Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
FWIW, although you don't want a diagnosis, someone else with the same issue might. The creaking is from dry metal flexing against dry metal. The same sound sometimes comes from a crank set. Take it apart, add a little bearing grease, and it should go away. Super tightening doesn't work. The little bit of grease won't make your bars fall out.
another creak story fixed by grease. I had a bike with a sealed square taper bb that developed a creak. Annoyingly on a 80km ride one way, 80k back--creak creak creak. Two days of incessant creak every pedal stroke.
Spindle turned fine, not rough, so removed bb, cleaned out the sandy gunk in threads, greased with thick anti seize grease and voila, a few more years out of the bb and nice and quiet immediately.
Ymmv