Chainset advice

[C R]

Hi all, lately my chainset has started making creaking noises when I pedal hard. The chainset has two riveted rings, so no bolts to tighten.

Would it make sense to try to hammer the rivets to see if that helps, or are the noises likely to indicate that I should think about getting a new one? The rings themselves are not worn, probably quite a lot of life left in them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Heigue'r]

It could be anything other than the chainrings that are making the noise.i recently had a creak that turned out to be something completly different to the chainrings/bottom bracket but I would have put the mortgage on it that it was from this area.

 

[Heigue'r]

http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html

 

[C R]

http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html

Thanks @Heigue'r I have already eliminated some of those, but not all, will check a bit more.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Hi all, lately my chainset has started making creaking noises when I pedal hard. The chainset has two riveted rings, so no bolts to tighten.

Would it make sense to try to hammer the rivets to see if that helps, or are the noises likely to indicate that I should think about getting a new one? The rings themselves are not worn, probably quite a lot of life left in them.

Thanks for your help.

A good source of creaks, that hardly anyone thinks to check, in my experience, is the skewers holding the wheels in place. Or possibly the rims themselves are getting a bit worn, if you let a few psi out of the tyres, then see if the creak gets less pronounced / dissapears, that’s a good indicator that your rims are at risk of letting go spectacularly.

 

[Spiderweb]

I had exactly the same problem, a distinctive creaking noise when putting the power down but no noise when peddling gently. A new bottom bracket solved the problem.

 

[Heigue'r]

My problem turned out to be 2 loose screws on the mech hanger.You wouldn't believe the racket it was making.

 

[C R]

A good source of creaks, that hardly anyone thinks to check, in my experience, is the skewers holding the wheels in place. Or possibly the rims themselves are getting a bit worn, if you let a few psi out of the tyres, then see if the creak gets less pronounced / dissapears, that’s a good indicator that your rims are at risk of letting go spectacularly.

I have just changed the wheels, so that eliminates the rims. The old wheels were nutted axle, but I will double check the skewers.

I hope it isn't the bottom bracket because the fixed cup is stuck.

 

[Vantage]

My bike squeaked for hundreds of miles before I found the cause.
It turned out to be the plastic shell of the supplied saddle rubbing against the p.u outer cover.
Squeaks on a bike are as hard to find as pink spots on a elephant.

 

[C R]

Thanks to all that replied. It looks like it may have been the old wheels after all, haven't heard any squeaking in the last few days. As a final question, with a riveted chainset, is there anything that can be done to tighten the rivets if it were the chainset that was squeaking?