Bike squeaking while pedaling
I got my bike serviced a couple of weeks ago after it hadn't been ridden for over 10 years. It came back smooth and quiet. Since then, I've ridden about 100 miles. After my ride on Monday, I washed the bike as there had been a little rain during my ride on Sunday. I also reoiled the chain.
Today was my first ride since washing it, and I noticed a squeaking sound when pedalling, which I don't think occurs when freewheeling. At home, I couldn't reproduce the noise (I lifted the back wheel and pedalled with my hand).
Does anyone know what might be wrong? It sounds like two surfaces are rubbing together. It's very annoying, and I'm worried about damaging the bike if I don't fix it.
It might be a coincidence but I am 100% sure this noise was not there before I washed it.
2012 Bianchi Infinito
Comments
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Could be one of 10 things. Make a list of possible sources using some of the advice at the start of the Workshop section of the forum or Google the famous Sheldon Brown website. Work your way through the list following the instructions suggested online - ie clean and lube cleats, loosen then re-tighten chainring bolts with a little oil, check for movement in bottom bracket area, check pedal bearings and ensure pedal crank is firmly in place. Noises tend to travel on a bike so it could be coming from elsewhere- worn cassette, dry chain, loose saddle post clamp, stem needing tightened. Work through the list to identify the culprit. The process gets easier the more you do it and the more familiar you become with the many, many possibilities for squeaks and creaks, around a bike!
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If it only squeaks when you're pedalling and not when freewheeling, the very first thing I would check is the saddle clamp.
If not tightened enough your movement when pedalling will lead to a squeak - as mentioned above, noises tend to "travel" on a bike.
Wilier Izoard XP1 -
If it's a squeak whilst pedalling, no sound when coasting or when turning the cranks by hand, could well be your cleat rubbing the pedal. My cleat regularly makes a slight squeak as it rubs the pedal surface, I don't feel it but can hear it.
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Mine definitely does that. A slight twist of the foot makes it go away and confirms the source.
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.1 -
Yep, same here. IME squeaks tend to be fairly minor. It's when you get the dreaded creak/cracking that spells trouble!
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Im pretty sure it’s not my cleat as it only started after I washed my bike. Now, that could be a coincidence but I’ve never had this squeak before.
2010 Specialized Rockhopper
2012 Bianchi Infinito0 -
We're any bearings ,BB replaced when the bike was serviced .
Noise undervload could be BB related
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Spray some water on the pedal/cleat interface and if it stops squeaking until dry that's the issue
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
The list is long. It is a process of elimination. If it stops out of the saddle, its the saddle, clamp or post. If it is worse or better depending if you are pulling on the bars, it is somewhere up there.
Pedal to crank, pedal to cleat and cleat to shoe are all possibilities. Check of obvious looseness, but that aside you are getting towards selective drops of WD40.
Dropouts can squeak.
Less likely, but still possible, are cranks to spindle and, depending on the crankset, cranks to the spider and/or rings. First step is look for any looseness in the bolts. Second step, take it off and put it back on again, whatever "it" is, and clean/grease in the interim.
If you are unlucky it's the BB.
If you are really unlucky it's the frame itself.
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Update: squeak went away on its own after some rides.
2010 Specialized Rockhopper
2012 Bianchi Infinito0 -
That has to be the most annoying good news ever.
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The problem with things fixing themselves like that is that I then worry it's going to come back.
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Could be the calm before the storm
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