Creaking from the front end

Lord Jimmy 7th
Lord Jimmy 7th Posts: 379
edited July 2012 in Workshop
My bike creaks and from the sounds i cant quite identify where it is from exactly on the front end. I have made sure the front wjeel is prefectly tight, my bars and stem are all tight properly and the headset has no movement in it when you brake and rock the bike? i am tempted to change the headset, would this be a reasnable next step or is there something i am missing?
My Rides:
Road: Ciocc Extro http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... hotostream
TT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... otostream/
Winter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... otostream/

Comments

  • Mike03776
    Mike03776 Posts: 40
    Check the tension of your spokes.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,803
    Dirt around the headset can cause creaking. I had this problem a couple of months ago. The bike creaked as soon as I got out of the saddle. The remedy was to remove the headset, clean it (not the bearings just the headset itself) and clean round the inside of the head tube. Re grease and refit.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Cables? May sound unlikely, but they can creak around the front end area as the bars are turned.
    More problems but still living....
  • thespanishadam
    thespanishadam Posts: 341
    Mike03776 wrote:
    Check the tension of your spokes.

    This was the cause of a creak I had.

    Uneven tension, made the spokes creak and then vibrate through the frame.
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    With my bike it was the stem and handle bars which creaked when load was put through them. I replaced them with 3T and no more creaks.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • Lord Jimmy 7th
    Lord Jimmy 7th Posts: 379
    ok cheers guys, my spokes seem ok when i ping them, all sounding very similar. have taken headset apart and the bearings feel smooth enough so have cleaned and regreased the headset and the frame.
    will replace bars as last resort i think

    thanks for the possible problems though, much appreciated
    My Rides:
    Road: Ciocc Extro http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... hotostream
    TT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... otostream/
    Winter: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46624319@N ... otostream/
  • gds08
    gds08 Posts: 948
    In a vast majority of cases it's related to the 'bars and stem. I had this recently after fitting new bar/stem combo' and on the first ride it drove me nuts. When I got back I took them apart slapped loads of grease between all the touching parts tightened it back up and it was totally silent!

    Another cause of this which I encountered a long while ago was from the front drop-outs and as soon as I put a tiny amount of vaseline on the ends of the front wheel axle the creaking stopped.

    Graham

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