yuanja

I have a ITM 101 100mm with a ec90 slx aero handle bar. I don't hear any noise on the first 10 miles or so but as soon as I hit the 15 mile tough hill climb, when i get out of the saddle, the noise comes on very loud. Each down stroke, twisting, there is a creak. I think it's from the handle bar but I am not certain.

Any ideal how I can fix this? Could the 4 bolt handlebar clamp be an issue?

AEO

are you using carbon assembly paste?

KiddSisko

Another creak source within the headset area are pressure and friction points such as where the headset bearings contact the carbon steerer tube, or the carbon on carbon spacers. The headset bearing themselves may not be tight enough. Lightly lubing all the carbon surfaces in the headset often settles those creaks.

mud

I recently had a similar problem. I took everything apart and relubed, the creak was still there. I eventually found the source of noise while tightening the bolt on the stem
securing the handlebars. The threads inside the bolt hole had stripped and the bolt popped while tightening the opposite bolt.
Mud

ukie

I recently had exactly the same problem. I took apart the headset. It was in order. I lubed the cables and the noise was gone.

arakhnidef

Try greasing up the handlebar and stem where they both contact each other, happens to my handlebars overtime, when the water pushes out grease.

yuanja

Thank you all for your replies. No haven't used any assembly paste. I will get some and lube all of the carbon contact points.

Any recommendation on what carbon lube to use?

ripperj 

Finish Line carbon assembly paste

AEO

tacx carbon paste is also good I hear.

dalava

I would also do a simple check to see if there are cable rubs, though it doesn't explain why it would happen when you hit the 15 mph climbing speed. The last time I had the creaking noise, it took me days and taking bunch of stuff apart to no avail. And it was the cables rubbing each other inside the bar tape.

landshark

I had this problem a couple of months ago. I checked the tension of the four bolts on the clamp and found them to be a little off. Once I re-tightened them evenly, the noise went a way.

mr handy

Something else to try, is to put a little grease on the fork dropouts front and back cant hurt.

A while back I had a creak, I thought it was coming from the cranks, as it creaked with every peddle stroke, it turned out to be the wheel creaking in the rear dropout.

I also at one point had to re adjust the compression plug in my steerer and adjust my stem bolts to relieve a small creak, not sure exactly what was making the noise but its quiet now.

yuanja

Thanks all for all your feedback.

I have already tried the lubing of the dropouts and that didn't really help. I am getting some paste and will be redoing the whole headset, spacers, stem clamp and all. Hopefully all that will get rid of this creaking.

yuanja

Creaking was fixed by cleaning out, eventually replacing, the lower headset bearing. It was literally stuck. The first attempt was to clean it. When i took it out it didn't turn very well at all. I had to use a hammer to tap the bearing housing in their places. After riding it for like 2 weeks, the creaking came back.
After replacing the bearing with a new one the creaking was complete gone. And it has been more than 2 months.

Thanks all for the help.

italiaandyf

I suggest the problem might be that you're using a bar and stem from different manufacturers, ITM and Easton. I had a similar problem earlier in the year when I used a ritchey stem with an easton bar, and would get a creaking when climbing out of the saddle - the mechanic at the bike shop told me what the problem was, so I fitted bars and stem from Deda and the problem is solved.

gsteinb