Crackling Noise When Turning Hablebars
 

My new bike is making some noise when I ride it. When I turn the handle bar, it sometimes makes a crackling noise. This does not happen all the time but happens often when I put my weight on the bars.

What could be causing this?

I will try to post a video if I can't solve this.

New bike? As in, new bike that's still under warranty or new to you? If it's under warranty take it back to the shop. Do not do anything that might invalidate your warranty. If it's new to you and not under warranty I'd suspect that you've got debris in the headset or it's shot. Disassemble, clean, and reinstall and if you still have a problem replace it.

Mike

Hey Mike!

Thanks for your response.

This is a new bike, I had it built a couple of months ago (bought the frame and parts) and just got around to riding on a serious ride today and noticed this problem.

So I don't know how the warranty will work on it, maybe I should just take it back to the shop that put it together.

if you got the frame and parts from the shop, i dont see why it would not be under warranty. if it's a good warranty free maintenance and parts. at the worse i see, you will have to purchase the new part, but i seriously doubt it.

Who makes the frame?

this theory is probably invalidated by you saying it happens when you put weight on the bars, but if you have internally routed cables (or even if they are external) it could be just the cables rubbing on the frame.

Hablebars!? (said ala Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein)

the sound of the inevitable failure that is human participation in road cycling.

I heard this before, i think it is possible. How can I check this out?


2009 Cervelo S2

Go check if there is something loose with the headset. You can check this by holding the front brake and trying to move the bike forward and back. If there is play, the headset components may be loose, it's better to leave the job to an LBS since headsets are pretty complicated. My LBS actually gave me these tips.

Your lbs must think you're a fred. Headsets are 100% uncomplicated. You loosen the stem clamp bolts, tighten the top bolt till there is no play in the headset, then tighten the stem clamp bolts. It's the least complicated adjustment on a bike.

I had the same thing happening to my new bike when I first got it. Turned out to be the jag wire cables in their housings making the sound. Easiest way to find out if it's the same thing is remove you handle bars from the stem and turn them like you would normally while keeping the fork straight.

I believe there's more than just that. What about the bearings that are housed inside the head tube, like the races/ crown races, etc? There are a lot of different components of the headset, and if you make one mistake that can become a big problem.

I go back to what I said earlier. It's a new bike. Since it sounds like you don't know very much about the mechanical parts that you're dealing with don't mess with it. Take it back to the shop and let them take care of it for you. You can learn to wrench on the thing another time.

Mike

could be your cable housings

For me it was the wires that make up cable housing creaking.

Could be cable housings.

Another possibility; do you have a lot of spacers? I've heard the sound from headsets with lots of CF or plastic spacers on top.