Bottom Bracket "pops/creaks" when spinning backwards?
 

I have an Ultegra crankset, not sure what bottom bracket (LaPierre Pulsium). If I spin the crankset backwards, I can feel a light hollow sounding 'click' or 'pop'. Is this normal? This is a brand new bike. It doesn't make this noise when spinning it forwards.

It's a lot less noisier than the freehub... you can kind of hear it in the background. You can hear it more clearly towards the end of the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxEYMBHzFGM

I'm also hearing creaking when I pedal hard over rough roads. Any idea what this could be? Is this related to the crank?

I can definitely hear it. If its a new bike, why not take it back to the LBS or store?

Online order direct from manufacturer.

What manufacturer?

LaPierre, through promotive. If it's something big I can probably get it warrantied but if it's something simple or common, I might try to get it fixed locally/myself.

Process of elimination ... if you remove the chain from the crank and spin it backwards, does it still make the noise? if yes, then it is crank/bottom bracket/pedal related. If no, then it is somewhere else in the drivetrain.

That's actually good advice, I didn't even think of that. I'll remove the chain tomorrow when I have a bit more time.

I played around with the gearing, and the noise level changes based on the gear ratio. Happens in both large and small crank, but with different rear cogs. Could it just be that the drivetrain just needs to be tuned? It shifts without issue but I haven't touched it since putting it together.

Most likely.
Shift the chain to one of the middle cogs in the cassette.
Look at it straight on from the back. The chain should be as close as it can get to the next larger cog but you should still be able to see a sliver of light in the gap.

Adjust the barrel adjust to fine tune the RD position.

I checked the clearance on the rear cog and there's space on both sides of the chain.

I did notice that the chain "skips" on the rear cog whenever I rotate it backwards. It doesn't do this going forward. I think this is what's causing the popping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ0hD4hPBQg

How do I fix this?

It's a stiff link or wrong/incorrectly installed master link.

Figure out which link is skipping. Does it look like every other link in the chain or different? What brand chain?

Usually a gentle side to side wiggle will loosen it up.

Seems like every other link is skipping. I think that's why it's making so much "popping" noise when I spin the crank.

Not that I know for sure, but I swear it didn't do this when I first put it together, either.

Are you SURE you have the right chain for your setup?

That is 11 speed on 11 speed or 10 speed on 10 speed, etc...

It's a brand new bike out of the box. Unless the factory screwed it up.

Noise Diagnosis - Album on Imgur

Here's an album of my pictures when I checked derailleur alignment. It rides fine in the forward direction. At this point, unless someone has a good idea I'll bring it to a shop for a quick lookover.

Don't spin it backwards

Have you done this yet, @ShadowGray? Very important for the diagnostic process. ;)

I haven't removed the chain yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to remove the chain. If I remove the chain link, do I have to replace that pin/link? I have a chain tool but no spare pins.

Also, I know it's not the same, but I removed the wheel and tried to spin the crank backwards. The rear derailleur seems to be "jumping" every few links:

Take the chain off the chain wheel in the front, push it toward the frame. Spin crank without chain on it.
""Also, I know it's not the same, but I removed the wheel and tried to spin the crank backwards. The rear derailleur seems to be "jumping" every few links:""
Well, yes. Don't do that.
You are hearing noise from cross chaining while pedaling in reverse. Don't cross chain.

Just tried it. Can't spin as fast because I have to hold the chain out of the way, but it seems to spin fine without the chain.

You don't have to hold it out of the way. Let it sit on the frame Bottom Bracket.

This. Drive trains of rear-derailleur-equipped bikes are designed to operate correctly spinning forward. Whether or not spinning backward works as well as spinning forward has never been a concern of bike component designers and is utterly irrelevant.

Pardon the car comparison, but this issue is equivalent to going on a car forum and complaining that shifting an automatic transmission from Drive to Park at highway speed doesn't seem to work out as well as it should.

Now we're getting somewhere! I was skeptical that the bottom bracket itself was the cause of this knock. My hunch, based on what I've seen with my bikes in the past: if the rear derailleur is a little crooked due to the RD hanger being bent or the RD itself being a little bent, the jockey pulley will gradually move to one side of its floating range and stay there until something comes along to free it momentarily, causing the knock. It's a benign thing as long as your bike shifts and stays in gear properly (pedalling forward). If you have a very resonant frame, it'll amplify noises like this.