Those forced to ride near me lately have commented that, though my bike is a thing of art and beauty, the very loud creaking that happens whenever I stand is not art, nor beauty, but downright annoying.
Imagine how I feel.
I have done everything I can think of. I've put lube on the dropouts, the seat post, the seat post binding bolt, the skewers, the stem bolts for the bars, the stem bolts to the steerer tube, the steerer tub bolt.
I hired a pro who took apart the bottom bracket. He was sure the sound was drive train related. We messed with the dérailleur.
I a flash of smartatude I thought "Cleats!" and greased and tightened them.... nope. It wasn't the pedals either.
"Maybe it's the hub!" sez I, but no, not the hub or, or gears. I swapped wheels and still had it.
Yesterday in the Wine Country Century Pete (Taxi777) casually says "It's the headset. I had that. You need to grease every washer, then put it back together" and then rode rode off to flirt with someone.
Kinda like superman ... a "My work here is done" sorta thing.
So this morning, after Tricia (MyLilPony) and I did a slow 20 mile recovery ride with lots of creaking I did as the TaxiMan suggested.
Guess what?
Yep.
Preliminary test results seem to indicate that our map-ignoring, photo-bombing, mad descending ride leader has, with no effort, solved a problem has been vexing the finest minds in the bicycling industry and brought us all one step closer to world peace.
http://curtis.corlew.com/hosting/peteGenius.jpg
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[...]and then rode rode off to flirt with someone.
Kinda like superman ... a "My work here is done" sorta thing.
:lol:
Didn't you say the noise persisted even when you were barely touching the bars? Must not have taken much to set it off.
cccorlew
:lol:
Didn't you say the noise persisted even when you were barely touching the bars? Must not have taken much to set it off.
Weird, huh? It might have been the spacers creaking when I flexed the frame, not when I tweaked the bars. We could never get a sound by hammering the bars when the bike wasn't moving. As a matter of fact, we could never get the sound doing by doing anything when I wasn't moving.
I just hope it's really gone. I've only done a short test, but didn't hear anything at all.
BlastRadius
Funny, I had that same creaking. Lubed the headset spacers, problem gone.
Thanks Pete!
Oooo that's one annoying thing gone with the wind!
Good on ya Pete!!
jonathanb715
Hey, Curtis,
Here's another thought if Pete's trick doesn't pan out - my Kestrel (a Talon) creaked constantly (ask BigBossMan - he put up with it on a 65 mile ride with me through Morgan Territory last fall). I had trouble figuring out what it was - until I replaced the seat post with one of the frame-specific ones that Kestrel sells. Getting rid of the shim that lets you use a standard round seat post did the trick for me.
JB
cccorlew
Hey, Curtis,
Here's another thought if Pete's trick doesn't pan out - my Kestrel (a Talon) creaked constantly (ask BigBossMan - he put up with it on a 65 mile ride with me through Morgan Territory last fall). I had trouble figuring out what it was - until I replaced the seat post with one of the frame-specific ones that Kestrel sells. Getting rid of the shim that lets you use a standard round seat post did the trick for me.
JB
I think I've got it. I did a couple of neighborhood climbs and didn't hear a thing.
I greased that shim for round seat posts when I was greasing everything I could find.
That darn aero post is about $150 or so. I don't think I'll be getting one. I'm not fast enough to need aero.
jonathanb715
I think I've got it. I did a couple of neighborhood climbs and didn't hear a thing.
I greased that shim for round seat posts when I was greasing everything I could find.
That darn aero post is about $150 or so. I don't think I'll be getting one. I'm not fast enough to need aero.
LOL - but you are faster than me.
For the Talon, they make an aluminum one that costs under $100. Worth every penny to get rid of that noise!
JB
sweetnsourbkr
Pete's my hero!
msincredible
I once had a weird sound every time I pedaled and then discovered it was from my shorts rubbing against my saddle. :o :p
x136
Heh, I have that on my fixed-gear bike, in a way. My pants will sometimes rub on the rear tire as I slow down.
More annoying was when my old shoes started falling apart, and a hard plastic piece stuck out far enough to hit the cranks on every revolution, slowing ruining the finish in that spot. :rolleyes:
genejockey
I've had a recurring mild creak with all my bikes. It took me a while to realize it was titanium saddle rails in an aluminum seatpost clamp. A little grease fixes it.
SesameCrunch
Eh, it wasn't such a big deal.
Pete should recognize the symptoms - He IS a loose headset!!! :D
SesameCrunch
I once had a weird sound every time I pedaled and then discovered it was from my shorts rubbing against my saddle. :o :p
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:
That's one of the funniest posts I've read on BF in a long time!
genejockey
There's a lesson in that post - no corduroy bike shorts
taxi777
I had another tick with my Klein that was driving me more nuts than I already am. I changed out the 105 pedals to Ultegra and that got rid of it. I put the 105's on my KHS and there was no creak at all. Maybe it was a little piece of sand in the threads or some crap just doesn't work with some crap. I think If you move the crap around enough things will eventually sync up and you'll have a totally perfect piece of crap that you can spend the rest of your life with...At least that's what Cathy says... : )
cccorlew
I had another tick with my Klein that was driving me more nuts than I already am. I changed out the 105 pedals to Ultegra and that got rid of it. I put the 105's on my KHS and there was no creak at all. Maybe it was a little piece of sand in the threads or some crap just doesn't work with some crap. I think If you move the crap around enough things will eventually sync up and you'll have a totally perfect piece of crap that you can spend the rest of your life with...At least that's what Cathy says... : )
What parts is she swapping around to achieve her goal??
Goatbiker
I had a rattle sound, very faint, but I would hear it when I was settled-in and looking straight ahead. I could hear it evenly in both ears, but when I turned or twisted this way or that to find it, I couldn't.
Turned out to be my flip-up sun glasses, vibrating against my frames in the wind. As close as the nose on my face. Literally.
taxi777
What parts is she swapping around to achieve her goal??
I aint tellin but my voice is higher and I've developed a lightness in my loafers...go figure