RandomTroll

Sometimes (not always) I hear a click when I pedal. Sometimes I hear nothing for miles; sometimes I hear it for a few turns then it stops; sometimes it lasts for miles. Neither the chainrings nor the chain hit the front derailleur. Sometimes it happens only when I crank hard; sometimes it happens when I wait at a stop and move the crank arm backwards a few degrees. It sounds like it happens in the front part of the power train, but I could be wrong.

I have replaced the bottom bracket, pedals, chainrings, chain, cassette, and rear derailleur: the only thing I haven't replaced are the crank arms (or the frame). It could come from them: perhaps I over-tightened the bolt(s) and cracked one or both of the crank arms. I have looked closely and can't see anything wrong with them. When I pedal with 1 foot only I can't make it happen, but it won't happen for either foot. That I can get it to happen occasionally even when I pedal backwards (i.e., not moving the chain) a few degrees would seem to be inconsistent with a cracked crank. I broke the braze where the seat tube enters the bottom bracket on a previous bike, so I can do that much damage. That was a steel lug frame: I just brazed it back together. This bicycle has an aluminum frame. I don't see anything wrong with it either (except it's ugly).

I have a self-made touring bicycle, a 16-year-old Shimano 105 crank, a relatively-new Shimano bottom bracket, a variety of pedals, chains, and cassettes (currently a Shimano HG 50)

snafu21

The fork is loose.

blamp28

Grease your seat rails. I know it sounds silly but I have seen this cause a noise like the one you are describing. Noises travel.

slyjackson

I am curious on this since I have the same problem and I have done the same exact things you have to correct it and I still have the click sound. Its driving me nuts too.
Its not that my fork is loose or my rails need grease either, both of these suggestions have been looked at and performed.

truman

This. Seatpost too.

RandomTroll

I removed the seat & seatpost: no change.

The fork is properly mounted.

pacificaslim

Wheel skewers? Of course if you've had the wheels on and off a million times it's unlikely to be that, but it's worth looking at...

Zmony

Chain ring bolts lubed and tight?

canopus 

I have had this on occasion, especially when I used a triple FD on a Compact crank, but it can happen with anything. It was caused by having the FD stop moved so far out to allow the middle to large shift that the FD cage would hit the inside if the crank arm if I was on the large chainring. If I didn't force it, it wouldn't move out far enough to cause the clicking noise.

I also had a click/creak that sounded like it was coming from the bottom bracket but it was actually my sealed headset, it was slightly loose, and it would creak when pedaling hard.

truman

Other sources I cna think of to check could be loose/dry chainring bolts, loose/dry bottle cage bolts, a bent chain link or unseated chain roller pin, a cracked sole plate in a cycling shoe, a front derailleur cable end whacking the crankarm as it passes, a not-tight-enough rear skewer and a cracked frame.

BikingGrad80

I had a chain that was squeaking at the crankset. I was using a teflon wax lube and I guess too much built up and made the chain stiff and squeaky. I cleaned the chain thuroughly with solvent and reoiled and the sound went away.

RandomTroll

I replaced the crank, cassette, chain, and pedals: the noise persisted. I built another rear wheel (new rim, old hub and spokes out of my inventory) and cured the noise. Silent riding is a joy.

JohnnyCyclist

I get a click when hammering, otherwise silence.

I say @$#! it, when it gets worse I'll look into it. I'm happy my drivetrain is silent enough for me to hear a little "click".