Giant Anthem X has developed a terrible creak around the bottom bracket.

Originally thought it was the (relatively new) Hope BB bearings – so have checked and tightened the bearings and cranks…

… still creaking…

Need to check for frame cracks etc next 🙁

Was wondering about the suspension linkage bearings, but the creaking is pedal input related, not travel related. Still suspect the BB as the most likely suspect

Any thoughts?

my trance bearings were banjaxed after 2 winters, some had locked solid. I still have a creak though, think its the BB shell.

Try taking the shock off and checking the movement of the rear end

anjs+1 – creaks on my anthem were either BB cups needing greasing/tightening or the shock mounts.

I had a horrid creaking from my Trance from around the BB, turned out it was the front mech cable rubbing on the link when compressed, trimmed the end of the cable further back and all was good

Every creak I’ve had like that has been cured by clean and re grease of cup threads and making sure its installed tight.

as Munque chic. take the Cranks off, take all the pivots out, replace any that need it, grease all the mated surfaces, and threads, and re assemble cleanly and carefully, to the correct torque.
(not with a torque wrench, just “nip” them all up)

grease everything on the BB and crank assembly to within an inch of its life too 😉

check ur free hub, my bike had creaking and i took the BB to bits and greased it all etc and was still creaking and figured my hub was knackered and lots of play so check urs it could be that

When you’re pedalling sat on the saddle you can be putting side loads on bearing pivots causing the creaking. It was the pivots on my Lapierre that was causing a creak.

hmmm, this is going to sound thick, and i’m no bike mechanic, but my anthem was creaking like mad recently – sounded like it was in pain!

I of course panicked – thinking bottom bracket, suspension bushings – expense, expense, expense! Then took it to my LBS and it turned out to be…..back wheel was loose and unbalanced in the frame!

Bloody stupid, but it could be the same?

Make sure all of the front chainring bolts are tight,I had a simelar creak that turned out to be this recently.. 😉

Strip down and clean lined up for the w/e.

Creaks and groans are definately crank / pedal rotation linked – mainly under high torque / pedal loads when climbing. Not too bad at speed with higher cadence.

Fairly sure its not wheel / hub / suspension related, but will check.

Loose chainring bolts is a good tip.

my mate has this problem with his 2010 x2 anthem! he often finds dripping some lube around the pivots and BB area often gets rid of it for a while…..

it sounds like a halfords special sometimes 😆 really pisses him off! ohhh and its constant, doesnt matter if climbing or flat etc..just generally pedalling does it!

on my trance was convinced the creaking was either the seat clamp or the saddle rails. It would give a really loud crack now and again. It turned out to be the bearing between the rocker arm and seat tube. Its a real pain to get out as well.

It could be anything that moves on the bike causing it, find a way to make it happen and then listen as best you can to try and pin point it.

Also see if you can cause it by pushing, pulling , bouncing, shaking, just try everything you can think of to find it, or wear ear plugs Hahahaha!

🙁 🙁 🙁

Frame appears to have a small crack towards the bottom of the downtube.

At first I thought this was just a paint crack around a small stone dent, but I think I have to assume the worst given the creaking.

Has to beg the question as to what is regarded as “fit for purpose” on an mtb. Any mtb should be expected to be able to cope with rocks throuwn up from the front wheel. A 50p sized dint in the fat square downtube and its all over??? 🙁 👿

Nightmare.

I loved my Anthem but decided it was a little too fragile and pre-emptively changed it.

I guess when you make a frame that light it comes with a risk.

If these had been available I would have fitted one – http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MTB-Carbon-Fibre-Rock-Guard-2011-Giant-Anthem-X29-26-/140588843689?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item20bbbf82a9

Had one of those (similar anyway) on the previous full susser – a Giant Reign…

Rkk, It may just be crack in paint. Mine has got significant rock ding in same location and I thought the worst with similar creak problem. This may sound stupid; but change the whole rear wheel with known good one to confirm the rear hub is ok. My rear hub bearings seemed ok when I checked but I could not get rid of creak under load so swapped wheel to test with a mates and it solved it along with making sure the rear wheel QR was propper tight. I then changed rear hub bearings and put my wheel back in and it was sorted. I guess the bearing wear was being transferred thru the frame as creak… I was convinced it was BB… worth a try before putting you current frame out to pasture… 🙂

Hopefully it is just the bearings. My 2010 X4 needed the bearings replacing after only 8 months use – it had also developed a creak like that (it was the top rocker bearings that were causing my creak).

I replaced the lot with some decent branded ones from kaesae and it solved the problem.