Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - why are my cranks creaking?

i recently converted an old schwinn sprint into a fixed gear. it rides pretty smooth but theres this squeaking creaking sound coming from somewhere around the creanks/chainring when i pedal hard both on flat ground and going up hill. does anyone have any suggestions as to what this noise is and how to make it go away?

check your chain ring bolts and also check out your bottom bracket

being inexperienced in bike mechanics how would i go about checking the bottom bracket. the chainring bolts i can handle.

being inexperienced in bike mechanics how would i go about checking the bottom bracket. the chainring bolts i can handle.

BB's can be tool specific. Without knowing something about your specific BB and having the appropriate tools, I would just take it to a trusted LBS.

Also make sure your cranks are on tight.

did you grease the cranks before putting them on? did you grease your pedal threads before putting them on? MAY help.. hard to tell what your situation is.

Check your pedals

20 bucks says its your pedals, esp. if they are stock

20 bucks says its your pedals, esp. if they are stock

+1

the pedals arent stock but they need grease. i only had wd40 on hand when putting them on. but i cant imagine how the pedals coul-d be making these kinds of noises. but ill check this afternoon and pick up a tube of grease. are there any types of grease that will work better than others?

park grease or phils

i only had wd40 on hand when putting them on.

I think we found your problem. WD40 is not grease. Park and Pedro's brand are both great.

what are the cranks like and the bb? i would bring it to your lbs if unsure

the cranks are new suginos. and the bb was installed at the shop. the pedals are on tight. youre thinking its creaking just cause its not greased?

it's hard to say really...seems to me maybe the bb was not greased when installed...it's possible, your best bet is to take it back and have the shop check it out for you

did you grease the cranks before putting them on?

wait.. you're not implying he should be greasing the bb spindle tapers are you? that's a big no-no.

wouldn't that cause a crank arm to split?

Just get some lithium grease from any place that sells auto parts. You'd have to be mental to buy "special bike grease".

wait.. you're not implying he should be greasing the bb spindle tapers are you? that's a big no-no.


wouldn't that cause a crank arm to split?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/installing-cranks.html

20 bucks says its your pedals, esp. if they are stock

Or your knees.

the cranks are new suginos. and the bb was installed at the shop. the pedals are on tight. youre thinking its creaking just cause its not greased?

I had a strange creaking/clicking noise & when I let someone else ride my bike he said it sounded like the pedals. I wrote that off because my pedals were tight. However, when I got home I tightened the pedals a bit more & the noise completely went away. I was shocked. Just be careful not to overtighten.

WD-40 stands for Water Displacement (perfected on the 40th try). Despite what many people think, it is not a lube.

in my experience this is always the chainring bolts.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/installing-cranks.html

strangely enough i feel even less informed after reading that article.

wait.. you're not implying he should be greasing the bb spindle tapers are you? that's a big no-no.

I was. And the article agreed with me.

if its not your pedals/chainring bolts/

Check the Stem/then seat post

Then check the BB

WD-40 Is worse than no lube in my experience. its just vegetable oil in an aerosol can, i'd sooner bust out bacon grease Jar

And from what i've heard From more than a few mechanics is that lubing the BB spindle will not make REAL difference +/-, providing the cranks are installed properly, some of the wrenches at the shop i work for do some don't.

if its not your pedals/chainring bolts/
WD-40 Is worse than no lube in my experience. its just vegetable oil in an aerosol can, i'd sooner bust out bacon grease Jar

lol gtfo with that ****, its much more complicated than that. its just not suited for this situation aparantly

true, its actually 80% kerosene which acts as a solvent and evaporates within a day or so and some mineral oil(15%). I find WD due to its high solvent\actual Lube content draws a lot of dirt into what ever you are trying to lube, and just generally makes sticky Dirt collecting mess of anything. In this instance some Crisco/shortening really would have been better, not that I'm really recommending but if they where my pedals and i had to choose, i would use a butter over WD

Creaks from the bb are not that hard to diagnose or fix but you usually have to test the bike under load.

Swap in some pedals you know are 100% and go for a ride...if there is still a creak then it's not the pedals.

Check the chain ring bolts and go for a test ride, if there is a still a creak, it's probably in the bb.

The bb threads should be greased and I always install crank arms without grease. *

Seat posts and saddle clamps can also generate some creaks and squeaks that may seem to be coming from farther down so check those too.

* We could debate the greased vs un-greased spindle thing all day... greasing the spindle is not an issue if the crank is installed properly.

The first thing to do when you hear squeaks coming from below you is test it riding sitting and standing up. If the noise disappears when you're standing, it's your saddle rails. Grease them and you're set.

You might be 100% absolutely convinced the sound is coming from the bottom of your bike, but it is impossible to tell.

well i just checked my seat post and saddle re assembled it greased it put it back together super tight. did the same with the pedals greased them tightened them to the max. the creak is still there not as bad as it was but it is still there. im going to try swapping pedals from another bike i have which doesnt have this problem. and if the noise is still there im gonna take it to the shop tommorow. thanks for everyones help

I had creaking on one of my bikes and it turned out to be two things:
1. Loose retaining nut on pedal axle - I took it apart and rebuilt
2. Seat rails - sounds silly, but when I greased the seat rails, it made the bike quieter. I got the idea on the mechanics forum.

Definitely coming from the front hub... maybe the headset. Or, possibly your grips. At any rate it's for certain coming from the frame.

Only you can figure it out for sure. Maybe with the local bike shop's help... online forums are useless for diagnosing sounds from a bicycle.

wtf ?@ ^

Definitely coming from the front hub... maybe the headset. Or, possibly your grips. At any rate it's for certain coming from the frame.

Only you can figure it out for sure. Maybe with the local bike shop's help... online forums are useless for diagnosing sounds from a bicycle.

Or the seat if were not gonna listen where he said it was coming from.

Or the seat if were not gonna listen where he said it was coming from.

That's my point. Post 31 already recommended the seat :lol:.
It's going on three pages now. HOW MANY posts like this are there? And who HASN"T had a creak coming from the BB "area" at some point. If all this advice can't help him figure it out, then that bike will creak for a long time.

Just get some lithium grease from any place that sells auto parts. You'd have to be mental to buy "special bike grease".

I've used lithium grease for other applications, and while it certainly isn't a bad grease, it isn't as thick as Phil's bike grease and I doubt it holds up to water as well. Considering Phil's grease is roughly the same price as white lithium grease, I don't see why you wouldn't just go with a thicker water proof grease over white lithium.

marine trailer wheel bearing grease ftw!
Cheap at an auto parts store. Amber in color, waterproof, and sticks to everything

marine trailer wheel bearing grease ftw!
Cheap at an auto parts store. F**k yes.


in my experience this is always the chainring bolts. Well in my experience this is always the pedals. I have never experienced a chainring bolt loose enough to make noise.

I've used lithium grease for other applications, and while it certainly isn't a bad grease, it isn't as thick as Phil's bike grease and I doubt it holds up to water as well. Considering Phil's grease is roughly the same price as white lithium grease, I don't see why you wouldn't just go with a thicker water proof grease over white lithium.

Wow! Waterproof grease? What will they think of next? :lol:

it turns out it was the bottom bracket. which i dont know how cause when i built the bike the mechanic at the shop installed a new bottom bracket. anyway its riding great now thanks for everyones help