Can't find the source of a horrible creak

[beanzontoast]

Mine (took best part of a month to get to the bottom of it) turned out to be pedals. Funny thing was, as part of trying lots of other things, I'd removed them once and refitted them and had almost ruled them out - but then I took them off, greased them lightly and refitted... cured!

 

[Andrew Gray]

I had the same thing on my mountain bike. I am not sure exactly what was causing the problem, but I would hazard a guess that the way I had it set up I was distorting the frame some how. Whilst the frame itself wasn't creaking, the distortion could have created sympathetic pressures and creaks elsewhere in the bike. Which is why its impossible to track the problem because the creak isn't caused by the thing that creaks, if that makes sense! I finally found the solution was just to lower my seat post by 5mm and shift the saddle forwards by 1cm. Other than that, try this guide http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html

 

[PpPete]

Unusual for it to start suddenly but I always look at the crank/BB interface as a source for creaks. It's usually the left crank on a square taper that's the problem. But by the time it starts to creak the crank has been rounded (not visibly) and will creak however much the bolt is tightened. If a bit of grease on the square taper solves the problem temporarily (it will come back quite quickly) then you'll know that was the issue, and can start saving for a new crankset.

 

[Andrew Gray]

Mine started suddenly, and stopped as suddenly. Good point though.

 

[pawl]

Ihad a similar problem.Tracked it down to oombination of seat post/ saddle.Dismantled seat post and saddle cleaned and lubed saddle bracket and seat post. Problem solved

 

[Svendo]

I had a small creak. Read a list of obscure creak causes online and mine turned out to be the front wheel creaking in the fork. SMALL amount of lube and all gone now. BB creaked for a few hundred miles, then just stopped on it's own. Now just need to figure out why the chain still skips a bit...

 

[Paul.G.]

Same thing on my 2008 Willier about 12 months back

Tried everything - turned out to be a crack in the head tube where the bottom head set seats. The crack was only very fine and took some finding but it would open up when loaded, especially when I was out of the saddle putting load up front

Hope its not this as my frame was scrap!

Paul

 

[subaqua]

as an old boss said to me once.

try greasing your nuts

sorry, i had a nasty creak on an road bike many many years ago. turned out to be a crack on the weld where the derailleur bracket was fixed to the frame. best to check for a failed weld

 

[chugsy]

I think I've isolated it to the left pedal just as I'm applying max beans - 9 o'clock or 3 depending how you look at it.  This crap weather has meant I haven't been able to resume testing/fixing the creak... a nice slab of ice has formed in front of the shed door stopping me from getting the bike out!

 

[airbrake]

A friend bought a bike and asked me to check it out. It was maybe a couple of years old and had hardly been used. I went for a run, and it had an annoying creak on the left pedal stroke. I tightened everything (on the right side also), and yet the creak was still there.

I decided to remove the left crank, and there was the problem - rust on the taper. After cleaning and assembling (no grease on taper), the creak had gone for good. I then 'sealed' the back of the crank with grease to stop the ingress of water into the taper.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Lately I had a terrible creaking on my road bike, again when I was out of the saddle giving it some welly, it sounded like an old bed, or squeaky floor boards. Sat on the saddle quiet as a mouse, stood up and back again.

Swore blind it was the bottom bracket, anyway after searching on google, tracked it down to over tightened front wheel quick release skewer. So I sprayed a dab of WD40 and then re tightened but not as much, and now gone.

It comes back when I clean the hubs etc and and have to repeat. But I was absolutely 100% certified it was the bottom bracket, which to this day is as silent as a mouse !

 

[oliglynn]

Check your none of your rear wheel spokes haven't worked loose. I had a similar creak, only occurring with pedalling, and getting louder with more effort, and only worked out what it was once a spoke had completely unscrewed itself from its nipple and the wheel buckled slightly.

 

[Zoiders]

Is it a hollowtec external BB by any chance?

I don't do anecdotal advice as it's never going to turn out to be the source of the noise.

Excluding maybe the hubs and cables it pays to do strip down/re-assembly instead of chasing the mystery noise.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

check the tightness of any chainset bolts. i've known slightly loose ones cause exactly what you've described.

large tube alu frames aways make any creak sound worse and tend to make it harder to pin the exact component down…

 

[fossyant]

I'd be looking at the BB as well as the chainring bolts. If it's a cartridge BB, there is a chance it's not tight enough.

How's the investigations going ?