[Closed] Help me find this creak!!!

Bar stem interface I'd say

Try a different pair of shoes or get your mate to test ride while you ride at the side, possibly shoe rub.

To rule this out tony07 I can wheelie for a while just holding onto the toptube, so no hands on bar. Still creaks!

I'd suspect the bb if it only seems to do it when pedalling. Were the threads dry when you put the new one in? Apparently they can creak if you don't put grease on them from new.

I have my suspicious about the bb.

By bike was creaking so the first thing I changed was the BB, took saint out and a new Hope one in. I'm convinced it's making the same creak.

I've had the BB out again and cleaned and greased the treads and greased pretty much everything else to do with the BB.

Still creaking 🙁

Same problem as scandals the bolts holding dropouts on are slightly to long so not tightening up properly file a bit off and presto....that's if they are chainring type bolts

To rule this out tony07 I can wheelie for a while just holding onto the toptube, so no hands on bar. Still creaks!

Yer knees init?

😆

davewilson634 they are chainring style bolts, I've had the frame for a while now and it's started creaking without touching the dropouts. I'll take them off at the weekend and check. But I have checked they are tight with no play.

As for my knees Elliot, they do creak, a lot, but that is only one of the two creaks when I ride

I know, I know I know......... its your mech hanger. I kid you not. I had exactly the same problem. Some ninja googling told me the answer.

Its either loose or needs a wee drop of oil between it and the frame.

Now go fix it 😀

I've had an infuriating creak on my bike for the past two months, and only just worked out that it was the chainring bolts when there was a loud clunk and one of them fell out.

Turns out that all of them were loose despite being threadlocked, so I've given up on alu bolts and I've got some lovely stainless steel ones that are going to go on with loads of grease.

So to go off anecdotal evidence, I'd advise you to check your chainring bolts 🙂

Ride your bike fast enough so that you cant hear the creak. Do you ride like a soft tart? 😉

I have had this on a few bikes and after doing everything on the list I remembered the rear axle. Take whatever you have (QR maxle, etc) and lube it. I never thought that a rear QR axle could creak so much, but they do.

I had a creaky clicky noise on mine and turned out to be the splines on the hollowtech II axle, where the crank arm slides on.

LBS told me it has to be really clean so I proper cleaned it with petrol and toothbrush, skim of grease and its fine now.

Yep I done the same thing checked everything but that's what it cane down to since I've filed them down no noise what so ever

I had a similar creak on my Superlight. I went through everything and it turned out to be the rear quick release wasn't quite tight enough. Annoyed the hell out of me.

Pedal axles?

I might have your answer here. 😀
I had an annoying creak on my rc305. Exactly the same symptoms.Forget just checking if the dropout bolts are light.Take the dropouts off and grease the inside of it where it sits flush against the frame.
I bet you this cures it as it did mine.
I went through every possible area before i found this.Must have undone re-greased and re-tightened the whole bike first.

I N R A T S

chainring bolts, bb, pedals, cranks - no need to replace (contrary to popular opinion), just tighten/regrease threads.

I'd make sure the rear skewer is absolutely bar tight (if you have one fitted)

D.

Rear mech jockey wheels? Check if not worn, and that the bearings are clean and greased

Check ya spokes

I thought my bb was the cause.. turned out to be pedal/crank arm threads needing a clean and regreasing..

Come on OP.I want to know if iv,e won this.. 😉

I reckon I'm in with a shot ...
£1 each in the PayPal bucket for the winner?

I'm just off to fettle with my bike now robhughes... I'll update in a bit...

Dropouts taken off, cleaned and greased. Still creaking!

Non-drive side crank arm to axle interface cleaned and greased. Still creaking!!

Pedals taken off and different pedals tried. Still creaking!!!

Jockey wheels replaced. Still creaking!!!!

Rear skewer tight. Still creaking!!!!!

File bolts down they may seem tight as my scandal did give it a go....

AAAARRRrr....Fail.... 😀
I,m up for the £1 in the paypal tub...
rename the thread title(stw squeak and creek competition)
OP gets the tub for a new pot of grease.Sounds like he'll need it. 😉

Without wishing to be the bringer of doom... A crack somewhere?

Would there not be some flex about the seatpost/ seat tube interface even when you were out of the saddle?

FWIW, and you do seem to have isolated these, my worst everer creaks have been from a seemingly tight rear qr and from saddle rails. And Middleburn SQ taper cranks!

I believe that any interfaces between different metals are more prone to corrosion than those between similar metals. So maybe look there as well. Grease should prevent this corrosion though.

Take your bike and dunk one end of it into water. Go ride, is the creak still there? Easy way to help isolate the general area at least.

Rather than filling the dropout bolts down I popped a washer on their in case the bolts were too long. Still Creaking! The dropouts feel very secure and are downing in grease.

I've looked for cracks, I've not found anything yet.

I think submerging half my bike in water will give me many different other problems 😯

I'll get in on this £1 contribution to the winning solution! I need a solution!

Keep the ideas coming and I'll keep trying them!

I take it you've greased everything on the rocker.
Has the rear mech drop out bolt been mentioned.
Clutching at straws here. 🙂

I mentioned this in another thread earlier in the week. My symptoms were similar, turned out to be seat post even when i wasnt sat on the bike. Just minor flex in the seat post tube while cranking it.

Try removing the post and go for a quick ride around the block.

Tighten the cassette?

Well remove it first, and check the freehub boy isn't goosed.

Do you get the creak if you have the bike with both wheels on the ground, and then push down and toward the bike on the left pedal.

Does it click?

Removed bb and chainset today, swapped for another. Still Creaked so it's nothing to do with BB, cranks, chainrings or pedals.

Removed seatpost, still creaks. It creaks when I stand up and pedal.

I've replaced the chain and cassette, still creaks.

As I said in a previous post I've replaced the frame bearings and shock bushings. Still creaking.

I need more ideas to try!

By now i would have gone crazy and sold the bike. 😉

robhughes, If I did sell it I would have to tell them about the incurable phantom creak 👿

rickon, if I lean the bike over stationary and push down on a pedal it does make the creak.

But as I mentioned in the above post I've eliminated the possibility of it been the pedals, chainset, bb.

I need some ideas to try...

Stem-bar clamp, stem-steerer clamp, headset.,
I had a creak on the linkage of my full suss, removed and greased it, went for a ride and it still creaked, poured water from my camelback on it, creak gone.. I hate creaks..

khani, To rule out the front end I can wheelie for a while just holding onto the toptube, so no hands on bar. Still creaks!

All I can suggest then is to ride round with a bottle of water and squirt bits of your bike til you find the offending creak..

(Outer) cable rubbing?

Spokes- are they tensioned correctly?

Cracked rear hub?

Ambrose, just swapped rear wheel with another bike. Still creaking.

elliott-20, excellent idea! Just cut the cables free from their guides, still creaking 🙁

more ideas please...