mpetit

Hello,

I don't know if my question fits in this thread, but there we go. I've got a road bike from 2006 or 2007. Aluminium frame, carbon front/rear forks and Ksyrium Elites. Lately I've been experiencing a ticking noise every pedal revolution that turns into a creaking after some kms. Before it used to be audible after 20k, but now teh ticking starts right away, after 2-3k. It seems to come either from the BB/crankset or from the headset/fork, not sure.

After a lot of research, tests and a trip to the LBS, the noise it's still there. It appears under these conditions:

- It occurs when pedalling hard, especially on the drive side crank (right).
- It occurs on and out of the saddle.
- It is also there when not grabbing strongly the handlebar.
- If the trip is long (more than 100k) and hilly, towards the end it turns into a creaking.
- When bike is stopped, I put out the chain and force the cranks down with my hands (as if I was pedalling). I can hear a small tick coming and feel it at the crank. There is another tick coming from nearby the fork.

Based on these indicators, I tried first the evident stuff: adjust derailleurs, watch out for cable ends, check the carbon seatpost (although the noise is there even out of the saddle) and so on. Then I tried different things:

- Tried different pedals, cleaning and greasing the threading. Noise not gone.
- Changed BB (I had to, as well, as it was big for my bike). There was water inside the frame from a recent wet ride (maybe this caused the creaking). Ticking noise still there.
- Drop of oil at the spoke nipples on both wheels. Nothing happened.
- Disassembled headset and handlebar. Cleaned and greased the whole assembly. No results.

At this point I'm out of ideas. I can only think of:

- Cracked frame somewhere. Didn't do a full inspection but found no cracks at the BB region. Neearby the bottle carrier the paint is a bit swollen, as if it was rusty. The front carbon fork has a very small and superficial dent.
- Carbon spacers at headset.
- The drive crank has a small dent at the inner surface, but doesn't tick when flexed against the frame.

I don't think the performance of the bike is affected, though the noise drives me crazy.

Well, that was a long message. Hope you guys can share your thoughts on this. I know these ticks can be extremely difficult to locate and kill.

Thanks a lot in advance!
M.

ahsposo 

Try tightening your quick release skewers. I had a similar sound and a half turn on the rear QR nut solved it.

RollCNY

I had a ticking/creaking noise that was similar, and turned out to be a cracked freehub. I did everything you did, went on to skewers, and finally accidentally found it in the hub. Shimano cassette splines can dig into aluminum frrehubs, and one of those digs became a through crack. Those were Easton wheels, don't know if yours could have the same issue.

etw

I was talking to my LBS about this problem on on of my bikes and they suggested that the would check if the BB needed any lube and they would put teflon tape on the threads.

Nachoman

Don't forget to check even the really simple stuff like a loose valve stem or a computer sensor that's not mounted correctly.

wphamilton

Out of the saddle eliminates seatpost and saddle. Every pedal revolution eliminates anything associated with the wheels because the click would sync with the wheels and not the crank. Pedal bearings, pedal bolt, bottom bracket, crank arm but OP checked those. I guess a loose bolt holding the rings on could click or squeak.

I can't exclude or suggest the fork or broken hub as the culprit based on just reasoning.

If none of that it would have to be something in the frame reacting to flex, like a crack in the BB area. Or worn-out BB threads?

Pete_G

I had a mystery creak sound I thought was the BB for ages. Mainly high torque situations such as steep hills. In the end it was the cassette and/or freehub. Very light coating of grease on the hub and in between each cog and sweet, SWEET, long searched for silence...

Some advise against grease there, but I don't care as I now have a totally quiet BB30 equipped bike.

mpetit

Thanks for the replies guys. Here are some updates:

- Took apart headset. Bearings were dead (a bit rusty and lots of play). Got new ones and put everything together. This killed the creaking.
- Now, for the clicking noise (yes, there were two different noises): as suggested, put a drop of oil at skewers. Took the bike for short ride and noise is still there.

I'm starting to think it is either the crankset or a cracked frame, as I hear a click when forcing the cranks with the bike stopped and chain out. Unfortunately, I forgot to flex the frame laterally when I had the BB changed. This could have given a clue...

I'll keep you posted on my progress, though I won't stop riding the bike

Thanks a lot to those who replied!

merlinextraligh

Could still be a front QR skewer, with the force of pedaling causing it. I've had a QR skewer that only creaked under power not coasting. Some grease on the QR skewer at least rules that out.

bianchi10

I Have been dealing with this for about a month. 1st time this happened it was my QR skewers. put on my shimano's and it stopped. Got new KCNC replacements and that has solved that issue. Then I got ANOTHER creak which I could feel during strong efforts at first but then became every rotation. Turned out to be my pedal. Cleaned and regreased, no problems. Then got another creak which I thought was BB. I swear it was coming from under me but when I took it into my LBS the mechanic seems to think it was my headset. So I left it there and he is going to give it a once over.

I would check these 4 things
-Skewers
-headset
-pedals
-BB bearings

lenny866

I just went through something similar and had several trips to the bike shop. It turns out the spokes needed additional tension (even though they checked for even tension on previous trips). The mechanic also put on the bike equivalent of loc-tite, on each nipple. That did the trick.

Good Luck



Good Luck

cyclezen

good luck to you...

loctite on nipples is not a longterm happy place

kenji666

Wow, lucky you. You have an acoustic power meter. The harder you pedal, the louder the sound.

timvan_78

Your guys' LBS's are putting something insid the frame that makes noise, so you keep spending $$ !! lol.

wphamilton

Skewer, I'll have to add that to my list. Along with some weirdness in the headset if the skewer can cause it.

lineinthewater

So you hear the click without the chain and free-pedaling the crank? How are you "forcing the cranks" with the chain off?

Frum

1. Take off cranks.
2. If cranks were lubed with grease, clean them.
2. If cranks were not lubed with grease, lube them.
3. Reinstall as tight as you can.

Fixed it on a few bikes. Almost always either this or the chainring bolts.

matthewk459

Chainring bolts. Remove, Clean, grease, tighten...

mpetit

[QUOTE=lineinthewater;15858227]So you hear the click without the chain and free-pedaling the crank? How are you "forcing the cranks" with the chain off?[/QUOTE

I just press down both cranks with my hands. It'd be like standing on both pedals with the cranks horizontal. Then I turn them half a rev and repeat.

mpetit

I have already done that when replacing the BB. However, I do agree the cranks are good candidates as noise source.

Also done that a while ago to try stopping the clicking, with no positive results. What I've seen though, is that the edge in a couple of the holes where the chainring bolts were sitting was a bit stressed, a bit "ovalized", as if the bolt stretched the hole in one direction. On the other hand, I can hear the click when pressing both cranks down with the chain off, so I'd discard chainring bots as culprits.

lineinthewater

And the tick comes when just applying pressure on the crank (with your hands), or at a specific point during rotation? Also, I re-read your posts, but didn't see you mention what type of BB/crank was on your bike??

BTW, if you haven't already, I would do the same hand test directly on the crank arms, and see if it still ticks. This is a quick way to eliminate the pedals as the culprit.

mpetit

If I put the cranks in an horizontal position with the right one forward and then press both of the cranks downwards I hear the click. If I set the left crank forward and press down again, I can hear the click sometimes; might be coming from the same location.

The BB is a square taper with sealed cartridge bearings, 68-113 mm size Shimano UN55. Left cup is aluminium, not plastic. Before I had a 118 mm one with plastic cup at the non-drive side that was slightly cracked. I believed this was causing the creak, but realized after replacing the BB it wasn't.

coasting 

Mystery noises from god knows where on your bike are going to drive you bat crazy. Good luck. When you finally lose the plot, make sure there is a handy lake so you can hurl your bike into it.

mpetit

[QUOTE=lineinthewater;15859431]
BTW, if you haven't already, I would do the same hand test directly on the crank arms, and see if it still ticks. This is a quick way to eliminate the pedals as the culprit./QUOTE]

Did that as well. Tried even with different pedals (simple, flat ones) but didn't change a thing.

I just realized I got an old 700c front wheel around. I might chuck it in tonight and go for a test ride, just to exclude any problems with spoke tension.

lineinthewater

[QUOTE=mpetit;15859446]You already said you can repeat the tick by only using your hands, off the bike, so it's definitely not the wheels. And, apparently it's definitely not the pedals. I assume you don't have a different crank you can test install?

Also, try removing the chainrings, and repeating your test with only the crank arms installed.