modern bike maintenance

vinnymarsden

King,
Are your lbs actually a bike shop?
Surely they can’t expect you to ride that and think they’ve done a good job!!
I would be embarrassed handing it back and I only service my own bike!!

step83

Pilot Pete wrote:

kingrollo wrote:

Pilot Pete wrote:

Is it in every gear combo, or only when going uphill in low gears? I ask because I’ve just found my creak was not BB but rear cassette! It was only in the lower gears (which are all riveted together on a carrier) when really pushing going uphill. It was a similar sound but nowhere near as loud as yours. Tightened to spec but this was allowing movement, tightened a bit tighter and problem sorted.

PP

Its only when going up steep hills - typically I am in the lower gears when going uphill !!!! - - How do I tighten the rear cassette - or should I purchase a new cassette ?

its been back to kuota - who inspected\removed the bb but found no problems with it - bikes comes back no creaking for a few weeks - then it returns.
took it to lbs - who removed bb and re seated it with some bonding agents - also said they thought the problem was a loose rear through axle - fine for 1st ride - but now creaking again - through axle seems tight enough

in total 3 different people have looked over the bike (shop purchased from, kuota, lbs) all have inspected the BB - on two occasions the bike has come back temporarily cured (once it came back worse - but shop were adamant it wasn't creaking on test ride)

You need a cassette lock ring tool to fit your cassette (Shimano/ SRAM or Campagnolo as appropriate). Something like this for about a fiver https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Ice-Toolz-Cassette-Lockring-Tool-with-Guide_31839.htm?sku=73012&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwq4fsBRBnEiwANTahcFEyTVIBB0qDA8wgb9wGM2jvHV3QEY_sv6VCKuwUQWUtmRMN0xM0khoC_NkQAvD_BwE and a suitable socket wrench or spanner to fit it. Remove your rear wheel, take out the axle/ quick release, pop the tool into the lock ring on the cassette and tighten it using a big (ideally quite long to get enough leverage) spanner or socket wrench.

Quick test before you do this; put the bike into one of the gears where you get the creak (one of the 4 or so big cogs which are all on the same carrier). Put the front wheel up against a wall to stop the bike moving and then apply pressure on the pedal(s). Push hard, on and off the pedal. Mine made the same click/ creak when I did this. When in the smaller cogs it didn’t make the noise.

As with your bike, BB had been out, cups out, all replaced with appropriate grease/ anti-seize to manufacturers spec all to no avail. Bearings felt completely normal with no discernible wear. Everything was tightened to spec.

Your noise sounds too loud to be cleats or chainring bolts. I would check the cassette for tightness to start with and if that fails, check the freehub and rear wheel bearings.

PP

With PP on this one, had a very similar noise on mine. What your hearing is the cassette moving under force an the sound being transmitted through the frameset and wheels, you may find the noise is worse in the bigger cogs due to them being larger so more torque plus some are bonded rather than being single cogs.

Either way get that tool an some leverage, if you have a torque wrench then 40nm is the number your looking for which is usually on them.

manglier

It could be worthwhile stripping out the bb and having the bb shell accurately measured by a metrology company rather than a bike shop. That way you can find out whether the bb shell correct. Then you can think about chasing the manufacturer if there is a problem.
To understand the problems that can occur this Hambini vid is a good watch (I'm a big fan).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWDztue ... dex=2&t=0s

keith57

Pilot Pete wrote:

I ask because I’ve just found my creak was not BB but rear cassette!
PP

Yes, I had this exact same issue years ago. Drove me mad for a while! Was quite a revelation when the creak moved to one of the other bikes when I swapped over the rear wheel :roll: All it needed was a service of the free hub. I do this regularly myself now, about twice a year on all 3 bikes.

kajjal

I had a creaking especially up steep hills in low gears, sounded like the bottom bracket but ended up being the headset bearings needed replacing. Also had it from a rear wheel that was dying, loose saddle, loose chainring bolts etc. It can be frustrating to work at what it is sometimes, it can be something is lose, worn or just needs lubing / greasing.

Jacksyee

I had a creak I could not figure out and it turned out to be a crack in a crank

Assume you have checked that

darkhairedlord

I had a creaky bottom bracket, turned out to be last nights curry.

cycleclinic

Generally press fit bb uses they are the thread fit type should not be remo ed and replaced. Removal can damage the bearings. Replace if removed.

Creaks are difficult to track down. If you believe it is the BB then replace with thread fit BB.

It's not likely to be a manufacturing defect and shops cant easily trace tbe source either. To do it proprh could take hours and that time should be paid for hense with creaks shops tend to not want to spend too much time. They simply cant charge for the time it would actually take.

darkhairedlord

Summary:
Could be housing out of tolerance.
Could be crank axle out.
Could be cassette or free hub.
Could be headset.

DeVlaeminck

Kajjal wrote:

I had a creaking especially up steep hills in low gears, sounded like the bottom bracket but ended up being the headset bearings needed replacing. Also had it from a rear wheel that was dying, loose saddle, loose chainring bolts etc. It can be frustrating to work at what it is sometimes, it can be something is lose, worn or just needs lubing / greasing.

I used to have a focus where the headset area was the problem with creaking - from memory I think the bung in the steerer used to pull up or something - I remember getting advice on here about it as other people (possibly Ugo) with the same model had had the same issue. It just needed knocking down again every 1k miles or so.