Slight tick/click/pop when riding

stampz
stampz Posts: 29
in Workshop
Seriously...I am going to throw the bike in the river! ;-)

So...I have a Specialized Allez Elite which is giving off the faintest clicl/pop/tick on my left when riding (its very quiet...but to me is unbearable). It's not even as loud as the tick of a watch, but it's deafening to me!

Now, please bear with me, I know I sound like a madman, but I am at a loss...I have taken apart the all the usual culprits...pedals, cleats,l tightened saddle, headset, cleaned everything...swapped the pedals completely, rode a test with different shoes and it is still there...I have checked the internal cabling to ensure it isn't rattling...all good...!

Now the thing is, it doesn't sound like any of these normal sounds you would expect...its no a mechanical click or creak...it is the faintest sound, and seems to occur when the left pedal crosses just about 12 o clock...even so, I have now convinced myself it isn't coming from the pedals...I even tried as I say changing the pedals completely, and have just been out in flip flops and its still there!

To my ear it 100% sounds like it is coming from left handlebar end or near the shifter or break...or "inside" the handlebars...I have removed the end caps and rode, still there, tried with brakes pulled on and off...still there...

You can't "feel" the click...the ride is silky smooth, but it is seriously driving me insane...my ear is very sensitive...I can't even have a watch in a drawer in the bedroom or it will keep me awake!.....this is now ruining my riding :-(

Has ANYONE got ANY ideas...? I beg you... :-)

Comments

  • ktuludays
    ktuludays Posts: 97
    I feel your pain, it's annoying when you can't find a noise and impossible to replicate on a workstand.

    my carbon summer bike has had an intermittent creak for the past few summers, it would come and go randomly and i tried everything to fix it with no success.

    frames are very good at making any sound appear to be elsewhere.

    i finally solved mine by greasing the fork and rear dropouts where the skewers and wheels touch the them. it's been creak free since.

    worth a try for 5 minutes of effort.
  • mrdsgs
    mrdsgs Posts: 337
    front derailleur cable end catching on crank or leg?
    Colnago Addict!
  • rj2013
    rj2013 Posts: 21
    Had similar on my bike recently, was driving me up the wall! Removed and re-greased the crank and bearing and replaced the jockey wheels which sorted it. not sure which one fixed it mind..
  • raymondo60
    raymondo60 Posts: 735
    Nothing worse than an untraceable noise on one's bicycle. Degreasing can help; have previously removed handlebars, stem and seatpost/clamp, washed thoroughly and degreased before replacing and that has worked. Also checked torque settings on everything including crank arms. Bloody irritating though. Good luck.
    Raymondo

    "Let's just all be really careful out there folks!"
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,430
    How new?
    My initial impression was for it to be spokes settling.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • stampz
    stampz Posts: 29
    Ok...I am getting desperate, with the bike on the trainer I have removed the saddle completely and the handle bars and sat (that hurt) in the seat post space as best I could...still does it! Removed crankset...no difference...I am running out of things to remove...have made a video

    I can't post URLs but if you go to youtube and search "most annoying bike click ever" it should be the top result from Steven Stamps

    Have checked every cable I can, nothing is catching, clipping, loose...this is insane. I am starting to think it is something inside the frame somewhere that I will NEVER be able to solve
  • stampz
    stampz Posts: 29
    pblakeney said:

    How new?
    My initial impression was for it to be spokes settling.

    18 months or so, I would say its done about 1000 miles by now, and has been tuned since, and never used to do this :(
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,430
    Not that then.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • flasher
    flasher Posts: 1,734
    Quick releases.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,727
    Point the camera at what you think is making the noise, or move the microphone around the bike frame. Take your time, record for a least 5mins moving SLOWLY around the frame on both sides. Best if two people are doing this and keep the pedaling smooth as possible
  • stampz
    stampz Posts: 29
    flasher said:

    Quick releases.</>

    Nope :-(

    Have removed the wheel completely...still the same

    Removed bottle cages....

    I am now going to get the wife to pedal crawl around on my hands and knees

  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    edited April 2020
    I'm with Charlie Croker. Just watched the YouTube video and I can only hear a click at one point during the recording. Recording is too short for any real diagnosis

    Put the saddle back on and get someone to record for a decent time while moving the camera/ microphone around and specifically in the crank and BB area.
  • stampz
    stampz Posts: 29
    arlowood said:

    I'm with Charlie Croker. Just watched the YouTube video and I can only hear a click at one point during the recording. Recording is too short for any real diagnosis

    Put the saddle back on and get someone to record for a decent time while moving the camera/ microphone around and specifically in the crank and BB area.

    It happens a LOT in that video....this is why I say Im struggling to explain the noise...happens at the following seconds

    3,6,8,10,14,16,18 then pretty much every second when I speed up...its like a clock tick
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    It does sound regular, bottom bracket cup bearings, crank not tight enough, chain rings loose? Does it still happen with ordinary shoes, no cleats?

    It's a good idea to listen to it while somebody else if pedalling, narrow it down a bit.
  • stampz
    stampz Posts: 29
    Oh....my.....god...I am so embarrassed....so, got my wife to come in and try...absolute silence...I get back on, click click click.

    Out of frustration I stick her old MTB on the trainer and get on click, click, click...

    It's my KNEE!! MY....KNEE!...so sorry for wasting peoples time, appreciate everyone trying to help..I am relieved and now even more frustrated!
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited April 2020
    It was a good idea to listen to it while on the trainer.
  • reaperactual
    reaperactual Posts: 1,185
    Been reading thread. Not got an answer but was not a waste of my time. Lol on the real reason! Priceless! :D

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