Clicking frame
04-08-02 | 07:43 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
From: New Castle, IN
Bikes: Cannondale R600, Huffy 10-speed, and a Mongoose
Clicking frame
During my ride on Sunday, my bike (a 1996 Cannondale R500 with 7300 miles on the frame) developed a clicking sound near the bottom bracket. At first I thought it was the bracket, but once I got home and put it on my repair stand, I found that it sounds like it is coming from the frame a few inches up towards the handlebars from the bottom bracket. I inspected the area, but found no cracks.
I am planning on taking the bike to the local bike shop before I ride it again. I was hoping that maybe someone here had experienced something similiar. Since this is my first aluminum frame, is this normal when under moderate to high torque?
Thanks.
I am planning on taking the bike to the local bike shop before I ride it again. I was hoping that maybe someone here had experienced something similiar. Since this is my first aluminum frame, is this normal when under moderate to high torque?
Thanks.
04-08-02 | 05:01 PM
#2
feros ferio
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 22,398
Likes: 1,865
From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
A cracked downtube could generate the sound you are hearing.
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
04-13-02 | 10:11 PM
#3
Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Morgan Hill, California "Henry Coe Country"
I just got a new TREK aluminum frame under warranty. I had a clicking sound driving me crazy. When I got it on my stand that only holds the seatpost you could reproduce the sound by moving the frame around. No cracks were visible.
Nice to get a brand spankin new ALPHA SLR frame to replace the standard aluminum frame that cracked
Nice to get a brand spankin new ALPHA SLR frame to replace the standard aluminum frame that cracked
04-14-02 | 07:39 AM
#4
human
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,562
Likes: 2
From: living in the moment
Bikes: 2005 Litespeed Teramo, 2000 Marinoni Leggero, 2001 Kona Major Jake (with Campy Centaur), 1997 Specialized S-Works M2, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper
Two things to remember about aluminum frames:
1. They are extremely noisy when compared to steel.
2. They conduct sound extremely efficiently.
That means that some noise is inevitable. You can minimize this by greasing bolts and contact points [seatpost, saddle rails, stem/handlebar clamp, etc.] It also means that the noise can be comong from almost anywhere on the bike, but is being transmitted at equal volume to every other squeal and click The noise could be just as easily a loose chainring bolt transmitted through the BB and the frame, hup the downtube to your handlebars, or it could be the seatpost clamp moving against the saddle rails, or it could be a crack in the frame. lopcating the source of a noise in an aluminum frame is a lesson in frustration.
1. They are extremely noisy when compared to steel.
2. They conduct sound extremely efficiently.
That means that some noise is inevitable. You can minimize this by greasing bolts and contact points [seatpost, saddle rails, stem/handlebar clamp, etc.] It also means that the noise can be comong from almost anywhere on the bike, but is being transmitted at equal volume to every other squeal and click The noise could be just as easily a loose chainring bolt transmitted through the BB and the frame, hup the downtube to your handlebars, or it could be the seatpost clamp moving against the saddle rails, or it could be a crack in the frame. lopcating the source of a noise in an aluminum frame is a lesson in frustration.
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when walking, just walk. when sitting, just sit. when riding, just ride. above all, don't wobble.
The Irregular Cycling Club of Montreal
Cycling irregularly since 2002
when walking, just walk. when sitting, just sit. when riding, just ride. above all, don't wobble.
The Irregular Cycling Club of Montreal
Cycling irregularly since 2002
04-14-02 | 10:34 AM
#5
Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Morgan Hill, California "Henry Coe Country"
velocipedio is right. Aluminum has very different properties than steel and sometimes gives you problems.
In my case, the head mechanic at a very good bike shop in the area had attempted to put some loc-tite into the frame from the BB. He said most of the time you can cure the frame from clicking if you did this. But, there has to be a hole through the BB into the frame's innards to squirt the loc-tite through. My TREK didn't have the hole so they couldn't perform the loc-tite magic.
Since it was under warranty they shipped it to Wisconsin and it got replaced. If you have a warranty, work it. If not, maybe a tube of loc-tite isn't such a bad idea...
Anybody ever try this? Did it work?
In my case, the head mechanic at a very good bike shop in the area had attempted to put some loc-tite into the frame from the BB. He said most of the time you can cure the frame from clicking if you did this. But, there has to be a hole through the BB into the frame's innards to squirt the loc-tite through. My TREK didn't have the hole so they couldn't perform the loc-tite magic.
Since it was under warranty they shipped it to Wisconsin and it got replaced. If you have a warranty, work it. If not, maybe a tube of loc-tite isn't such a bad idea...
Anybody ever try this? Did it work?
