Bicycle Mechanics - Creaking Bike - Last Desperate Request for Advice

Alright guys, I've got a creaking noise that I simply cannot pin down. I've tried everything I can think of, but it keeps coming back. Here is a description of the noise:

It is a creaking noise, similar to what you would expect from a flexing frame, or a taught brake cable forcing the housing to rub on something. It is actually a creak, not a squeak or a click. It seems to be timed with my pedal stroke and is most noticeable when I am climbing or pushing hard on the pedals. When I apply significant pressure to the right pedal in the forward position while stopped, I can make it creak as the frame flexes.

Now, here is a list of things I've tired and notes I've taken:

There are no noticeable cracks in the frame.
I have regreased the seatpost.
I have repacked the bottom bracket twice.
I have swapped pedals--no change.
I don't use clipless pedals.
I have lubed all cables and component attachemnt points.
I have regreased the crank bolts, tightened them.
I tried greasing the spindle taper, and leaving it ungreased--both to no avail.
I have checked the handlebars and tightened everything there as best I can.
I have greased the contact points between spokes.
I have oiled the derailleurs and tightened every other nut and bolt I can find.

One special note: I recently removed the rear wheel to tighten a bearing cone. After putting the wheel back on, the noise temporarily went away. The noise is now back, but the bearing cone is still tight.

Some have told me it can be the BB taper as it is rounded off can make this noise, but the tapers still look pretty good.

Does anyone have any ideas of what to check?

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/creaks

Sheldon "Shhhh..." Brown

Bike info would be helpful.
What material is it made of?
My Ti bike over the years has taught me many lessons on creak detection.
If noise went a way when you fussed with the rear wheel try greasing the skewer.
Sounds weird but I've had many friends with front or rear creaks that they could not solve that this has worked for.

I've used a lesser excuse to buy a new bike.... ;)

Try cleaning the rear dropouts and the quick release.

inspect the stays for any hair line cracks. This can give your frame a lot of flex and in turn cause some areas to creak.

Is your frame aluminum? I had a Giant ocr3 that creaked like crazy, especially when standing on the pedals.

Check the rails of the saddle and I don't see the chainring bolts on your list. Have you pulled and greased the stem?

'nother link:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=123

Last time I came across one that was seemingly impossible to pin down, I finally fixed it by pulling the rr wheel, ripping the cassette apart, thoroughly cleaning the cogs spacers, and lockring, and then torquing the lockring to spec.

Dunno, still, what was going on there, but it worked.

Check the rails of the saddle and I don't see the chainring bolts on your list. Have you pulled and greased the stem?

I should have put those on the list as well.

I have checked/greased the seat rails and greased the stem.

I'll check on the other things mentioned above and get back to you.

You didn't mention checking the headset.

Lube your hub seals, Check your bottom bracket, (remove, clean threads, apply teflon tape), possibly you need a new bottom bracket as well. Grease your pedals where they thread in to the cranks.

You didn't mention checking the headset.

+1 That was where I was experiencing an annoying creak for weeks. LBS loosened the stem bolts---tightened the nut on top of the headset---and then retightened the stem bolts. Problem solved.

Handlebar/stem interface? FD clamp?

i had one bike that creaked and we could never find the problem, but it turned out to be the cartridge bearing in the rear hub creaking (outside of the bearing where it's pressed into the hub).

also could be the actual QR where it clamps to the dropout.

or a zillion other things.

my SS road bike has a creak I have yet to track down. nice thing about SS is there are far fewer parts that can creak. OTOH, you pedal a lot harder so it creaks more.

Handlebar/stem interface?

That would be my first guess too.

I had a ticking which is obviously different from yours but the link's here in case it gives you any ideas.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=240003

Hope this helps - I know how annoying this can be!

Another trick to try: if you have a rear derailleur hanger, remove it and put a thin coat of grease between it and the frame. This fixed an irritating click/creak on my giant XTC.

-dan

Hey, I have a similar problem! Never figured out WTF is going on. If I turn the pedals while off the bike, no sound. The creaking is sync-d to the pedal turning while I am on the bike, not to the wheel turning. And it happens mostly when I'm mashing or pedaling strongly. Got no clue what it is, in spite of Sheldon Brown's wonderful article on bike noizes.

Never occured to me the frame could be compormised. Hm.... I thought I'd have noticed that, though...??

Handlebar/stem interface? FD clamp?

I had that with my new Monocog build. I figured it out relatively quickly (after 3-4 rides). Never had that problem before, so I was a bit amazed at how tightening the stem plate helped.

My Specialized Stumpjumper did that. There are internal lugs in the frame that twist in the tubes when you apply enough torque. Specialized recommends pouring linseed oil in the tubes (tilt it so that it penetrates the offending lugs, in my case where the top and down tubes meet the headtube). I have to do it about once a year.

Check the chainring bolts. Take them out and grease the shoulders and threads.

Make sure that your front wheel QR is good and tight.

try another rear wheel

I have a creak in my saddle which seems like it's coming from a pedal.

My Specialized Stumpjumper did that. There are internal lugs in the frame that twist in the tubes when you apply enough torque. Specialized recommends pouring linseed oil in the tubes (tilt it so that it penetrates the offending lugs, in my case where the top and down tubes meet the headtube). I have to do it about once a year.

BTW, I forgot to mention how to check this... first try holding the seat in one hand and the handlebar or stem in the other, then push/pull them in opposite directions, as hard as you can (torque is key). If it creaks, the frame is likely the culprit. If you can't get enough torque that way, try straddling the bike (drop the seat) with the frame pinched between the knees and your hands on the bars, then try to twist the frame.

Just to give an update:

My chainring bolts are rivets, so I couldn't do anything with those. I greased the rear skewer, put the wheel back on, and haven't heard anything for about 70 miles.

I'm reluctant to say it's fixed, but it sure seems like it. Thanks to all who posted suggestions.

Your symptoms [actually your bike's] sound exactly like a failed TruVativ crank unit I had. The spindle-spider friction joint had come loose. Eventually, long after the beginning of the creek'r-eekers, I could detect the slightest lateral movement in the chainrings. SRAM replaced the unit without question.

I have a creak in my saddle which seems like it's coming from a pedal.

+1

I've had a creak for some time. Earlier this summer, I found a crack in the bottom bracket shell, so I swapped out the frame, expecting this to be the problem, but the creak remained. Last weekend, as I was riding along, CLUNK, the seat post broke right off! It broke on the post, but just below the bracket that holds the seat rails. About 5 inches of post were still sticking out of the frame. I'm very happy that when it broke, I was able to catch myself before sitting on the post; it looked very intimidating!

So, I rode home standing, then went to the bike shop to get a new post. I installed the post, went for a ride, and no creak! My speculation is that the creak was caused by a crack that was slowly getting bigger.

As to why the post would break, I'm speculating that this is because I have the seat pushed all the way back, so that all of the weight that I put on the saddle is behind the seat post, so that there is considerable torque on the post. Still, I would hope it would be strong enough to handle this. After all, this is a road bike, not a mtn bike.

Squeeky shoes?

This thread is pretty old. I figured out it was the rear skewer. I greased it and the squeak is gone.