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"Clicking" in the Crank?

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Old 06-18-06 | 06:24 PM
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"Clicking" in the Crank?

Now, this may be something very simple, but I know very little about bottom brackets, cranks, bearings, etc. to even judge it.

Today when I was doing a quick 10 mile ride, I noticed on my left side pedal it feels like it "clicks" when it reaches about 1-2 o'clock. My right pedal is fine. At first I thought it may of been a seem in the sidewalk, or something similar, but I went out on the road and still it clicks. When I speed up, I dont feel it anymore. Granted, this may just be due to the fact that I'm spinning at a higher cadence.

Anyone have an idea what it is? I'm not guessing its very major, but if something feels like its clicking it probably isnt properly adjusted.

Thanks!
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Old 06-18-06 | 06:39 PM
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My new bike with a FSA Gossamer non-drive side crank started clicking at about 800 miles. I took it back to the LBS and they pulled the crank, cleaned and greased the splines. It's been good since then. The mechanic said a bit of dirt can get into the splines.
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Old 06-18-06 | 07:04 PM
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Bikes: 1982 Lotus Legend (steel-frame touring bike); 1982 Fuji S10S (converted to a singlespeed: 46x16); Specialized Crossroads hybrid (the child taxi).

My left pedal on the hybrid clicks horribly, and it gets worse if I have to stand and really mash. Crank? Pedal? BB? Or someone in another thread suggested something intriguing: a noise on the left means a problem on the right — I'll try tightening the chainrings....
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Old 06-19-06 | 06:42 AM
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1. grease and tighten bottom bracket
2. tighten chainring bolts
3. grease and tighten pedals
4. tighten cleats (if applicable)

Most case one of the above will be the culprit.
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Old 06-19-06 | 09:38 AM
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I was frustrated by an odd clicking noise on my Alpe d Huez, came to find out the Look pedals bearings had disintegrated.
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Old 06-19-06 | 11:19 AM
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Bikes: 1982 Lotus Legend (steel-frame touring bike); 1982 Fuji S10S (converted to a singlespeed: 46x16); Specialized Crossroads hybrid (the child taxi).

Tightened everything. (Surprised at just how much more the chainring could be tightened, I have to say.) But as for greasing, I'm a beginner. I don't even own any grease. What kind is best? (I guess I mean most versatile, since I'm not planning on having a variety of greases for different applications if I can help it.) How much do you use?

Thanks for the help.
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Old 06-19-06 | 11:30 AM
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Clickings here too, but only in the morning, whenever one of the pedals are in 6 o'clock. Especially if I put a little power into it.

Mysteriously dissapears on the commute home in the afternoon though, no clicks at all.

I'll be sure to ask about it when i bring it in for the first tune-up.
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Old 06-19-06 | 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by shakeNbake
Clickings here too, but only in the morning, whenever one of the pedals are in 6 o'clock. Especially if I put a little power into it.

Mysteriously dissapears on the commute home in the afternoon though, no clicks at all.

I'll be sure to ask about it when i bring it in for the first tune-up.
Hm... my bike is relatively new too.

Maybe that has something to do with it. Everything is horribly tightened. The retaining nut on the crank had a habit of going lose, but after I noticed the clicking I checked it and it was still relatively tight. I'm planning on bugging them about it on my first tuneup too (which is about a week away).
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Old 06-19-06 | 01:58 PM
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I had a little click when the pedal got a little loose on its shaft. Had to tighten the bolt at the outside of the pedal. Looked all over the drivetrain (as far as the pedal/crank connections) before I actually checked the body of the pedal to see that it slipped back and forth as my foot went round.
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Old 06-19-06 | 02:12 PM
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Sometimes a single weird link in the chain can cause a little clike too. This wouldn't be the case if the click really came on every rotation or in a particular pedal position, but it's another think to check.
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Old 06-19-06 | 02:14 PM
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My Raleigh hybrid was clicking in the afternoon. I heard somebody else say theirs did it in the morning. Mine started doing this after 4 months of owning it. It was driving me crazy. I took it to the shop, and they could find nothing wrong with it. I almost got rid of the bike it was so annoying. Then it just stopped. **********??
Gremlins? What else?
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Old 06-19-06 | 05:02 PM
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I swear, it's some wierd conspiracy.
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Old 06-19-06 | 05:18 PM
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Me too. My bike is clicking. It drives me nuts.
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Old 06-21-06 | 12:01 PM
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It may sound stupid, but one morning I had a clicking noise too and drove me nuts. After watching a bit I realised it was one of my shoelaces that was hitting ,with its hard end, the crank. It happens from time to time and I always forget that it happened before!!
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Old 06-21-06 | 01:18 PM
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My bike did that when the right crank was at about 3 o'clock and I found out the pedal spindle was loose.
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Old 06-21-06 | 06:23 PM
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First suspect should always be to check your crank bolts, because they are most expensive and damaging if out of spec. Otherwise, most commonly in my experience that click has been the spd cleat. Grease the cleat(unless you are on a sandy area, dirt doesnt matter so much) and see if it goes away. Yes that means you wont be able to walk on your beige carpet but we cant have everything.
On flat pedals, sometimes the cage can even come lose.
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Old 08-01-06 | 10:59 AM
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Same thing happened to me when I applied a lot of pressure to my pedals. Apparently the BB was loose. My LBS took it out and wrapped it in teflon tape, however it seems as if that was only a temporary solution. I am taking it back it today, and maybe they wil be able to find a permanent solution to this severly annoying problem.
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Old 08-08-06 | 02:04 PM
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Greasing my threads helped fix the problem.
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Old 08-08-06 | 02:54 PM
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Is anyone missing any beer?

There are bottles scattered around my bike, I think it may have taken up a hobby too!
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Old 08-08-06 | 03:33 PM
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make sure the crank arms are on tight......
 
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Old 08-09-06 | 04:53 PM
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also check your seatpost.
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