[Closed] and still the creak goes on....wot now.

have you got any spacers on the bb? my single speed was creaking like a bugger, popped a little bit of grease between the spacers, tightened it all down again and the creaking has now gone. Check the chain ring bolts as well as that's another classic creaky bike cause under pedalling uphill/grunting it

Tried re seating / re tightening the rear QR and checking the casette is nipped up...?

Prime suspect is normally the rear QR, unless you have a Maxle try tightening it very tightly, or replacing it with a Shimano item.

Could be,in no particular order.
Pedals
Chainring bolts
Mech hanger
Quick release
Cassette
Bottom bracket
Cranks
Pivot bearings
Bushes.
Thats assuming it is drivetrain related,otherwise add
Seat rails
Headset
Stem
seatpost.
Depends how long the piece of string is.

the creak on my Kula is seat rails. I'm told dirt can get between the rail and the seat tube fixing causing this (clean it), tho in my case I think it's just old age and use (of the saddle!), where the rails join the saddle body.

knees?

Smooth a little grease in and on the drop outs and on the QR then tighten it up.

sell the orange and buy a decent, non-creaking bike? it's obviously broken and needs to be replaced with something of higher build quality......an Apollo perhaps 😆

[i]Tried re seating / re tightening the rear QR and checking the casette is nipped up...?[/i]
2nd that, maxle on mine & I thought the din was coming from the cranks but twas the back axle a bit looser than should've been.

it it when seated , standing or both ?

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Just be thankfull it's not a motorbike. I think I've had mine apart 3 or 4 times looking for the creak...

The cup spanners that only engage with a few of the steps on a cup can't possibly tighten the cup to the specified torque. Even with a big **** off torque wrench, 30-40 N/m is one good grunt of welly.

Maybe your bottom bracket is loose.

A wrap of PTFE tape round on the bottom bracket cup threads cured the creak on my hope BB

What hubs? I was plagued with a creak from the bike...even returned to supplier for a check...they put it down to the freehub...got replacement and the existing one fell off...replaced and silence has once more returned. I was convinced it was the suspension but it wasn't...

Perhaps the creak is a crack in the frame ??

( Or maybe not )

😉

change the bearing in the frame swingarm they are only a few quid, if it doesnt work at least you know they are fine for a while.

And that is BEARING not bush

na no crack in frame its an orange ! im no fat basket either...done all the usual greasing up to almost every part of bike.... im prety sure its not my knees either (lol).....

Changed the freehub?

nope... 😉 cud that make a possible creaking noise... its getting expensive this bike thing all of a sudden...got my forks to sort out too..lol....

Would it not make sense to start with the cheapest, which is probably the bearings 😕

It may be worth checking out Mr Bartons suggestion. I had a creak which it took me ages to trace - turned out to be a creaking freehub body on a Pro2 hub. I sounded awful - like a I'd expect a cracked frame would sound. Took it appart, gave it a good clean and a grease and that sorted it. Good luck!

Had same creak with my Five-drove me loopy for a while.

Eventually solved by changing rear quick release for a new one and made sure it was nipped up nice and tight.

the 5 frame amplifies noise which makes it harder to eliminate , my friend had this recently, turned out to be a dry bearing in the free hub

Not sure on Orange frames but my friends bike had a creak which was the replacable dropouts, took them of the frame, greased and replaced creaking gone.

Cut your toe nails HTH 😉

After your original post and my replies , bugger me if my bike didnt develop a nasty nasty creaking that sounded like BB etc etc etc. Turns out my Hope Pro 2 pawl springs were fubarred but the creaking was coming from a tiny amount of grit that had got in behind the end seals on the hub end caps!!! Simon at Albany in Coventry who found and sorted the 'creak' identified it from previous experience. Pop the end caps off give them a real good clean and regrease and check fro grit in the freehub assembly.
It was frenzying me just on the two rides I did so I can appreciate how its irritating you1

my mates gt (hardtail) had a creak, which (after a complete strip down) was cured by spraying gt85 inside the tubes around the BB area.

had a bad creak on my new heckler,it was cable end ferrule on the frame guide above the bb when the swingarm moved under pedalling cured with a bit of lube.

fozlett.... ive greased and greased my quick release as 'orange' and 'Hope' and leisureslakes bikes agree that alot of creaking comes from the skewer..but buying a new one ??? did that seriously put an end to your creaking..(lol) i wud have thort that greasing the old one wud be satisfactory (not with me tho-lol.
so a look at the free hub is another culprit then..hmmm i,ll have a list as long as me arm soon ..well thanks guys for your input...much appreciated..

seanodav ::: ive been told by 'Orange' not to change the bearings they are sealed (we dont change them that often they say !!!! (i rang them up last week and thats the reply i got. check the quick release they say (i have i say... 😉 ive greased most things.... i shall plough on with this till i sort it..Hopefully.. 😉

Had a creak in my neck once.....

My 2011 alpine is the same. Doing my head in.

I've just stopped pedaling it and using it purely for going down.....

After going through all the usual suspects on my Soul (rear qr,chainring bolts,headset,dropouts,saddle rails etc) i took my nearly new at the time Hope bb out and put copperslip grease on the threads and the mating surfaces and hey presto, problem solved.
Drove me nuts for a good while before this cured it, i didn't think the bb could be at fault being so new but it was the source.

na no crack in frame its an orange !

I hope your right, my "mysterious creak" on an Orange5 turned out to be a crack in the weld around the little stub axle the bearing sits on. The replacement (which took months to arrive 😈 ) went in exactly the same place. The third one was put together such that the back wheel was about 5mm further to the right than the front one. At that point I got my money back.

Definiteley NOT lol.

Elaine Anne,
I have had the same problem with my O5 since I got it new a year ago. At one point it would sound like it was being hit with a hammer on every serious climb.

The LBS tried a few things:
- Better rear QR, nipped up tight - no effect
- Tighten up the crank arm bolts - no effect
- Remove and grease the outside of the BB

Although not so bad since that last fix, the creek is still a bit irritating, but I am trying to learn to rise above it, Zen like, as the price I must pay in this imperfect world of suffering for an otherwise fantastic bike.

Cable creak, either end caps in cable stops or where the cable outer enters the routing through the swing arm. Bit of lube/furniture polish might help.

neninja - Member

Smooth a little grease in and on the drop outs and on the QR then tighten it up.

I've solved mysterious creaking on two bkes like this. As it only takes a couple of minutes and costs nothing it's not worth not trying

Ok, not on an Orange, but I once had a creak that took ages to trace & it was the rear mech hanger! Took it off, put a small amount of grease between the hanger & the drop-out, bolted it back up, job done, creak free !

Elaine - mentioned it once before but you never replied....try looking at the bloody rear hub for cracks around the flange...where the spokes go into the hub....I had a creak exactly like yours and spent a fortune trying to cure it:.....the hub had two hairline cracks......replaced the hub by hope and creak gone! 4 months on and still creak free.....if you want it cured try checking that out NOW

MR WILDLY ::: wHY ARE YOU SWEARING at ME FOR 'BLOODY' GODSAKE MAN.. 😉
yes ive done it NOW- NOW -now...checked for hairline cracks in the Hub where the spokes go as you have insisted....NO BLOODY CRACKS ..ive had the torch on it too....what else shall i do to it.. NUKE IT ????? hahahahha 😉 ok ive greased things as much as possible...will be a follow up shortly ..
wots 'drop outs' btw.... maybe i call it something else.lol 😉

is the bearing in the swing arm easy to do yourself.....unscrew the black discs on either side of swing arm ( i just greased in there yesterday also...(whilst supporting the swing arm and somehow tap out the 'bearing' how do you get the bearings out.

here you go
http://www.cyclistno1.co.uk/features/maintenance/orange-five-pivot-bearing-service.htm

Elaine, I know folks re banging down the free hub/hub route, and I have had this issue also. Simplest way to check is bang in a different wheel ASAP and give a quick run round the block to check.

I had it on my 29er and chucked in a random old 26er wheel just for a quick spin, and it was indeed the wheel that was the problem. once that was diagnosed it was down to the LBS for a check.

on the other bike it was a stripped non-drive side crank arm bolt (HT2) that was the culprit.

Kev

My five had a creak when I built it up (second hand frame).

Tracked it down to the swingarm not clamping the bearings fully. Ended up sanding the spacer blocks down a touch to increase the clamp load on the outer races. I found this as I was stripping down to check the bearings were smooth.

Another idea to add to the pot!

Does the Five have replacable dropouts? My old Heckler had a horrid creak when I got it, a bit of grease in the dropout / mech hangar solved it nicely.

Bottom bracket threads were the orgin of my creaks, and pretty much still are. Have to regularly strip and regrease. I agree with the wheel swap plan for diagnosis, there is a lot of potential in a wheel if you can swap and try without that rear wheel I think it will narrow your options considerably.

whilst re-tightening random bolts up on the bike i found my pedal bolt was really loose (had been at lee quarry yesterday maybe it came too loose (lol) hence the creaking strain on the pedal when force applied. (hope it was that ...anyway cleaned any muck n grit off that loose pedal and greased that too...so c how i go.... its wet outside at the mo, seems like the bike just likes creaking when its bone dry outside too..lol im certainly on with the creaking quest

BTW...cheers for the above link.. 😉

Hopefully you have cured it with the above but I found that a different ie less torque on the bearing pivot pinch bolt sorted the creaking on my 5.

Had an anoying creak on my bike for a while turned out I'd tightened myhollotech crank too much the plastic pretensioner doesn't need much tightening

I had this problem on my 5.
Either replace the pivot bearings or check that the alloy wedge that holds them in place is clean on the machined inside face and is properly aligned with the swingarm. Also torque up the 2 bolts correctly (12-14 nm)

so originally when i rang 'orange' up he said they dont like to change the pivot bearings too often they are sealed...so those of you with orange fives..how often do you change yours ?

My apologies in advance for this but.........
When they need changing! 🙂

Disconnect the shock (only one end) and manually move the swing arm through its travel if rough change if not leave em!
sorry but this is all I do

Have you checked it isn't slack spokes on the rear wheel? I went through this whole process with my 5 and it was the spokes rubbing and creaking against each other.

lol this thread

you might as well just johnny 5 the whole bike Stephanie!

I changed the bearings on my 5 after 3 1/2 years of weekly riding. They were full of mud and the outer shell was broken on one hence the cracking noise. However they still worked and had no obvious sideways play when the shock was disconnected.

Changing the bearings is easy. Orange will send you an instruction sheet with a new bearing kit and there are plenty of references on the Internet with video etc. All you need are 3 & 5mm hex wrenches, a soft faced mallet and some copperslip grease. When tapping the swingarm off the old bearings make sure you only hit the welds. The most time consuming bit is to properly align the swingarm on the new bearings. If you can't get the instruction sheet mail me and I'll send a copy of mine. I also used the link mentioned above which shows exactly how to do it.

Mates pivot bearing was shot after a year, but we do ride in some crap.

I had a creak on my Cube Ams Pro, that sounded as if it came from the bottom bracket. I had to strip and clean the right pedal after it started the click. After the pedal strip clean the creak has gone. Mybe
coincidence.

well last nite after general tightening of bolts etc i did come across a not so tight bolt on the pedal...-i hardly had to turn it... (i did say under pressure i thort the noise was coming from crank area (which was put down to numerous theorys.. anyway after greasing the pedal thread - today i went on the 3 biggest hills i could find here in the 'calderdale valley' (which there are plenty of ! i purpously started out on a very dry hill and no creaking wot so ever ! carried on over the bridleways then back into town then up a slow long tarmac hill at the end of my ride just to check out the pedals agin, no creaking for a couple of hours (ahh bliss)....for the moment touch wood no creaking....so will see what happens over the next few weeks...so for me it was a looser than normal pedal bolt...
i will use that above link for future ref in the next few weeks if needed....thanks all for your input.....some good advice for once.. 😉 even if my speling lets me down sometimes...lol (i blame the wind in the calder valley it does tend to blow your brains somewhat...hahah 😉

Well done on tracing the creak, looks like it wasn't the fault of the frame ( unlucky 5 haters)

Another fault causing a creak on my five was a snapped pro 2 bolt through axle, changed the pro 2 hub for a bulb and silence as well as IMO a sturdier axle design.