creaking front end

[alecstilleyedye]

my alu frame/carbon fork bike is creaking when the bars are turned. there is no apparent play in the headset (front brake on and rocking).

any ideas?

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Cables rubbing?

 

[dan_bo]

gonna blow! duck!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

don't think so, at least not on the frame…

 

[alecstilleyedye]

gonna blow! duck!

hope you're 'avin a laugh…

 

[Gerry Attrick]

One other thing, do your headset bearings have rubber seals?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

dunno. it's an integrated headset. actually, i have seen o'ring seals in at the top end…

 

[dan_bo]

Actually, not entirely. I had a creaking front end on the kaffenback one morning- later on that day, I was pulling up in the bars climbing a steep hill and the bars came away in my hands. Carbon steerer.

Moral of the story: listen to the bike!

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Actually, not entirely. I had a creaking front end on the kaffenback one morning- later on that day, I was pulling up in the bars climbing a steep hill and the bars came away in my hands. Carbon steerer.

Moral of the story: listen to the bike!

mine's an alu steerer though. today's ride was pretty flat and i was only out of the saddle once. i spin up hills rather than stand up honking, so i'm reasonable easy on the machinery.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

gerry had it right first time. it's the sound of the front cables hitting each other as the bars turn; if i hold on to them the noise is not apparent. alu frame transmit a lot more noise than steel or (presumably) carbon fibre…

a reason for going campag i suppose, although not a compelling one…

 

[youngoldbloke]

Long, long ago, was it possible to buy a little gizmo that kept the cables apart from one another where they crossed below the bars? I have a very dim and distant memory of such a device .............

 

[gbb]

When i first read the post, i thought..ah ha ! ive had that, but mine was a full carbon fork.
Creaking when hitting uneveness in the road etc and turning. It quite alarmed me thinking the carbon was failing.
LBS diagnosed mine quickly...and although everything was tight, he undid the topcap bolt, loosened the stem a bit and 'bumped' the front wheel on the floor then tightened everything back up.
I guess the headset/fork wasnt quite tight enough. Never been a problem since.

 

[gb155]

Actually, not entirely. I had a creaking front end on the kaffenback one morning- later on that day, I was pulling up in the bars climbing a steep hill and the bars came away in my hands. Carbon steerer.

Moral of the story: listen to the bike!

Thats scary, My front end creaks every time I stand up, but then I am a fat *******

 

[youngoldbloke]

When i first read the post, i thought..ah ha ! ive had that ........

- on my new (at the time) carbon forked Al framed bike, and like the OP, after thinking the worst, and checking out everything else, it was the cables rubbing against one another where they cross in front of the head tube. Minor rearrangement, plus an application of a tiny amount of WD40 to the outers where they touched and problem solved. I expect a touch of Pledge or similar on the cables would work too.

Oh, by the way, My front end creaks every time I stand up, but then I am a fat ***** - is that on or off the bike .........?

LOL