This board is a bad influence.
 

So I bought a Giant OCR C3 last year. It has been an awesome ride for me. It is full 105 for the shifting, with no name brakes, SRAM Cassette, and a Truvativ triple crank.

So yesterday I took a ride in the BEAUTIFUL weather and started getting an annoying creak-click when I was pedaling hard. So I figured I would throw it on the stand and troubleshoot when I got home. I did some troubleshooting on the ride and am pretty sure it isn't pedals, but I haven't had time to check things out yet.

I got to thinking that since the crank is kinda low end, maybe I would just upgrade it to something nicer. I spent about half of my bike budget last year (great deal). And if I did that I would just put on a compact. Not that I am anti triple, but it seemed to make sense.

So I start looking at compact cranks. And the Shimano is a few hundred, once I add up the cranks and new BB. Then I head over to Probikekit and see that they have the Rival group for $460. Suddenly I am considering an entire group change.

So suddenly I realize, how did a simple Crank troubleshooting balloon into a group change. Oh yea, so I could post the build on BF.net. :D

-D

It's a sickness, ain't it!

Just like my Dad says: "If it isn't broken, it will be soon, so upgrade it."

When I was choosing my addiction, I had the choice between cycling and heroin. Unfortunately for me I chose the one that's more addictive, more costly and doesn't have a rehab program. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to commit some morally questionably acts to finance my habit.

I've had the same kind of creak/click when pedaling hard/out of the saddle. After extensive checking, i think it's from the wheel, namely the spokes. maybe that'll help you in your troubleshooting. Try pushing hard on your handlebars to see if it's a BB/pedals thing or the front end of the bike problem.

Actually, it could also be that the crank arm has a hairline fracture and is about to fail. I had a clicking sound on the downstroke for about a month, then when I was climbing a hill, the arm failed and I went right over. I would ride, and hear a click-click that went right in time to the downstroke of my left foot. I couldn't pinpoint it, and thought it was either the pedal or my shoelace hitting the crank arm just hard enough to make the click sound. It turned out it was the right crank arm, and the click would occur as my right foot was at the beginning of the downstroke. It sounded like the left, but it was actually the right. Weird.

Pretty sure it is crank BB area. I was testing by locking the brakes and pushing down slightly on the cranks. And I was pushing direcly on the crank, not the pedal, which is why I am pretty sure it isn't the pedals.

-D

Figuring out where clicking comes from is an art, not a science.

Try unclipping one side and pedalling with the other, and vice versa, to narrow it down. Most of my clicking problems have been with my Shimano SPD-SL pedals, and yes, often times when is sounds like the right side crank, it's the left side pedal etc.

had the same problem, only heard it when right foot was clipped in. Sprayed some lube on my pedal and cleat and no more clicking.

I agree with the spoke theory. Spokes get fractures, then let go. I've been accused of being a big galute that is non-bikable but all it makes me is a better replacer of stressed parts.

FWIW, I got the Shimano FC-R700 shipped to my door for $243. That didn't include the BB. It was delivered the day after I ordered it :D

guys, you are all wrong. his derailleur hanger is loose, or his chainrings are.

I know the hanger is solid. I just had the bike on the stand before this ride adjusting the FD. I was getting a little rub in the small ring. But i wouldn't put it past the Chainrings being loose. I will check it all tonight.

-D

Check that price again for the Rival gruppo. British pounds are not dollars. I think the price is closer to $800.

The truvativ crank is a good piece of equipment, but their bottom brackets are notorious for being crappy.
Look in to the BB for your clicking.

I am riding rival right now and love it! Just follow your instincts... the gods of OCP will tell you what to do.

whoops. ok $570 on ebay. :D

:) not bad

i'd bet your bb is just a little dry in the shell. pull it, clean, and regrease the threads. while you're at it, check the chainring bolts, grease the pedal threads and bb splines, and chances are your creak will be gone.
of course first check the little things like valve stem nuts, bottle cage bolts, etc.

Yea I know, that was what got me started. That plus a BB would put me close to $300. And for a bit more (ok a decent amount more) I could have a whole new group. And how many people are riding SRAM equipped OCR's?

See before I started reading these forums I would just ride. Now I think about this crap. YOU PEOPLE ARE TURNING ME OCP.

-D

I'm thinking it needs some cleaning. A winter of riding in the slush and stuff would probably do that.

-D

Make sure you have it looked at
 

Sounds familiar....

I bought a brand new Giant OCR2 a few weeks ago and had it out on the roads yesterday. Ten miles out I too had a crank creak that stuck with me the whole way home. To play it safe, I took it into my LBS (where I bought it) and had them check it out. It turned out that the crankarms (I believe) hadn't been fully tightened. In the process of fixing that, the crank spindle itself broke.

So...it might not be a big problem in your case, but my particular situation went from what I figured would be perfectly innocuous to pretty severe, simply because I had someone with the tools & know-how take a look. Also, FWIW, consider that these are both Giant bikes in question.

Cheers,

- Mark

You know Truvativ is a SRAM brand, right?

To the OP, check your cassette lockring, as well. Make sure it's tight. I had a mystery click last year , that was the problem.

I had a creaking sound last fall that I was SURE was the BB...I mean my ears were dialed into it and you could not convince me otherwise. Turns out is was my spokes. My Rolf Elan wheels have cross pattern spokes and they sometimes creak where they cross. I drop of lube on each intersection solves it for months.

Check it out...

The only way possible to fix that noise is to go full Record or DA. It's the only way....trust me....:D

last time this sound happened to me, it turned out to be that the BB threads needed to be greased. if you eliminate other possible sources of the noise, it might we worth pulling it out to lather it up w/ grease