Creaking noise from new Allez Elite

tylergl
tylergl Posts: 4
edited August 2010 in The workshop
I have purchased a new Allez Elite and there is a creaking / straining whenever pressure is placed on the left pedal, I returned it to LBS and they seemed to sort it, however it has started again.
Any ideas welcome.
Thanks.

Comments

  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,745
    Not sure how mechanically minded you are, but first of all have a good look at everything around the area. Is the pedal screwed into the crank properly, and likewise, are the bolts securing the crank tight? A quick check with an allen key will tell you if they are loose, but you'll need a torque wrench to tell if they are tight-but-not-tight-enough. The correct torque for each bolt/thread is often printed on the part, or listed in the owner's manual, or failing that, you could try the Sheldon Brown or Parktools websites. I'm assuming you have the Shimano Tiagra chainset (as that is what is shown as standard spec for the Allez) so I think you'll also have an external bottom bracket cup, which you should also have a look at to make sure it's properly screwed into the bottom bracket shell.

    If all that looks fine, the other possibility is that one of the threads has not been properly greased when it was assembled. As it's brand new, I'd be surprised if you can't see some evidence of grease around the edges of the threads. If not, it's a case of unscrewing, applying some grease and re-tightening to the correct torque.

    After that, I think you're left with a fault with the pedal or bottom bracket cup, but that's not very likely on a brand new bike.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • bike_addict
    bike_addict Posts: 65
    Try greasing your seatpost, my brand new Spesh did exactly the same, a little grease on the seat post cured it.

    It can be loads of silly things. I would bet it wont be a faulty component.
  • Underscore
    Underscore Posts: 730
    I had the same with my Giant Defy 1: Creaked from new, LBS fixed it at the courtesy service, only for it to return a few hundred miles later. This spring I stripped the BB down and reassembled, which cured the problem - for a few hundred miles!

    Anyway, I figured that it couldn't be the BB shells moving as there was plenty of assembly grease in there so I simply removed the crank and reinserted it having put grease in places that I hoped would get some in the interface between the axle and the bearing surfaces after the reinsertion. So far (and it has been more than a few hundred miles) it hasn't returned. Maybe it will soon or maybe it was pure luck and nothing to do with getting grease in the right place but I thought I would mention it in case it does the same for you!

    HTH,

    _

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