Hi all, I have a really disturbing popping sound coming from my crank (or so it appears). I would love to drop my bike off at my LBS, but they are days behind and I hate to be without my bike for that long. I am hoping to get some ideas from you all on how to fix this.
When I am sitting and pedaling on level ground, the crank is pretty quiet. However, when I am pedaling hard or going up a hill, this terrible popping sound starts and it feels like it's coming from the crank. At first, it only happened when the right pedal was about 2:00 as you face the bikes right side. Now it seems to be happening on both sides, more often, and much louder. My friends and I did a 31 mile greenway/street ride yesterday and it got progressively worse as the day went on. At the end, it was downright embarrassing it was so loud. Nothing seems loose, and the bike doesn't seem to be malfunctioning at all. Shifting is smooth.
Any ideas? I haven't really tinkered with it closely, but I plan to tonight. Will be glad to post pictures or clarify anything.
General info:
Bike: Trek 4500
Me: 6'0'', 260lbs <- likely a huge factor
Thanks for any ideas you may have.