Help me with my creak

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Dave Barter
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Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

My Specialized Crux has developed a creak under load. It sounds like the bottom bracket area and is present seated and standing. So far I have:-

- checked bb bearings, they are nearly new and have never got wet. Buttery smooth with chain removed
- cleaned chain of grit and checked entire length
- removed pedals, checked spindles, all fine, greased and replaced
- tightened mech hanger
- pinged spokes all seem tight enough
- checked cassette mounting, very tight
- checked wheel bearings which are very smooth

I’m now at a loss as to what it is? Bit worried it could be the PF bottom bracket. Any other ideas?
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Bearlegged
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Bearlegged »

Clean and retighten chainring bolts?
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voodoo_simon
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by voodoo_simon »

Had this recently, replaced my wheels and the creaks disappeared over night :-bd Also replaces the BB at the same time.

To be fair, the wheels were ~8 years old and had a lot of side to side movement
woodsmith
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by woodsmith »

Seat post? Saddle rails? Does sound like its probably a press fit BB issue.
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

Landslide wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:16 pm Clean and retighten chainring bolts?
Ain’t none
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

voodoo_simon wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:33 pm Had this recently, replaced my wheels and the creaks disappeared over night :-bd Also replaces the BB at the same time.

To be fair, the wheels were ~8 years old and had a lot of side to side movement
They have < 1000 miles on them
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Bottom bracket bearings are regularly culprits. If threaded type,unscrew them clean threads and regrease threads and re-install. Press fit same applies, except,tricky to remove and various cures ,from greasing outer and inner races ,to applying carbon grip paste to outer race,or paste to plastic cups on pf30 types.
Also check chainring spider mount on right hand crank is not loose.
Pedal spindle threads are greased and screwed correctly in crank arm.
The pedals themselves can also creak.
Cleats creak too!
I have found alloy bottom bracket inserts in Carbon frames also cause creaking....can be expensive to rectify.
Loctite bearing fit can sometimes cure it. And it works with some presfit bearings too!
Sorry to be vague Dave,but there are a lot of variable causes.
Good luck! :-bd
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

Sorry to be vague Dave,but there are a lot of variable causes.
Don’t be. All useful stuff. I’m slowly eliminating causes.
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by RIP »

Also had this recently. Tried all sorts including tightening the crank bolt. Nothing worked. In the end took crank right off, cleaned the little gasket thingy in the bolt gap and the bolt and everything else. Sorted! Don't think anyone else mentioned that yet?

Probably used all the wrong terminology etc because bike fiddling holds little interest for me I'm afraid.
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Al
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Al »

Happened on my road bike. Had pedals, cranks, bottom bracket, seatpost all off regressed and re fitted but no joy. Eventually tracked it down to the front qr not being tight enough :lol:
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by fatbikephil »

If its one of those press fit BB's with a plastic shell, they can creak randomly. Only sure fire way to fix is to hammer it out and hammer it back in again with high strength loctite bearing fit. I've never removed a PF41 bb yet without knackering it completely so leave this until a last resort!
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

It's yer knees.
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Just lost another lengthy post grrrr!
The gist of it was that on one creaking job , I found the rear wheel ran smoothly,but upon dismantling the freehub and cartridge wheel bearings,I discovered they were corroded. Once replaced , the creaking was cured. (Only after doing previous stuff to cranks,pedals etc!)
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by lune ranger »

I cured a long standing ?BB creak a while ago by pouring 50ml of warmed linseed oil in through the seat tube.
It was a tip I saw on t’internet. Not sure it really needs to be hot but I figured it wouldn’t harm anything if it was, and I do like to follow instructions :roll:
I had literally already done everything else I could to stop it to no avail.
The article was claiming the creaks can be down to tiny movements in poorly mitred tube junctions.
The reasoning might be absolute tosh but the fix worked for me.
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

lune ranger wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:49 pm I cured a long standing ?BB creak a while ago by pouring 50ml of warmed linseed oil in through the seat tube.
It was a tip I saw on t’internet. Not sure it really needs to be hot but I figured it wouldn’t harm anything if it was, and I do like to follow instructions :roll:
I had literally already done everything else I could to stop it to no avail.
The article was claiming the creaks can be down to tiny movements in poorly mitred tube junctions.
The reasoning might be absolute tosh but the fix worked for me.
Got any left ;-)
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Cyclepeasant
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Obviously not a cricket guy! 😉
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Cyclepeasant »

Castor oil should work if you were a British bike or classic vehicle racer! .....smells good too when you warm it up! :ugeek:
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Wotsits
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Wotsits »

It's your arse cheeks :cool:
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

Wotsits wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:35 pm It's your arse cheeks :cool:
Will linseed oil work on them as well?
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Wotsits
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Wotsits »

Dave Barter wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:36 pm
Wotsits wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:35 pm It's your arse cheeks :cool:
Will linseed oil work on them as well?
Fold one of the new plastic notes in half, then slip it in there with a smear of your favourite oil :ugeek:
Works every time!
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Wotsits
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Wotsits »

Seriously though Dave, if you’ve checked your bb & all the usual suspects but your wheels are fairly new, I’d been checking the rear is all ok. Seen a few creaks caused by rear hubs, from QR’s not tight enough, to snapped axles..
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lune ranger
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by lune ranger »

Dave Barter wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 6:06 pm
lune ranger wrote: Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:49 pm I cured a long standing ?BB creak a while ago by pouring 50ml of warmed linseed oil in through the seat tube.
It was a tip I saw on t’internet. Not sure it really needs to be hot but I figured it wouldn’t harm anything if it was, and I do like to follow instructions :roll:
I had literally already done everything else I could to stop it to no avail.
The article was claiming the creaks can be down to tiny movements in poorly mitred tube junctions.
The reasoning might be absolute tosh but the fix worked for me.
Got any left ;-)
For sure. I always have loads. I’d happily send some your way. It’d also be available in your local DIY/hardware shop for a few quid - I have the fancy cold pressed Swedish stuff though, wonder if that makes a difference :geek:
If it fits with you I’ll be near Buckfast in Hembury Woods on Wednesday. I’m dropping off my kids for forest school and going for a moderate MTB ride around the Avon dam and Abbots Way for a few hours.
I could give you some then if you fancy a ride.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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Dave Barter
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Dave Barter »

Thanks Luke was only kidding. Let’s meet up on the Moor one weekend. Weekdays are never good for me
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JohnClimber
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by JohnClimber »

Tighten up your rear QR or bolt through.
Worked for me trying to save weight with a QR made of cheese and couldn't fine the creak, put an old school industrial one of that weight 4 times more, locked it and the creak went.

Also (embarrassed to admit) I bought and fitted a new BB to the tandem becuse of a creak when looking down trying to find the creak....... The creak was still there even with the new BB.... I took the bike up the streat without my new helmet on and the creak was gone....
The bloody creak was the MIPS part of my new POC helmet creaking whenever I applied pressure to the peddles while looking down for that fecking creak. The sound sounded like it was coming for the BB area not my frigging helmet
Last edited by JohnClimber on Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Jurassic
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Re: Help me with my creak

Post by Jurassic »

I've only had one bike with a PF bottom bracket and it used to creak randomly from time to time irrespective of what I did to it (including replacing the bearings). I eventually got rid of the bike and have ensured that any subsequent bikes or frames have been screw in type. Probably not what you want to hear, sorry. :oops:
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