Why do bikes give me so much grief?

[Kookas]

My last bike was a pain, but I put that down to poor maintenance and it just being a cheap bike. This Felt Z95 I now have hasn't been with me for a month, and already there is an irregular creak when the pedals are under high load and it rattles like a bag of rocks over all but the smoothest roads.

Every time I post a thread asking how to do this or that, someone mentions how simple bikes are. Why, then, do they have such complex problems? Why are they never reliable?

 

[fossyant]

They are simple and reliable. Keep asking here and we will help you get them reliable.

Lots of creaks come to surfaces not being greased upon assembly and being a little loose.

 

[L14M]

They are simple and reliable. Keep asking here and we will help you get them reliable.

Lots of creaks come to surfaces not being greased upon assembly and being a little loose.

^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

Did you grease the pedals when fitting them?

Liam

 

[biggs682]

the more i assemble and de assemble the more i understand

 

[jefmcg]

There's the other thing: most cycle shops give you a free 6 weeks service, to straighten out all the little problems that occur as a new bike is settling in.

 

[Kookas]

^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

Did you grease the pedals when fitting them?

Liam

I applied a thin layer of white lithium grease (from a spray can). Made sure it was applied all round the thread before I put the pedals in.

They did come loose soon after - I didn't tighten them enough the first time - but as I was close to my LBS, I popped in and he made sure it was tight.

 

[Kookas]

There's the other thing: most cycle shops give you a free 6 weeks service, to straighten out all the little problems that occur as a new bike is settling in.

It was bought online, though.

 

[L14M]

Which shop?

 

[Kookas]

Which shop?

Wiggle.

 

[L14M]

Might be over tightened.. Or when it came loose dirt got in and has been scraping against it.

Liam

 

[uclown2002]

Refit and regrease pedals for a start.

 

[Kookas]

I took the bike for a little ride after tightening a few things, and it seems there is no squeaking, but there is a noise like a ratchet on my left downstroke, which gets worse the higher my cadence.

Because of the nature of the noise - it sounds like a ratchet spanner - I figured it could be the chain doing something or other, but why would it only be on my left leg downstroke and not my right?

 

[uclown2002]

Cleat on left shoe?

Is noise still there if you just pedal with right foot?

 

[Kookas]

Cleat on left shoe?

Could well be, but could that sound like a ratchet? I'll check they're tight anyway.

 

[uclown2002]

I've had similar noise on left crank also. I regressed threads on cleats and refitted and regressed pedal and it disappeared. Still not sure what was at fault. Should have tried other shoes to troubleshoot but didn't. My cleats weren't loose though so I'd refit personally.