Classic & Vintage - First Vintage Ride of the Year

I got the Big O down and took her out for a 10 mile spin today. I've been riding my newer bike because the top tube is shorter and a little easier to reach the handlebars and shifters. But tonight was a great ride. The Voyageur brought back lots of old habits, reaching for the barcons, silding my foot into the toe clips, shifting patterns, etc. Then after about 7 miles, I notice a "catch" while pedaling. I feel it with my left foot when it is even with the chainstay. It didn't matter if I was in the large or small chainring. When I got home I checked for loose cranks, loose bottom bracket, frozen links, bad teeth and nothing! If there is no load, there is no catch. If I put the bike in a rack and spin the cranks, no catch. If I ride in any gear and have some force on the pedals, the catch is there. Same place every time. Any ideas for me that I can check?

How freely do your cranks spin? How recently have you rebuilt the BB, and did you replace the bearings and inspect the spindle when you did so? If the left crank is not striking the chainstay or if a chainring bolt is not striking the right chainstay, then I would strongly suspect a problem in the BB bearings.

The cranks spin very freely. I rebuilt the BB about 3 years ago using the same bearings. The spindle looked fine. There is no visible striking going on. I was kind of suspecting that something is going on in the BB, but thought it was weird that the catch was always in the same place.

Did you check the pedal bearings? That catch could be coming from there. I'd also regrease and retighten the crank arm bolts.

Neal

The pedals seem ok. I'll keep looking.....

I had a similar issue on a newer bike last month where there would be a sort of scraping noise under hard pedaling the would not be there when pedaling easy or spinning the crank. Couldn't find anything wrong either but when I took the crank off and turned the BB spindle by hand I definately felt more drag than I thought I should. I replaced it (it was a cartridge BB) and the noise went away.

Double check the alignment or your rear wheel. Sometimes a less than properly tightened skewer allows the wheel to slip off center and cause a "bump."

Foot or something on the pedal catching on something on stay/end of brake cable/frame/pump?

- Wil

Double check the alignment or your rear wheel. Sometimes a less than properly tightened skewer allows the wheel to slip off center and cause a "bump."I checked that right away, but no slip, no rubbing or bumping.


Foot or something on the pedal catching on something on stay/end of brake cable/frame/pump?I checked this too. Thing is, it only happened when I was applying pressure. I could keep my feet in the exact same place and pedal easy and no bump.

If it happens when the left foot is by the chainstay that means it is occuring when your right foot is applying power. Also check all the chainring bolts.

If it happens when the left foot is by the chainstay that means it is occuring when your right foot is applying power. Also check all the chainring bolts.I haven't checked those bolts. I'll do that tomorrow. The weird thing is that I only feel it with my left foot. The right doesn't feel it at all.

Bolts are all tight. I took her out for a quick 2 mile checkout and the catch is still there. I'm going to have to explore inside the bottom bracket, I'm afraid.