rms13

Thanks to everyone's help here I finally completed my CAAD9 build last night. Had to get a new chain as some people predicated because I cut the first too short but now it's dialed in.

Went on the first ride today and was getting bad creaking when I stand out of the saddle to pedal. I know this usually points to bottom bracket. My bottom bracket is sram gxp and about a year old with moderate miles on it. I greased the threads before I installed it (maybe not enough grease). Thought I tightened it down well. After I heard the creaks, I tightened down the crank arm bolts to make sure that was not the culprit. This is a BB30 frame with an adapter which the previous owner said was installed by Cannondale at the factory.

Should I pull the bike apart tonight and re grease the BB and re install it? Or wait? Sheldon's website tells me that a somewhat loose BB will naturally tighten from riding (if that is even the issue). Should I ride for a few more days first?

HillRider

A loose bottom bracket (or any thing else) is not going to cure itself. Check the pedal threads, the crank arms, the bottom bracket threads and the handle bar and stem clamps. Any of these can be the source of creaks and noise.

rms13

Thanks. Just to be more specific, the creak seems to happen at the bottom of the pedal stroke on both sides which leads to be believe it's crank or bb

Velocivixen

Hmmmm. I never would have thought to check the handlebar stem & clamp as HillRider suggested. If you think about the way you grip the bars while standing & with each pedal stroke I think your weight shifts slightly from side to side and your grip on the handlebars provides some amount of torque. Not sure of the exact physics, but it makes sense to check those too, along with the other aspects mentioned. Interestd to hear what the OP finds.

Pibber

check any part that gets torqued while riding. if it's happening at the bottom of the stroke, it could be that your crank arms are a bit loose. i'm going through the same problem with a bike i just converted to SS. may have to replace the spindle in the BB if not the entire BB. it's from 84.

good luck OP.

rms13

I took off the crankset and bb and cleaned and regreased and packed more grease than before and tightened everything as far as I could and still happening. Also tightened all stem bolts but I have a carbon steerer so I am afraid to torque down too hard.One other variable is I broke of some shards of metal from the crank bolt (sram crankset).taking it off the old bike because it was so tight. I can still fully insert my 8mm allen and get plenty of torque so I know it's tight. Thoughts?

Pibber

possibly too much grease? maybe use less and add some loctite. maybe you too strong for it.

Northwestrider

You've likely already checked the pedals for tightness ?

Panthers007

Please don't use Locktite on the BB or cranks. If they have been overhauled properly - with new grease and bearings if it's an '84 - then you're problem is something else. It's a tough job, of elimination, to find such a noise. They can seem to be from one place, and end up being from someplace else altogether.

rms13

Checked pedals too. I'm not going to sweat the noise, just hope cranks don't explode. I'm sure my Watt output isn't too crazy

Northwestrider

No chance of the frame being cracked ? Sorry, but I just wanted to toss that out there. I have the impression its new, so I doubt that could be the source. but....

Dave Cutter

Shoes can creak as well.

rms13

Not new so sure there's a possibility. New to me. I think it's a 2009, guy only raced it once blah blah. I don't see any obvious cracks in the frame. I am curious if that BB30 to 68mm bottom bracket adapter could be part of the issue.

Eric S.

I had a mysterious creak in one of my bikes awhile back, albeit with a square-taper BB. It hadn't been removed in years (cartridge) and greasing the threads took care of the noise.

StevePGN10

Good point. A couple of years ago a squeak baffled me for a few days. Turned out the sole of my shoes tapered out and would rub the crank once per revolution. Moved my foot position out slightly and all was quiet again.

jin_yeugh

Check the chain ring bolts as well

rms13

So at this point I have tightened, greased and adjusted everything possible and still getting creaks.

Seems to be mostly when in the big chain ring, on somewhat level ground, standing up and mashing on the pedals. Not as bad when climbing and when I am in small ring climbing I don't hear any creaks at all.

I'm back to my original hypothesis that it's the BB30 to 68mm bottom bracket adapter. I have read about a lot of people getting creaking from those. Some people have suggested various adapter that are supposed to be better. Replacing the adapter will mean disassembling the bike and probably paying LBS to do it and I don't want to do that unless necessary. If the adapter is coming loose , am I at risk of destroying my frame? This is a used 2009 frame and I don't want to dump too much more money into it

asque2000

I had this same issue not two days ago. My LBS guys cleaned my bottom bracket, adjusted my pedals, and it didn't fix it. The found that my chainring bolt was loose, and that fixed it. Hope that helps!

rms13

Thanks. I have tightened down the chain ring bolts twice. I think one bolt might be stripped? Maybe that is the cause.

lungimsam

A 2009 frame?
I would get it checked over very carefully for frame cracks, especially the fork.

rms13

That is obviously worst case scenario. I checked it very carefully before building and I have checked it again and I can't see or feel any cracks

cyclist2000

I had a clicking noise caused by a cracked chain stay. I had one from not tightening the cranks enough, that changed when I got a torque wrench. and the last one was the pedal spindle in a new pair of pedals.

rms13

Assuming this is a crack in my headtube, I would assume the frame is junk ?

My wife is certain it's a deep scratch not a Crack. Most pictures I've seen of cracked headtubes start at top or bottom

rms13

Well, I was planning on going to the LBS tomorrow to have them cut my steerer tube so I guess I will get their opion

rpcleary

Definitely get the LBS opinion, but that would be a funky cracking pattern for either aluminum or carbon.