as possible culprits, but just about everything else is game.

Pedals, cleats, shoes, chainring bolts, left hand crank, headset, bars / stem, faceplate and pinch bolts, hubs, QR skewers, dropouts, freehub.

Remove anything threaded, clean, lightly grease and reinstall to the correct torque. Clean and lightly grease dropouts and QR skewers. Use copper based antiseize paste on pedal threads. Don't grease your shoes, but a squirt of wax based furniture polish on the pedal / cleat can silence squeaks. Use a bit of carbon assembly paste on the bars where they are clamped by the stem.

Last organised ride I did was accompanied by a creak once every pedal revolution. Seated and out of the saddle; 60 fcuking miles. I was mentally shopping for a new BB for the last 30. Then realised it was the saddle bag straps creaking against the saddle rails. :roll:

Bumo_b

Cheap and easy, re-grease your pedal bearings if serviceable, would rule out another item.

drlodge

Freehub bearings...

Vino'sGhost

Ride with headphones and your favourite tunes. Creak and stress free

kajjal

The last time I had that it was the lower headset bearing.

trekvet

On mine it was the frame. Took out seatpost, poured some oil in, fitted cork, rotated frame so oil flowed through all tubes (they have holes to allow breathing during welding), refitted seatpost. Creak gone.

surfercyclist

As you have found out, creaks are frustratingly tricky to pin point. I had a recent one on my Canyon and it only ever manifested itself when out of the saddle especially uphill. After checking cleats and pedals(my first thought), I was sure it must be headset bearings. Turned out to be front QR. Reseated, tightened and since not a squeak.

Obviously yours may not be this but just goes to show it could be one(or two) of a multiple issues and not necessarily what you may first suspect.

on-yer-bike

Put some grease between the mech hanger and the frame.