| Archive for justcycling.myfastforum.org Just Cycling |
| sheeponabike |
Help! Creaking noiseI've got this strange creaking noise that seems to be getting worse. I've tried all bolts for tightness, and checked my pedal cleats, as I first thought the noise was coming from below. Now I think it seems to be coming from bars forks area. Could it be the head bearings? This is the first bike i've ever had with the "modern" system of adjustment. There's no play in the steering and it's not tight either. I've done almost 3000ks on the bike if that helps with an opinion.I just wondered if I should dismantle it and "have a look" or if I should leave well alone. |
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| grrr |
I know it sound ridiculous (and I probably shouldn't confess here), but I had a noise coming from that vague area that confused me for 100s of miles. Finally realised it was noise from the metal links on my watch strap which I had loosened. | ||||||
| cyclingtv |
undo your front wheels skewers..
adjust and retighten a bit tighter.. try that..  repeat on the rear if needed..
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| sheeponabike |
ok I've done that, have to see next time I'm out. But I can't believe that's what it is as it was already nice and tight. | ||||||
| CapeRoadie |
Make sure your rims aren't cracked around any spoke nipples. | ||||||
| thunderthighs |
sheep are u a water buffalo on bike.. anything over 180 lbs/80kg.. the bike will
make noise.. ciao |
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| CapeRoadie |
I'm 198 and my bike is as silent as cat feet. |
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| headwind |
agreed doc. weight has little to do with it.
Id check the BB. Every year or two mine loosens and needs to be pulled, greased, and retightened. hw |
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| sheeponabike |
I wondered about the BB too. Oddly, if I ride hands off there's no noise, but it stops when I'm out of the saddle as well. I'll have to take it to me LBS.
I'm about 85 kilos tt, so it ain't that. Anyway I've had the bike almost a year, and it's only started doing it this last couple weeks. |
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| Ralphnorman |
see you CR  now I've got a creaking noise from my stem but I know what it is  Got a bit of dirt trapped between the headset and the rest of the bike, so it squeaks when i turn the bars. Checked that CR?
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| cyclingtv |
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| MerlinGuy |
I have a set of wheels that creak. I rebuilt my wheels a couple of years ago and added some red grease to the spoke nipples where they meet the rim. Everything has been quiet since then. Try drop on lube on each nipple.  pervs.
Also check your front derailier (sp). When I original purchased my bike it was skewed and needed to be rotated counterclockwise around the seat tube. |
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| Biosphere |
Sheep You might as well be riding my bike from your description. We weigh the same too. Thing is mine has been creaking for 4 years now  Mines a Giant.
The BB section and it's surroundings has been taken apart and greased and back together but no luck, so I'd be wary of paying the LBS too much for that service just yet. Over the years the fork, saddle and wheels have been substituted to try and isolate it but it's the same story. Try the following too: Unclip your pedals and let your legs dangle (so you're decoupled from the BB) on a downhill and see if it creaks as you bounce up and down in the saddle. Mine does. Whilst clipped in on a downhill and free wheeling, put the pedals in a 3 and 9 O'clock position try to pull your knees up to your chest such that you're increasing the pressure on the saddle. In my case the creaking stops. Coupled with the symptoms you describe, I've concluded that it's something in the down tube that is compressing and releasing that causes the creaking. With you out of the saddle there not enough compression in the down tube to cause the creaking, but there plenty of forces still acting on the BB so I think it should creak if it's the problem. Sitting upright shifts some of your weight from the handlebars/forks and whatever the problem is it can't uncompress enough to creak. You can figure out what I'd say about the two things I told you to try. My guess is that although I swapped saddles and seat posts, it's the frame around the seat post that is the problem. Let me know if you get anywhere cos after 4 years it's rather annoying!!! |
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| sheeponabike |
Ralph - you're addressing cape but I assume you mean me? More of a creak, than a squeak if you know what I mean.
cyclingtv - thanks for the creative solution. Merlin - I thought of one or more loose spokes as I had that problem with the rear wheel and I got it trued up and it's now perfect. Thing is, that made a sort of pinging noise - this is different. But getting the front wheel trued is on the list of things to do. Bio - i'll try the legs dangling thing as you suggest. I'm convinced mine is something that is coming loose as, normally, the bike is silky silent. It's something which has come up in the last 2 or 3 weeks. |
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| headwind |
Antoher shit thing is pedal creak...I had to get rid of a pair of flossy Look pedals because they creaked so bad. of you have another set, put them on and see. Also, the creaks resonate through the tubes and can be hard to locate even if you hear it coming from a certian place. | ||||||
| Ralphnorman |
Argh, I do apologize sheep
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| sheeponabike |
Went for a long ride yesterday and i'm more and more convinced it's the head bearings. Anyone have a good link for a video explaining how to dismantle and rebuild?
I think there was one posted on here about six months ago but i'm buggered if I can find it.... |
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| thunderthighs |
dismantle easy.. pipe wrench to head remove bolts.. use tube slight smaller than head tube.. hold frame with underarm.. and hit with a blunt strike. pops off.. to install use oversize tube that fits into the cone..and hit with same force..copper tube when installing.. u need some of these tools as a rider..ciao |
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| sheeponabike |
tt - are you talking about the old system of expanding bolt in the fork tube? I know this system inside out. I'm talking about the modern system of the stem holding everything together with an adjusting screw down the centre.
Anyway, I bit the bullet, had a look at Sheldon Brown, took it apart, checked for grease, reassembled and tightened everything up. I'll try it tomorrow if I have time. |
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| Biosphere |
Any news sheep? |
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| cardinal guzman |
I had an intermittent squeak last week. I was trying to locate it for miles, hanging off the bike like a rodeo rider etc - turned out to be the fastener on my left shoe rubbing on the crank! 
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| Ralphnorman |
My mate had that today I reckon as well  Was squeaking for bit then, when I told him i thought it was that it stopped I've had that as well, but only when I'm out the saddle.
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| sheeponabike |
It's not the headset, i've taken it to bits and readjusted it. Took it to my LBS this week, they kept the bike for 3 days but didn't have time to look at it.
I'll take it back next week. I now suspect the BB bearing as headwind suggested and the LBS will probably inspect same and repack with grease. We'll see what happens. Anyroad it's starting to drive me nuts. |
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| headwind |
BB creak works it way into the pedals, through the pipes, and can sound like its coming from anywhere. I have to have mine pulled every other year or about 6k miles. All teh best sheep.
hw |
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| sheeponabike |
OK it's sorted and you won't believe it. The LBS found it by chance. The seat pillar! Put a smear of that magic white grease on it they use and No More Noise. It had got worse in the last couple of weeks - more a sort of dry "crack" noise rather than a creak.
Happy sheep. 
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| cardinal guzman |
Is there carbon involved here? If so, be careful that it's not delaminating, you don't want to be collapsing onto a carbon shard - that'd make your eyes water!
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| sheeponabike |
don't worry cg - only got carbon forks.
Can't afford more than that...... |
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| headwind |
awesome! | ||||||
| MerlinGuy |
This is an excerpt from Thunderthigh's best selling book "How to fix a $5,000 bike with just crap you have laying around the house." |
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| grrr |
I'm signing up for a copy - if anyone has a copy of "What to do with tools that you have only used once" then I'd be up for one of them too |
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| Biosphere |
So where exactly did they put the grease? I reckoned that's the region my creaking was coming from but I couldn't eliminate the creak. |
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| sheeponabike |
On the seat tube before sliding it back into the frame. I've done about 300ks since, with no noise, so it was definitely that, unbelievable though it seems. Even the LBS are shocked! | ||||||
| cyclingtv |
help.. went to adjust my seat post.. no can do.. it's stuck.. probable fused to the frame..
seems it's because I rode numerous times during the winter on wet 'salted' roads.. shit.. LBS said only way.. they feel it's fused.. is heat the frame.. it's steel.. with a blow torch.. then take a monkey wrench.. to the seat post.. it's aluminum and pull it out.. trouble is the frame would need repainting.. shit.. forgot to pull out the seat post.. clean and 'lubricate' at least once a year.. shit.. |
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| CapeRoadie |
I did that once too ctv; learned my lesson. | ||||||
| headwind |
tough lesson ctv. you may try less killer methods like ice wrapping then sub boiling water...that contrast might crack the cold weld. In the future use Ti-prep, which prevents cold welding. Best stuff made and a small tube gets you a life time.
http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/ti-prep.htm |
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| last km |
Have heard of this before, most people assume because its aluminium it wont corrode, not so as the case here proves. | ||||||
| headwind |
Its called cold welding, or galvanic corrosion depending on what is going on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_welding The Ti prep completely stops this from happening. hw |
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| CapeRoadie |
Interesting... | ||||||
| Biosphere |
Thanks - I'll try it when I get back from my hols. You may find it unbelievable, but I did tell you it was around the seatpost
Glad you fixed yours as I know how maddening it gets on a long ride 
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| CapeRoadie |
Creaking noise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSoRxQ9qmQA |
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| Motor Mouth |
is your seat post greased? | ||||||
| MAILLOT JAUNE |
bump - Don't repsond to or view spammers posts | ||||||