Forum menu
Have developed a creaking / near grinding noise from drive train recently , only audible when applying pressure to cranks on climbs. Thought must be bottom bracket so stripped it out (2 month old Hope), re-greased and re-fitted , along with same for cassette in case coming from here, but no improvment on ride today. I think the BB is fitted as it should be and have not had any problems until recently. Surely the BB bearings must still be ok as it is only 2 months old?? Everything else loooks ok so think it must be the BB or possibly frame bearings?
Is it possible that the noise is coming from the bearings on the frame only when under load? Frame is an 2007 GT I-drive.
Any suggestions as to what to try next?
Buy a hardtail!
Looked at the pedals, though they usually grind.
Anyway youve just made me chuckle. When I was out Sunday I could hear this distant squeak like the sound of rusty Panzers coming towards me, then two guys in shorts and short sleeves on the squeakiest bikes rode past in front of me.
A few hours later I could hear this loud squeak again, this time ahead of me further down a lane, it was the same two guys, they were deafening I had to bit my lip as I went past.
Wasn't you was it 😉
grease and tighten pedal threads and chainring bolts.
Pedals do make a grinding noise when the bearings have gone and it's usually only noticeable under pressure.
Aren't the BB/cranks isolated from the front triangle by way of some funky linkages on the I-Drives?
Could be the bearings involved in these linkages that are needing replacement....?
squeeks when you ride out of the saddle? saddle rails are notorious squeekers
What style crank/bb .... HT2? I'd take the cranks off, clean the spindle junction(s) where the crank attaches to the BB axle properly (use some kitchen roll with a spot of degreaser on) then lightly grease and reassemble (with sqr taper I assemble them dry actually). If you have any dirt in there that can cause terrible creaking. check the BB bearings at the same time but 2 months is very quick for them to fail (unless you have HT2 but haven't had the frame faced.....)
same for pedals. Off clean threads properly, grease, put back on.
dunno about frame bearings (+1 for HT) but if it's 3 years old and you've never serviced them then probably they need looking at.
cheers for replies - Na - it wasnt me Oldgit but its getting a bit embarassing creaking up the climbs (the bike that is). Frame faced and not had bother with the Hope BB before now. Frame bearings have been serviced within past 12 months. I will look at pedal spindles tonight but certainly sounds more like coming from BB area - took the BB and crank off last night and cleaned all very thoroughly and re-greased and tightened up again- my concern is that the spacers between the drive-side BB cup and frame might be the source of the creaking. Not sure they are needed actually, and might be flexing a wee bit under pressure Might be chainring bolts but happening both in middle and granny rings. Will have a look see again tonight. Thanks again.
I had a creak on my Mount Vision which took me ages to get to the bottom of. It turned out to be a cheapy rear QR - I only found it after looking at a thread about a guy with a noisy(er than usual) Orange 5 - Thanks STW!
I have a similar problem on climbs. I think I've narrowed it down to the BB. It's hard to be sure but I think it's that. If I just sit on the saddle and bounce then no noise but if I apply the same pressure through the cranks there's a loud clicking/creaking noise. The BB is about 9 months old now so maybe it's ****ed.
****ed BBs feel rough in the bearings but rarely creak.
Most creaks are loose/dry threads.
Had a similar problem a few weeks ago asked here and tried everything mentioned. Ended up being the handlebars/stem...
Another vote for QRs- especially if they're Hopes! Like Hicksy I'd have put good money on my BB being the problem, but nope.
Yup, chances are it is actually the QR moving slightly in the rear drop outs, but sounds like BB issue as the chainstays transmit the sound along the bike. Take the back wheel out and stick a bit of grease in and around the drop outs
Yup, chances are it is actually the QR moving slightly in the rear drop outs, but sounds like BB issue as the chainstays transmit the sound along the bike. Take the back wheel out and stick a bit of grease in and around the drop outs
Depending on the type of QR you have it might also be the lever (the end with the end of the spindle in it) moving against the bit it sits in.
Sorry, that's a crap description!
cheers guys. BB re-fitted, pedal threads , chainring bolts and rear QR spindle all cleaned greased and re-fitted. Not exactly a diagnostic test approach but hopefully will do the trick. Thanks
just spotted your thread about the noise!!!!!! im in the same boat, and i cant get to the bottom of it, it only happens when under load on climbs 🙁 anything level or downhill even when pedalling and no noise.....
my BB is only about 3 months old, as are cranks, so cant see it being that? seems strange its just started happening though, and only under load up banks....ive sprayed some gt85 into the BB area, and all around the cranks, everything is lubed etc and regularly cleaned.....im like you, i can only reallly hear it around the time i pedal, which makes me sure its the bb area, though of course i could be wrong? as you have tried stripping/regreasing bb to no avail?
just wondered as it was over 2 weeks ago you last replied, and not since, have you managed to sort it out buddy? would really love to know, its so infuriating, it sounds like a hamster wheel spinning in a cage on every revolution under load 🙁
would love to hear you say you had a solution 🙂
any one else got to the bottom of a creaking noise after checking most things???
im still getting the same noise, not always under limbing/load now, sometimes when just pottering along its doing it..
still sounds like its coming from the BB area, though im not convinced really....as its quite new along with the full drivetrain....
had rear wheel/qr out and cleaned greased etc...
cant see any cracks in frame......new pedals.....chain/cassette etc...
running out of things that it could be? will test perhaps the seat rails, but really cant see it being that.....
any further tests/help appreciated...
can be caused by any interface flexing . the majority of cases do seem to be coming from the bb but often aren't. on various full sussers I've had creaks have been caused by one linkage bearing/bush being too tight/dry etc.
one thing to do is to wet each bearing/pivot with a water bottle (one at a time , then test ride to see if the problem goes. you can also loosen each pivot slightly one by one to try and locate the problem (if it's linkage based.) hth
Bill
whoops!
cheers bill, 5 frame is coming upto a year old and ive not touched the bearings, i did spray a mild bit of tf2 spray around the bearing area when it first started?? ive heard since that could strip grease etc, but it was happening beforehand anyways, so is there a possibility it could be the bearings in my five frame?
not sure where else to go with it really? its intermittent also, does rarely do it on flats/standard pedalling, and mostly occurs on climbs, but then sometimes doesnt at all on climbs.....then it will randomly do it pedalling on flat road, but not alot of the time...
the way best to describe the noise is it almost sounds like if the disc was rubbing on the pads every rotation, though that doesnt explain why it would happen under load, and wheels seems to be running true and not catching as far as i can see...its not a loud creak by any stretch if its even a creaking noise, just sounds like above brake sound, though im not sure if thats classed as creak??? either way to me it sounds like its from the BB area...
chain ring bolts?
the ones on the outer largest chain ring? I have not checked them so worth a look, they do have a tendency to work loose, but why would that cause a creak?
anything loose in the drive train could make a noise...
rear mech hanger bolt.
hope bb spacers are ally and may creak, if all else fails as in crankbolts/qr's/pedals then try shimano plastic spacers,
yesterday my bike started making a rattling/tinging noise-sometimes when pedaling and sometimes when freewheeling! Tried really hard but cannot pinpoint where the noise is from!
Sorry no help but I share anyones frustration who has a noisy bike!
its a new ish xt ht2 bb, i havent had the noise before so its got to be something worked loose or similar some where, rear mech hanger is ok tight and also new! Not sure where to go with it really! Having it fully serviced soon so will have full strip down see if that cures it!