Find the creak

[shouldbworking]

Ribble winter audax. Creaking each pedal stroke, particularly noticeable when putting the power down. Can't reproduce it in a workstand.
Have tried - cleaning and regreasing entire drive train and (spd)pedals
Checking for play in BB / crank arms
Checked chainring bolts

The chains never been apart before and as its seen a few thousand miles use im somewhat cautious about how it might behave with a powerlink in. At the moment its not slipping or anything.

I guess I should just get on with it and break the chain / remove cranks to see how the BB feels, but I just wanted to see if there were any other ideas before I tear into it?

[IroningMan]

Does it go away when you stand up?

If so look at seatclamp/saddle and seatpost/frame interfaces, dismantle, lube/anti-seize and reassemble to correct torque.

If not then do the same for the handlebar/stem joint.

Lastly look at the points where the cable outers rub on the headtube - helicopter tape or a smear of grease - and where they go in to any frame bosses or adjusters and get some lube in there, too.

HTH - I hate creaks.

[andySC]

Bloody creaks & clicks! Try these, may or may not help...

Headset.
Stem nipped up onto steerer tightly.
Handlebars tight into stem.
Front skewer greased.
Front wheel not in "too" tight.
Chainset securing bolt torqued correctly (if this is overtightened it can cause noise, esp' on Shimano Hollowtech)
Cleats.

[ShredderXLE]

Ones that have had me at my wits end at times trying to work out where it was coming from - saddle rails creaking in the clamp and carbon headset spacers that seemed to click.

[IroningMan]

One other thought - my Fizik saddle creaks where the rails enter the plastic moulding of the saddle itself; a squirt of GT every few weeks solves it.

[beanbag]

IroningMan said:

Does it go away when you stand up?

If so look at seatclamp/saddle and seatpost/frame interfaces, dismantle, lube/anti-seize and reassemble to correct torque.

If not then do the same for the handlebar/stem joint.

Lastly look at the points where the cable outers rub on the headtube - helicopter tape or a smear of grease - and where they go in to any frame bosses or adjusters and get some lube in there, too.

HTH - I hate creaks.

That!!! Happened everyone I rode but now gone after a total strip-down and re-grease of my seat.

[paulshears]

Creak on mine was the seatpost in the frame

Slapped some grease on & it went away

[Steamer]

Whip the pedals off and get some grease round the ball bearings - also spend a bit of time getting the pedal tightness spot-on when you put them back on.

I was chasing a creak after a few wet rides... turned out to be a pedal with a little play in it.

Sorry - just noticed you have checked the pedals, but worth checking for play in them.

[itsnotarace]

QR skewers can also be a source of a phantom creak but I agree pedals, seatpost and chainring bolts are areas I would look at first

[MadDad]

I had a phantom creak on my CX bike, drove me (and the shop) nuts for ages, turned out to be a combo of a dry BB30 which is apparently a common problem, and a clicky screw on my SPD cleats!

[shouldbworking]

Cheers all, good ideas for me to chase down. I haven't tried seatpost / headset or saddle rails yet. It still happens when out of the saddle, sounds like its coming from the BB area but experience has taught me that where it sounds like its coming from when riding can be a deceptive.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Ha ha, this old one

I used to work in a bike shop, and this creaking on the power strokes is always the same thing - it's the crank arms creaking on the bottom bracket.

The solution is to remove the crank arms, grease the square ends of the bottom bracket where the crank arms mount, with some Copaslip grease, and then re-fit.


Buy me a beer later

[littleandy0410]

Have you checked your knees? Try cod liver oil, lubes them up a treat!

[bertieg]

id be inclined to remove the bb, clean the threads, smear with plenty of grease and refit

[Theoldfm]

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

Ha ha, this old one

I used to work in a bike shop, and this creaking on the power strokes is always the same thing - it's the crank arms creaking on the bottom bracket.

The solution is to remove the crank arms, grease the square ends of the bottom bracket where the crank arms mount, with some Copaslip grease, and then re-fit.


Buy me a beer later

This.

You will probably need a special tool though to take the cranks off depending what type it is. Do you have a picture?

[CoolC]

I'd be surprised if any bike less than 10 year sold now has a square fit BB.

You say you've checked the pedals, but have you checked the thread of the pedal into the crank arms? Remove clean refit with a smidge of grease.

As already said, check the seat post too.

[jrb43]

And do ride your bike in trainers and see if it goes away. I've wasted one too many weekends trying to chase a creak I couldn't find in the workshop only to discover it was in my cleats.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

I think it was someone on here that suggested to me to check and grease my quick releases. I'd had the bottom bracket stripped and rebuilt twice before discovering that it was, in fact, the QR skewers! Grrrrrrr.

[shouldbworking]

Had a proper look at it finally this weekend. Combination of two things - one very very very slightly out of true chainring, and a front mech that had apparently managed to work loose and slip down to the point where it would just contact the teeth of the aforementioned chainring. Moved it back up to about 3mm clearance and all is well.

Not sure what I'll do about the chainring though. It's not causing any dramas riding it... it'll go on the back burner along with the new wheels required. Drivetrain might find itself on here in pictures soon as I'm a little unsure about the level of wear on it.

[Matt London]

I have been playing this game recently. It is not much fun!

I replaced the nearly new BB after checking the crankbolts. I did this as it was only happening under power. Didn't bloomin fix it though! Did my head in on Today's ride. Played about with it when I got home and worked out it was the back wheel (only got 500mi on it). Spoke tension is fine but I did not think to swap the QR. Will try that next. I think it is the hub though.