Bicycle Mechanics - Clicking 105 bottom bracket

I only have about 350-400 miles on my new bike (on which I've already warrantied my free hub body) and my bottom bracket is clicking badly. I had my LBS look at it; they tightened it down a little, as it was loose. It took care of the clicking for about 5 miles of climbing, but after a few miles out of the saddle it's back with a fury. There's a lot of similar reviews on this bb reporting the same problem. Should I throw down the extra duckets and get an ultegra, or warranty this 105 piece??

105 should last alot longer than a mere 400 miles.

I'd recommend taking it back to the shop, having them remove it, apply grease/anti-seize, and properly torque it down.

Others have good luck using a combo of plumber's (teflon) tape AND grease, but ... if the threads are clean, the shell isn't cracked, the threads are lubed/anti-seize prep'd, and the torque is right ... that should stop the clicking.

Of course, if it's something else, you've got a diagnosis job on your hands.

ParkTool.com & SheldonBrown.com (we miss you, Captain) have excellent info for tracking down these elusive noises.

I agree with Neil wholeheartedly.
Just be absolutely certain that it is really your BB that is doing the creaking. the worst-case scenario is a cracked frame.

i had what i thought was BB clicking and creaking for a long time. i removed, cleaned, lubed and tightened just about everything on the bike. no dice. finally, when i got a new wheel set, i discovered that it was actually the rear hub causing the noise. it sucks if it is your BB, but it could be something else.

definitely seems to me that it is the bb since the clicking went away for a few miles after it was tightened. i think i'll have them disassemble and repack it and see if that resolves the issue...

Check all your interfaces:

Bottom bracket, cranks, chainrings, pedals.

I agree that the bb should be removed, lubed heavily or teflon taped and retorqued to spec (which is a LOT of torque). 105 bottom brackets should last thousands or tens of thousands of miles but it sounds (pun intended) like yours was never installed properly.

If you are having problems after your shop already tightened the bb AND had to warranty a hub, your shop's competence is a bit in question.

Not sure if it's common knowledge but one thing to bear in mind is that Shimano do not warrant any bottom brackets. A friend of mine had his 105 BB for a mere 50 miles and was told this...

Not sure if it's common knowledge but one thing to bear in mind is that Shimano do not warrant any bottom brackets. A friend of mine had his 105 BB for a mere 50 miles and was told this...

This doesn't seem to be Shimano's stated policy and it might be just what the bike shop told your friend because they didn't want to pursue a warranty claim.

I just checked Shimano's web site warranty statements as they apply to both the US and Europe. In neither case do they exclude bottom brackets (or anything else) from the warranty. They do exclude crash damage, and other damage caused by the buyer or installer but all Shimano items are fully warranted for two or three years depending on the product line.

My clicking noise turned out to be an extra ball bearing in one of the after-market pedals I had installed a few months earlier. I suppose a robot miscounted them.

I agree that the bb should be removed, lubed heavily or teflon taped and retorqued to spec (which is a LOT of torque). 105 bottom brackets should last thousands or tens of thousands of miles but it sounds (pun intended) like yours was never installed properly.

If you are having problems after your shop already tightened the bb AND had to warranty a hub, your shop's competence is a bit in question.


My thoughts exactly, especially the bit about my shop's competence. I'm still trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, but a poorly assembled bb is just that: poorly assembled. The bike's back in the shop now (for the fourth time in 300 miles). I'm dealing with a different mechanic this time and he seemed a little more interested in getting to the heart of the problem than the guy I'd dealt with for my hub (who wanted to send the bb off on warranty right away). Maybe he assembled the bike and is too proud to admit he may have done a shoddy job?? (Headset has also come loose; shifting took 75-100 miles to fine-tune). I have an appointment Wednesday at the shop across town, who are known to be the best wrenches, in case the guys at my shop strikeout again...I'll know tomorrow.:(

Remove, clean, regrease, and reinstall your seatpost. That seems to fix a lot of creaky bottom brackets.

Remove, clean, regrease, and reinstall your seatpost. That seems to fix a lot of creaky bottom brackets.

Do that every time I take my bike to the shop, as it won't fit in my trunk with the seat on. Definitely not the seatpost.

RESOLVED!! At long last, after 4 trips to bike shops, 3 different mechanics, 2 missed beautiful ride days, and one big pain in the *****. It was - as I'd figured - a poorly assembled bb. It's now re-greased and rolling smoothly; took it out for a hard fast 30 miler this evening and enjoyed the oh-so-beautiful song of rubber on asphalt, and nothing more...:):):)

Hi, do you mind me chipping in? I'm on a fast catch-up with current bike technology and happened to be looking at a diagram of the 105 chainset the other day. Is yours one of these sets with the axle permanently fixed to the RH crank, with two separate bearing cups? I'm interested in the comments about regreasing, because I've seen a lot of posts about modern "cartridge" BBs being a single assembly that you don't lube or adjust or anything. Is this something different?

Thanks, TonyS