why are my cranks creaking?
 

i recently converted an old schwinn sprint into a fixed gear. it rides pretty smooth but theres this squeaking creaking sound coming from somewhere around the creanks/chainring when i pedal hard both on flat ground and going up hill. does anyone have any suggestions as to what this noise is and how to make it go away?

check your chain ring bolts and also check out your bottom bracket

being inexperienced in bike mechanics how would i go about checking the bottom bracket. the chainring bolts i can handle.

BB's can be tool specific. Without knowing something about your specific BB and having the appropriate tools, I would just take it to a trusted LBS.

Also make sure your cranks are on tight.

did you grease the cranks before putting them on? did you grease your pedal threads before putting them on? MAY help.. hard to tell what your situation is.

Check your pedals

20 bucks says its your pedals, esp. if they are stock

+1

the pedals arent stock but they need grease. i only had wd40 on hand when putting them on. but i cant imagine how the pedals coul-d be making these kinds of noises. but ill check this afternoon and pick up a tube of grease. are there any types of grease that will work better than others?

park grease or phils

I think we found your problem. WD40 is not grease. Park and Pedro's brand are both great.

what are the cranks like and the bb? i would bring it to your lbs if unsure

the cranks are new suginos. and the bb was installed at the shop. the pedals are on tight. youre thinking its creaking just cause its not greased?

it's hard to say really...seems to me maybe the bb was not greased when installed...it's possible, your best bet is to take it back and have the shop check it out for you

wait.. you're not implying he should be greasing the bb spindle tapers are you? that's a big no-no.

wouldn't that cause a crank arm to split?

Just get some lithium grease from any place that sells auto parts. You'd have to be mental to buy "special bike grease".

Or your knees.

I had a strange creaking/clicking noise & when I let someone else ride my bike he said it sounded like the pedals. I wrote that off because my pedals were tight. However, when I got home I tightened the pedals a bit more & the noise completely went away. I was shocked. Just be careful not to overtighten.

WD-40 stands for Water Displacement (perfected on the 40th try). Despite what many people think, it is not a lube.

in my experience this is always the chainring bolts.

strangely enough i feel even less informed after reading that article.

I was. And the article agreed with me.

if its not your pedals/chainring bolts/

Check the Stem/then seat post

Then check the BB

WD-40 Is worse than no lube in my experience. its just vegetable oil in an aerosol can, i'd sooner bust out bacon grease Jar

And from what i've heard From more than a few mechanics is that lubing the BB spindle will not make REAL difference +/-, providing the cranks are installed properly, some of the wrenches at the shop i work for do some don't.