Bike creaks/clicks when the crank is under load in the 3 o’clock position. I’ve reproduced the click with the front end off the ground so it’s not anything at the front end. Taken the post out, still clicks, swapped back wheel, still clicks, New bottom bracket, still clicks, different chainset, still clicks, different pedals, still clicks.

Stripped the dropouts off, cleaned and threadlocked, skewer is clean and tight and also got swapped with the back wheel.

I can’t see any cracks on the frame. Anything else to check before I start shopping for a new frame?

Time for some new knees?

Have you considered it might be your knees?

Does it still click when you backpedal?

A good suggestion but I can replicate the click off the bike with hand pressure on the cranks.

Odd. both cranks?

Hand pressure forwards or backwards or both?

Trying to rule out the transmission, you see 🙂

take the chain off & see if you can still reproduce it

(can I have chainring tooth in the sweepstake ?)

He’s already replaced the chainset 🙂

I’m guessing worn chain. Maybe…

BB shell need facing? BB threads greased?

My bike used to click at 3 o’clock. I only go out in the morning now, and it’s great. 😀

BB has been faced
Threads are greased
Tried a different chain
It only happens under load/can’t reproduce it with chain off.

I’m now wonder if the load through the chain is loading the frame. Perhaps that has a small crack in it.

Couldn’t find anything with the chainset off though.

He’s already replaced the chainset

😳 – think I read that as “new chain”

so only chain or frame left then ?

can’t see why either would click at 3 o’clock (when it can be reproduced using gentle pressure by hand)

cable from front mech hitting crank ? (should still happen with chain off though)

It’s not gentle pressure, firm hand pressure. I’ve tried two different chains now, both freshly waxed. I’m starting to think frame myself now.

It’s not gentle pressure, firm hand pressure

Not calling you a big pansy 😉 , I mean gentle relative to leg pressure while actually driving the bike forwards

what happens when you press laterally on the BB shell with your foot ?
(note that this may incorporate “frame snaps in 2”)

i had similar on road bike and found it was loose chainring bolts. worth checking…

Laterally, nothing. no clicking, no snapping.

Is it the same in all gears?

Yes, all gears.

About 5 years ago, I fitted a stainless plate with a couple of jubilee clips. Took this off and the click stopped! Put it back on and no click! It doesn’t make sense. What’s really odd is that to make a noise, one piece must move relative to the other. All I can imagine is that the chainstay it’s fastened to is flexing more than it used to!

Bah !
That’s cheating, adding extra bits unannounced 🙁

back it with some self-amalgamating tape and refit ?

Hardtail bike or full sus?
If its a full sus then could be a dry nylon bush or coroded ball in a cartridge bearing ?

No, it’s a hardtail. Didn’t think to mention the plate as it’s not a moving part so shouldn’t be making a noise.

Sorry if anyone feels cheated.

Now, why is my hardtail frame creaking against this plate held on with a couple of jubilee clips, both on the chainstay?

It’s a Pace 305 so I guess I should count myself lucky it’s lasted this long. First thing I checked was the seat cluster!

dust/kack under the contact point(s) with the frame – best one I’ve had is cable end caps creaking in shifter body when the fork compressed on pedalling. That took a while to find. Weird, usually happens when stuff dries out rahter than in the wet IME (are you in the UK ?)

not really feeling cheated, BTW

+1 for what normski says.
I had a creak in my carbon stumpjumper.
Went through the whole bike several times, I’d pretty much convinced myself it was a cracked frame.
In the end I had to admit defeat and take it to the concept store (which really hurt)

They changed all the bearings and bolts and guess what.. No more creaking.
Expensive but worth it.

Ben

Northwind solution- bikes make noise. Ignore it.

Hold the top tube and press hard on the chainstay as near as possible to the cranks. That’ll highlight a frame issue. Pressing on the pedals won’t narrow the problem down too much.

I like that idea walleater. just tried it an no clicking. finding a cable end in a shifter would be tricky but you would expect movement there. I’m baffled by this one though.

ignoring things like this is something I just can’t manage.

Which skewers have you used? Another easy thing to knock off the list would be to remove bottle cages/bolts (Not something I have found in the past but with it being so easy,maybe worth firing them off)

Salsa skewers which do clamp up plenty tight enough. All the bottle cage bolts were checked.

Now, why is my hardtail frame creaking against this plate held on with a couple of jubilee clips, both on the chainstay?

I’d guess because the stay is flexing ever so slightly, causing the clips to creak a bit.

That’s what I thought, but it’s not creaked in the past 5 years. Should I be worried that the frame is “moving” now?

I just had exactly the same issue and it was two things. 1. Changing bolts and 2. Seized/over tourqued linkage bearings out of the factory. The creaking chainring bolt issue was due to a hairline crack in the bashguard. This despite it being a newish set of cranks which I’d just fitted to a new frame. Is it a double and bash setup?

Edit…must read whole thread…glad you found it! I also can’t stand clicks or creaks.

It’s probably a function of exactly how tight the clips are – if there’s not a crack then I wouldn’t worry about it.

I couldn’t see a crack, doesn’t mean mean there isn’t one!

Well, yes – but cracks aren’t all that hard to spot usually – they’re almost always around a weld, for a start. Chain stays go either at the dropout or the bottom bracket, or (on steel frames) near the chainstay bridge.

Though, saying that, I’ve go a frame in the shop belonging to Big Al from Wheelcraft – he’s convinced there’s a crack in the seat tube but I can’t find anything 🙂