I’ve got a really annoying tapping/fast creaking noise coming form the front end.

The best way I can describe it is that it’s similar to the sound a hose/cable makes tapping against a frame.

Bike is a 2014 Spitfire, 160 Pikes, Hope headset. Built it myself earlier this year, everything is tight, definitely not the hoses/cables/brake pads. Recently had the stem off and replaced the faceplate so fairly sure that’s not the problem.

Starting to think it’s the forks? Had the wheel off and twisted the lowers but they seem fine. Can’t replicate the noise at home, it only appears when I’m riding.

Not sure if it was only on small bumpy stuff at first or if it’s because I’m listening for it but it’s there all the time now. Was driving me mad this afternoon.

Any suggestions before I fire up the plasma cutter?

My orange five did that after a peaks ride…..stopped when I cleaned it! Guess a tiny bit of grit can make some really annoying noises on aluminium frames.

My first RCT 3 Pikes creaked, the bonding agent from the crown steerer to stanchions had failed. New pair ok.

Also one of the main causes of random front end creaks is oddly shock bushings. I have resolved creaks on 3 bikes seemingly coming from the front end by new shock bushings.

Shock bushings seem fine tbh so I’m leaning towards the fork. Think I will whip the fork and front wheel off for a proper clean and lube to see if that helps.

Cheers.

Have yo tried to clean up & grease the quick release yet?

How fast is your rebound?
If fast back right off and re test. I am experiencing the same noise on the same forks. With rebound slowed down seems to dissappear??

Have you tried removing the headset, cleaning and greasing?

ive got this on mine, I had major creaking issues on the 1st set, and the csu steerer/ crown was creaking like mad under harsh compression (along with a blown charger bladder)

ive since got a new set, and now ive got exactly the same noise as you suggest in exactly the same fashion, its only sporadic on mine, and I don’t notice it downhill at all, but climbing and hitting things straight on like pointy rocks or steps up etc I notice it, it sounds exactly like a clicking headset, but ive replaced the headset so it rules that out

im sure its actually the forks again, but as its not really that annoying or bad and not always there im ok at the mo, if they get to the stage where they are creaking horrendously under ever compression then they will be sent back again

shredder – interesting about the rebound

try this too ….release all of the air from the forks (super plush!) and then hit it square on at a curb, the noise disappears then too, put air back in and its there again, sounds like a cable hitting the frame, or the headset itself clicking (which its neither)

as I can produce the noise stationary (running into a kurb pushing off the bike) I know its something at the front end….wheel bearings are fine, disc rotor is fine, 15mm axle is tight, brake caliper is fine, headset is new, so it only leaves the forks themselves!

I tend to not notice it much when in a group (talking on the off road climbs etc) but when im out alone its more apparent, especially near any step up rocks around the peak, if Im on something flowy and fast and smooth I don’t notice it at all

Rebound is set somewhere just past the middle from memory but will try it at both extremes.

Recently had the fork off for a service and it was all greased/cleaned then but will try it again as I suppose it could be some grit in there as I have been on some really mucky rides recently.

I normally only hear it on slower flatter stuff but [expects flaming] I do wear my ipod on the faster downhill stuff as I often ride alone but was out with a friend Monday so heard it all afternoon [flame away].

Front and rear axles are always greased but will double check. I did replicate the noise in the back garden last night by having the front wheel up against a step with the brakes off and compressing the fork/shock.

Will clean and grease it all tonight and take it out again this weekend, if the noise is still there I will send the forks back for inspection.

Thanks.

You don’t have shimano XT / slx brakes by chance? I get a loud click / knock on the front which I was convinced was headset. Stripped everything down, greased up and noise still present. Turned out to be the pads moving a tiny bit in the caliper body and creating a knock as the pads moved to hit the caliper.

No I have Hope X2’s, tried riding it (briefly) with no front pads in to rule that out.

Then got that horrible ‘back to the drawing board’ feeling when the noise was still there.

I think it may just be the forks, im sure its the same on mine, you’d know if it was a creaking CSU, as it would sound absolutely awful when descending, in a way that makes you think they are falling apart creak/crack

the noise what you have sounds like mine, and im sure its the forks again, but only right at the top of the travel (ie first 5mm hit overs stuff)

I got it again last night, its absolutely fine on anything smooth/flowy and any downhill …but as soon as you climb steps, or hit things square edge on it clicks/creaks just once as you go over it…

mine isn’t really annoying (as I love a silent bike too and noises drive me insane), but it only happens every so often on mine, and tbh when winter comes I doubt with the howling wind/head scarf etc ill even hear it at all…

if it gets worse or I hear the CSU creak like I did before on the last pair I had replaced I will be swapping them out for some new rc2 36’s

and to sum the sound up, even my dad (who knows nothing about bikes), said it sound like the cables hitting the frame! so it defo sounds like the same noise to me, and ive ruled absolutely everything else out

Sounds like you have the same problem then but with mine it’s got to the point that it’s distracting. Tried ignoring it but I can’t!

So what is it in the fork that is causing the noise? Is it something I can sort myself instead of having to send them back under warranty?

ditto the last 2 posts, my 2013 Reba’s do this too. they have been recently serviced and all is good. I wondered if noise was brake pads rattling (XT) and keep meaning to try riding it without the pads to see…..

ive no idea whats causing it? maybe slight debonding of the CSU/crown?

you’d know if it was full on CSU creaking, as you’d get it descending too

send them in for warranty though and report back please if you do as ill send mine in if it cures it!

ianc – having them serviced cured the click?

ianc – having them serviced cured the click?

no, they still click. TF Tuned didn’t find any fault so I think it’s just the way some of them are. I’m still not 100% convinced it’s not the pads, but reluctant to go for a replicating ride withough a front brake !

well i’d be very surprised if its the brakes tbh, given we have the same noise, my brakes are running totally in the centre, ie not catching, and its only under compression you can replicate it (I can sporadically do it stationary to when the pads aren’t moving at all), just by pushing down on the forks

like said mine isn’t really annoying at all, if it gets worse and constant it would be, but mine is very hit and miss and everytime I go to show the shop or a friend, I cant replicate it at all, which is annoying

Ok seems it’s defo my forks, I’ve iust done the lower leg pulling test and can create the exact noise, something’s loose somewhere as the legs are creaking so I’ve no idea of it’s the CSU/crown interface or what but it’s the same click / creak!

This is the second pair in as many months that have done this to me 🙁

I must be way RAD 🙁

Stripped the front end down tonight, headset cups and bearings removed all cleaned/greased/refitted. Bit disappointed with the Hope bearings and seals, bearings felt rough and seals had let quite a lot of crap in but after a clean/grease they’re fine.

Rebuilt it all and the noise is still there. If I push down on the bars with force you can hear it on every compression, sometimes when I lift the wheel off the floor as if it’s settling back into place.

Will have a chat with the supplier tomorrow and see what they say.

bluearsedfly – just let me clarify this for you….mine are EXACTLY the same, even to the point where you sometimes lift the front end up after a stationary compression and it makes the noise…ive done all of the above with the headset too, convinced it was that, even swapped to a hope one and its still there…mine isn’t on every single compression, but it is there every 3rd time or so, and no doubt it will only get worse

make no mistake its defo the forks bud, im sure they’ll get replaced or fixed, but this is the 2nd time in 6 months this has happened to mine so likely to just keep happeneing 🙁

let us know what they say and how it goes please

just to check take you wheel out, bike upside down, and flex the lower legs in opposite direction (may take a little bit of force) ie push on one leg and pull on the other, and I bet you a million squids it makes exactly the same noise!

OW – I tried that test last night on my Reba’s and they are fine so in my case it probably is the pads rattling. However I bought the Reba’s after I got a set of new XFusion velvets warrantied with the exact symptoms you have. When tested upside down as you describe they made same noises you are getting. They were sent back and got new uppers and steerer and diagnosis was faulty bond on CSU, from new.

cheers ianc, even the guys at sram told me that’s the best way to tell if its a bonding issue, I didn’t think it would be possible to be the CSU again so I never really thought of it, my old headset was shite so I just thought it was that TBH, but putting a hope one in and nothings changed

dunno what the hell causes them to debond, whether these were like this from factory im not sure as I cant remember it doing it when they were brand new……

guess ill have to get back on to shop to sort out again 🙁

Funnily enough Ive been getting a really annoying clicking that comes and goes not just under pedaling but also when cruising. Its not travel or bump dependent. In the end having cleaned and regreased everything, I put it in the stand and found I could recreate the noise by spinning the front wheel from stationary. It only clicked on the first revolution. I had to then stop and wheel and start again to get another click.

I run hope hubs, so took the end caps off and regreased the bearings, and touch wood (only been round the block since to test) it seems to have done the trick. Wondering if its something to do with the fork axle though?

variflex – ive tried 2 15mm qr’s and both the same, ive even greased the notches into the axle just incase, to no avail

plus when checking the creak with the lowers the wheel and axle is out anyways

interesting, many thanks. Will take the wheel out and try the test as above. Would be a real pain if they need to go back as Ive only just had them reduced in travel down to 130mm by LoCo.

see mine noise is bump related, I cant hear it descending once its in its travel, but climbing up over rocks/steps/curbs anything like that its very apparent, if its a smooth trail I don’t hear a sound really

Spoke to Merlin and they’ve just asked me to return them.

If they are faulty and they are replaced I’m tempted to go for something else as it looks like odds on it could happen again.

Tempted by the new Fox 36’s but they’d be overkill for me and tbh way more than what I want to spend.