after countless attempts to cure a creak (which i still havent sussed out yet)…it becomes more and more apparent that the more i seem to lube the chain, the lesser the creak is….

the chain is new, and cassette new….i would normally just lube the chain once a week or the likes with finish line xc greet wet lube…

however ive used some dry lube and the creak was immense, so i stopped and threw a load of xc wet finish line, and ten minutes later the noise was lesser, and almost gone….then a bit later on, probably 5-10 miles later, it came back again…..so more lube and again it seemed to be quieter!

am i just imagining this? surely a chain should not need lubing like this in order to keep it quiet?

im trying to clean the chain and cassette in order to keep the noise minimal (convinced it is this making the creak)…

but logically i never used to do this, and nor did a new chain creak on a new cassette without lubing….example my mate has an anthem x2, hardly washes it, hardly ever cleans it, his chain is filthy and he puts some lube on every so often, and his is as quiet as a mouse 🙁 is this just a decoy for the creak?

Every couple of hundred miles it gets a dunk in Putoline chain wax. Never cleaned ( the molten wax cleans it enough)

However I do wonder if your creak is the cassette on the freehub or QR or something else around the rear wheel thats getting a bit of lube when you lube the chain.

Do beware of stripping all the lube out of a chain and not getting fresh stuff back in

I lube with Finish Line wet lube after every ride. Degrease the chain, rings, cassette and derailleurs, dry and then lube. I hate gears not working properly + it makes drivetrain last longer which is cheaper. Only takes 10 mins with a hose and mucoff.

you only need to lube the inside of the chain – where it comes into contact with rings and cassette. 6-7 revolutions of the cranks and wipe off the excess.

I’d be looking for stiff links in the chain, making sure cassette and bottom bracket are properly tightened up
HTH

i have an xt cassette, Sram chain, Truvativ crank. I use muckoff wet or dry as appropriate & generally clean it all once a week. never had a problem with muckoff, ever.

good luck with the problem.

Re-lube before every ride, give the cassette a good clean when it’s mucky

cheers for the fast replys –

TJ – exactly my thoughts, i then thought if its quieter when lubign the chain/cassette perhaps its trickling through on to the freehub…..so i checked freehub, and smeared some copper grease on – noise equally as bad 🙁 i was hoping that was what it was, but to no avail 🙁 …qr’s i have both shimano xt and hope, and cleaned degreased dropouts and still the same 🙁

brooess – this is the second brand new chain in the last 2 months…i had a pc991 top sram one, that i was running from new on pg990…chain was worn so replaced with xt thinking that was the cause, the new chain did exactly the same…..i then thought the cassette was buggered, so new xt cassette and chain, and of course more money wasted as its still doing it 🙁

so frustrating, but it doesnt sound logical to keep lubing the chain every single ride, and sometimes during too…

now perhaps thinking its something actually in the pro2 hub itself?

Maybe you’ve got mis-matched wear on chain and rest of drivetrain:
One of these is worthwhile
Park Chain Wear Tool
All new drive-train, chain, the lot. Check chain regularly and before it stretches too much, stick new chain on. My drivetrains typically last a couple of years of weekend use.
If you have a new chain on overly-worn drive train you’ll have performance issues.
Maybe one for the LBS?

sorry bud, forgot to mention, new chainring too, middle one is the only one i use, and thats brand new too…the creak appears in granny ring to though all though i hardly use it….

Are you 100% it’s the rear hub? I experienced a creeking sound that turned out to be an over-tightened (shop) and so broken BB… the point being that the noise didn’t sound like it was coming from the BB area. You might be experiencing expanding contact points (heat building up) which cool down and contract while you lube up…perhaps.

The other vexing issues, resulting in similar characteristics that you’re currently experiencing, have been LBS setting up 10sp ultegra on a 9spd FH WITHOUT the shim! A handful of mechanics couldn’t sort work it out either so I did it myself after a quick Google sesh.
Bit OT but trying to think outside the box for you…that wasn’t meant to sound condescending if it reads that way.

Hope you get it sorted, these things drive me to distraction too.

not condescending sir, dont worry – im willing to listen to anything at all at the minute as ive lost the will to ride at the moment, the rides are constantly stopped every 10-20 mins to try and source it, and continue for the next 3 hours riding, wasting so much time and energy trying to find it 🙁

im not 100% sure to be honest, im not sure on anything anymore, it could even be the front end of the bike, making the noise through the frame, it just really sounds like its from the rear more so…

interesting point about the cool down, could well be, parts or the likes cooling down whilst i kick it to death, then start back up and it comes back a bit later….

im really at my wits end, and ive spent a fortune replacing parts and time and the likes…the hub is about the last thing i havent touched, other than the wheel/spokes them self?

Checked your chainring bolts?

I lube chain night before every ride & clean when it’s dirty. Use fenwicks & a chain cleaner, dry it off & lube with finishline dry. Whilst it’s drying I’ll take a toothbrush to the cassette, chainrings and jockeywheels. A clean drivechain shifts much smoother.

Enough internetting – second ride of the day coming up…