Same problem, two clicks per crank revolution. Checked everthing, no luck. Later I removed the adheadset headset just to clean and relube. The freaking headset was clicking in response to my pedaling....yet the sound came from the bottom bracket...honest...good luck

Threadless headset adjustment. Considering how many of these I've done, it's a bit daft asking now, but just in case I'm getting it all wrong, how do you adjust one? I know the mechanics of the job (that wee allen key on top of the headset), but how tight do you do the thing up?

Richard
ps both Park Tools and Sheldon Brown have avoided this one

Just tight enough to hold it in place without play. The stem bolts hold it tight, not the headset bolt.

Thanks mate. That's what I've been doing (rats, another option out the window )

The other beauty of redoing the headset is that I can do it easily tonight and test it tomorrow on the commute. When it doesn't work, I can put another pair of pedals on for the next day. When that doesn't work, I've got all day friday to snarl about it before doing the cranks on the weekend. When that doesn't work, I can do a one week sale on ebay and get rid of the problem that way

Richard

Add another vote for the pedals!

I installed a pair of shmano 540s on my Paramount and the first day out..click click click.
Removed the pedals and installed the old road 515s..no click click click.
I tore the 540s down and regreased the entire setup and the click click click stopped..for a week.

I noticed that when I positioned my foot differently the click would diminish a bit.

This is the most frequent source of "phantom" clicking. If you have any cable ends or other bits on the bike that can contact the frame, the sound can be "telegraphed" through the frame. Sound can be annoying, transient, relatively easy to spot - and easy to overlook as you concentrate on big, complicated areas like pedals, headsets and bottom brackets.

My most mysterious click to date ended when I tightened the cleat tension on my SPD-SL pedals. Go figure!

I REALLY sympathize with the effort it took to get it fitting right! I also think the others have pointed you at all the potential problems I could have thought of.

What I've finally learned to do is measure the position of each part when I loosen it, and if necessary mark the part with a piece of electrical tape so I can get it put back on exactly the same way. If I do this with 80% of the parts and pay attention to my notes 80% of the time, I get 'bout 60% of my parts back in the right place on the first try. Saves a lot more grumping on my part and back-grumping by Mrs. Road Fan, who still thinks it's just a bicycle.

Road Fan

Bloody bicycles.

I pulled the headset apart last night (didn't remove the bearings, just dropped the fork - mistake?). Greased everything. Tried to convince myself that the thing was adjusted properly. Did everything up.

One thing I noticed which I hadn't before. Under the top bearing dust cap (?) there's a plastic bush that presses down on top of the bearing. This has a break in it. It's a clean break, it's a tight fit around the steerer tube and the break expands slightly when it's pressed onto the steerer so I suspect it's supposed to be there, but don't remember it. It's a Ritchey headset. Can anyone confirm that this break is supposed to be there? Does it matter where that break sits (front, back, one side). The headset all looks right, I'm just feeling panicy looking for problems to fix.

Ride to work this morning?

Still clicking but the noise has changed - it's softer, muted almost, but still there. I'm wondering if it's worth just pulling the top bolt down a quarter turn at lunch time (after loosening the neck of course, then resetting it, then finding it's not central, then resetting it).

I've also looked closely at the cables, particularly the gear cable outers from the bars to the frame which have been the source of clicks in the past. Last weekend, before all this this noise went beserk on me, I shortened them (the set up changes had left them too long) and replaced the end bits on the outers with plastic ones rather than the metal I'd been using - I really don't think it's the cable ends. One gear cable now touches the front brake cable but again, looking at it when riding I don't think that's the problem either. Unless it's the rear dr cable outer at the back end of the bike ... I haven't looked at that and it was disturbed while doing the cables on the weekend so another job for lunchtime.

If tightening the headstem doesn't work, I'll swap the pedals tonight - easy to do, just steal them from the Europa
Listening to the noise this morning, it's really easy to believe it's pedals ... which guarantees it's something else doesn't it.

I must be in a good mood today, I'm almost enjoying this now.

Richard

And you know that you've got people around the globe riding with you - in spirit, at least.

Unfortunately, riding in spirit is the only riding I'll be doing for a while with the way the weather is getting colder here....

Two other areas to check but according to your description #2 might be the one. I had this issue with my new wheelset.

1) Check the cassette.
Is it loose? A loose cassette will generate clicks.
Is one cog loose? A cog not properly inserted on the hub (possible with Campy) will make a clicking noise when in use as it is allowed to make a back and forth small revolution on the hub.

2) Are you using tubes with threadless stems. My Michelin tube stem made noise on rough roads as they were banging on the rim wall. Pinch the stem between two fingers and shake them, if they make a rattle noise use a tubes with threaded stems or use some tape.

That's one I didn't know about
It's an SRAM cassette - the bottom 8 cogs are in one unit with the last one loose (I think, maybe 2). It's been on for about 600km so is possibly due for something like this (doncha love the mix of ages in what is essentially a nearly new bike, the joys of building your own bike from bits )

I am actually, however, these tubes have been in there since the bike hit the road 1,300 kms ago so I don't think it's them. However, I will check and bear it in mind for the future because I think they are a really really good idea (because you can get your pump on and off easily )

The noise is not confined to rough roads - it will do it quite happily on a brand new, dead smooth bike path the local council just put in (they must've been having an off day or had a new bloke working for them because their new paths are usually horrendous).

Richard

Spirits is good, especially Scotch though you'd be amazed what I can choke down when bikes start picking on me.

Richard

Just took a wander down to the bike locker - the valve stems don't rattle if the wheel is shaken or dropped or anything however, if you grab the stem with your fingers, you can move it around. I suspect though, that the tension in the rubber tube would prevent any real tapping, particularly of the frequency I'm getting. The rims are Velocity Deep V so there's a fair gap between where the tube actually sits and the hole in the outer rim and this might affect things too.

I had hoped to check the cassette for obvious looseness but that wasn't going to happen without removing the wheel and seeing I didn't have the right tool to tighten the thing with me, I didn't bother - on the list for next effort at home though, regardless of whether other attempts fail.

Richard

europa, I had a similar clicking with my Jamis Zenith Comp starting at about 1500 miles. It was the FSA mega exo external bearing BB. My tech just tightened the BB and no more clicking. Man, he really torqued it.

I know how annoying that click can be. Hope you find the source.

I think someone might have mentioned this possibility previously, but I had a similar 'clicking' under power that I could tell was coming from the headset/bars/front of the bike area.

Turned out it was the top cap where it sat on the top of the stem....it was tight, but was rubbing when I pulled or pushed on the handlebars. Putting a little grease on the underside of the top cap/top of the stem took care of it.

To test this out, after you have adjusted the pre-load on the headset bearings and tightened the stem bolts, loosen and remove the top cap, as it is not really needed except to crank in the pre-load on the bearings. Go for a ride and see if the noise is gone. If so, put a little grease on the bottom of the top cap/top of the stem area, and snug it back down again.

Chances are this is a dust seal, and is not critical. It should not be allowed to affect how freely the headset rotates, so you can feel the correct adjustment point. The headset should be adjusted just tight enough that there is no play under real-world stresses, but also no binding or sluggishness all 'round the circle. Any tighter is really too tight. A quarter-turn might be too much.

Steel bikes conduct sound from any point to any other point, except perhaps across the headset bearing. The fact that while riding it sounds like a pedal does not mean it's caused by a pedal. It also doesn't mean it's NOT caused by a pedal.

Road Fan

You all thought I was going to post back with a story of things tried, a problem found and the bicycle rolling sweet and silent didn't you ...

HAH!

The rotten noise has NOT gone away. It has however, become muted ie, it's less loud, but it's still there and still clear. Coupled with that, it's returned to being intermittent. When it's there, it's happening roughly twice per pedal revolution but it's quiet and disappears for long periods, not enough to pronounce a cure and not enough to attempt a diagnosis.

What have I done? The muting started after I re-greased the headset but the manner in which that occured, the frequency at the time and the way it dropped off later all suggests that was a coincidence.

Yes, I did tighten the headset a quarter turn and yes, it was probably an eigth of a turn too much. What are the dangers of a slightly over tensioned headset? When hanging free, the steering turns freely but has a hint of sluggishness which is why I think I went a smidgeon too far.

I also pulled the rear wheel to check if the rear cassette was loose. It wasn't ... but I could pull it down tighter, which I did, all the time feeling as though I was simply overtightening the thing.

And during all this, I've had the muting and decrease in frequency. It's like being stalked by a nutter who's realised you're watching him and has retreated into the shadows ... only you know he's still there.

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

The next step should be to pull the pedals but I'm not sure I feel like it now. Besides, now that I've read up on rebuilding them (I'm using M324's with the clips removed and toe-clips fitted), I'm tempted to give that a go regardless of whether it's the problem or not. I know, I'm a mug and a sucker, but it keeps me from going mad.

Bloody push bikes. I think I'll take up something simple ... like rocket science or brain surgery.

Richard
making his life complicated so you don't have to

I'd take out my hearing aids, or if you don't wear them, perhaps put in ear plugs. One good thing about all of this is that your bike is getting a pretty detailed going over.

One thing that I don't think has been submitted yet. Did you remove the skewers and grease the shafts?

Remove the pedals.

Grease the threads.

Replace the pedals and torque to manufacturer's spec.


That has solved every click-while-pedaling sound I ever had.

.

Lubricate the nut sitting on the saddle- About 1/2 bottle of scotch should work.

One more thing to worry over:
Do you wear cleats? Try a short ride without them.

Should I do this before or after the ride?

Richard