1. Went out on bike 1 last week and it was fine. Just been for a quick spin now and there's a really bad creaking noise coming from the bottom bracket area. Only happens when I pedal. Definately nothing to do with the suspension as I locked it all out and it was still happenning. Checked that everythings nipped up and it is. Pretty new build, any ideas?

2. Went out on bike 2 last week and on the final descent I lost a jockey wheel. Never mind I thought, I have some spares at home. Went to fit it this morning and it feels like the spring has gone in the rear mech. Is this possible? It's still shifting but the whole unit isn't extending properly and the jockey wheel is right up on the cassette and the top of the cage is rubbing on the bottom of the chainstay. Any ideas?

3. I have some pain behind my right knee when I ride. A friend told me it was probably a tight IT band. Apparently this is through over use. I've rested it for a week but just been out to test the bike for tomorrow and as soon as I started pedalling I could feel it. How the hell do I get rid of this? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

1. Your BB threads may need greasing or BB need tightening or your bearings could be shot or your pedal bearings could need greasing or replacing or your pedals need tightening. Grease and tighten everything first before spending money.

2. Grab hold of the rear mech body and pull it backwards and down to put it back in place, then apply a spray of lube to all the pivot areas.

3. I'm not a physio so I have no idea as far as IT bands go, however it could be cleat position related.

HTH.

1 – try taking off the pedals and cranks then greasing and reinstalling. Check the pedals are not the source. Also, see if it happens when you stand up. Lot's of creeking noises are actually the saddle rails and post.

2 – Mine does this. I've bought a new one but not got round to fitting, I think it's broken.

3 – ask some one qualified, see your doctor.

1 – Do you have an ebb? May need some more grease in.

2 – Sounds broken. Buy something shiny

3 – Do you ride in spds? loosen the float in the pedals if you do and potentially change the position of the cleat. Seek medical advice if nowt changes

Hi there

In answer to your third question about the pain in your knee – it could be one of two things, the IT Band or the Popliteus muscle. Well may also be in relation to quads and/or hams but if you are an experineced rider this is probably not the case.

If it is the IT Band then rest will help but may not cure your problem. It sounds like you need it to be 'released', a sports massage therapist can do this for you with a technique called STR which stretched the band a bit at a time. With problems relating to the IT Band you will usually get pain/tightness in your thigh and/or pain on the inside of the knee.

If it is the popliteus muscle you may get pain when extending your knee, and if it has become inflammed a good massage can help relieve this. Try ice therapy for the moment as that will help but get someone to make a proper assessment.

I hope you solve your problem

Wow, thanks for the responses everyone.

Starmassage, my friend suggested I lay on my back and rub the base of my palm from the top of the outside of my thigh all the way down to the outside of my knee. It relieved the pain a bit. Is this part of the release process? Is there any thing I can doing – stretching etc before I ride though to try and prevent it happenning until I can get a sports massage booked as it might be a week or so before I can see someone.

Re – bottom bracket – definitely not the saddle – first thing I checked for. Have checked and everything is tight, only just built the bike so know there's plenty of grease in there.

Re – the mech, tried pulling it back into place but it just springs back…

"tight IT band"

I bet they play prog-rock 😀

Just look up Iliotibial band stretches. The problem with stretching this is that it contains no stretch receptors so you cant feel it being stretched directly.

If it relieveing the pain then keep doing it, and I can be classed as part of the 'release' process. Can you get someone else to have a go? i.e wife / girlfriend as the you should really start with the palm at the bottom of the IT and work up towards the hip. There are some good stretched but finding one that suits you is the difficult part as it is quite a hard muscle to stretch.
Try http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.v2.html, this shows you a picture of a good stretch, also try http://sportsmedicine.about.com and search for IT Band stretches and they usually have a diagram or two.

Depending on whether it is IT Band there isn't really anything else other than stretching and getting someone to rub it that will help prevent further problems.

Good luck

for problem 2 some pics of the rear mech/hanger area from different angles may show something to help, which jocky wheel did you lose?

Thanks again, lost the top jockey wheel…

where are you based?

Right, as it's the top jockey wheel that went, I'm guessing that the little stub-thing that hits a stop on the mech body to prevent the cage springing back too far has gone missing also, I've took a couple of pics to try and show the piece I mean, take a look and see if yours is missing!

Re your first point,had this prob myself @ Mayhem this year.The creaking was so bad I was heckled at one point with "Mate I'd take that Giant back,it sounds like a Marin!!!" After the fella at the Giant stand taking a look at the bb it was still doing it.Replaced my old shonky spd's when I got home & voila,noise gone.

rockit
I've suffered with ITB for ages and it can be a nightmare to sort out
My advice, find a very good physio to diagnose
He/she will then probably recommend sports massage to release and then get you to follow up with regular stretching
Be warned that the ITB sports massage is renowned as being very painful – I can vouch for that!
Also the stretches are time consuming and difficult to do
You may also want to try using a foam roller as a way of massaging – at the moment I use an aluminium flask wrapped in a towel but am just about to buy the real thing
No point getting someone to massage the ITB unless they are very aggressive with their technique ie fist plus all body weight pushing along ITB toward knee and back
Good luck

forgot to ask where are you based – I can recommend a good physio/sports masseur

Creaking from chainring bolts and associated touching surfaces. Try greasing the flat surfaces of the chain rings where they sit next to spiders and crank arms.

As for rear mech, are you sure you haven't simply bent the hangar?

{pedant mode} the IT band isn't a muscle and it cannot really be stretched[/pedant mode]

The IT Band is a band of fibres best described to someone as a 'muscle' (in the loosest term!) It can't be stretched in the way a muscle can but it can be "stretched" and the fibres re-aligned in the correct direction.

If you are at SITS and aren't riding then please come along and see us in the massage tent and we will "stretch" yours for you (and yes it does hurt!).

If you are riding then come and see us and we can still help you out but can't work as deep.

We will be open 24 hours just like Mayhem.

Mike check – you are absolutely right that is exactly what has happenned. Shall try and find another one and replace. Thanks.

Star Massage – I'm based in Mossley on the east side of Manchester, where are you? Also many thanks to you and your team. We rode Mayhem solo and my friend crammed on our 5th lap, just as we were coming into the solo tent. Either you or one of your girls (not sure how many of you there were or if your male/female) sorted him out and he was able to ride on for the rest of the race.

I definitely need to see someone as I think this leg may be longer than the other. When I run it doesn't just go forward and back, it goes forward and then round in an arc to the back and when I cycle I think I do a similar thing with my knee as I'm clipped in. It's been OK though, until recently so I presumed everything was fine.

Re: The creaking – Half way through a dinner party last night I thought it might be the pedals so I swapped them. Unfortunately, it's not the pedals. Will check chainring bolts.

Thanks everyone for your contributions. This place is great! Now, does anyone want to have a crack at sorting out my finances 🙂

3) Saddle Height (too high) ?

Not thought of that. Will try that today!

Smee may well be right that the ITB can't be stretched – spoke to physio once who said experiments with cadevers had shown that even if heavy weights were attached to an ITB it didn't stretch.

However, I can confirm that after about 3/4 deep massage sessions my ITB was looser and range of movement was better.

rockitman – Member

Mike check – you are absolutely right that is exactly what has happenned. Shall try and find another one and replace. Thanks.

Had the same thing happen last year with an old mech that was on its way out, luckily though it was in the garage and I found the little stub. May be difficult to repair without the bits that fell out as its kind of riveted in from the inside of the cage. All I could think as an alternative was to file the inside to make a countersunk hole and then stick a countersunk bolt through to get it as flush as poss, then if needs be file/grind down any of the bolt head that protrudes. bear in mind it won't matter if you ruin the allen key hole or anything cos it won't need to come out again!

Bit of an effort for a bodge but all depends if you want/need/can afford a new mech!

re mech- if the cage has spun round you can just spin it back round again

Re the creaking- replacing the offending part often works but it can be because the part was not fitted properly rather then it being defective itself.

as Jonb said, a lot of creaking whilst pedalling (which sounds like its coming from the crank area) is the seatpost clamp, or saddle clamp bolts being dry/dirty. Easy enough to eliminate- if it still creaks when youre pedalling out the saddle its not these, if it stops then it is.

We were glad to help, it might have been me, but you are right there was 11 of us in total so could have been anyone!

I am based in Northampton but know and work with therpaists all over the country!

We will be at the 24 hour run on the weekend before SITS at Catton Park if you want to come along and we will see what we can do for you.

I agree with Fubar check saddle height, cleat position and do you have different saddles on the different bikes you have? All could be affecting you!

Also muscle imbalances could be a cause, a sports massage therapist can identify this though.