# Was I expecting too much from my £350 bike?



## nmfeb70 (14 Jun 2019)

Hi Everyone, I bought a new GT Aggressor Sport MTB in January for £350 (stop laughing at the back). I do about 100 - 120 miles a month, in all weathers, and on all types of terrain. After every ride I always treat my bikes with some TLC (wash, dry & lube). In six months I've needed a new rear freewheel and a new bottom bracket. I now suspect I may need another bottom bracket as it's giving off clicking sounds on every rotation. I have had no such problems with my other retro MTB's. Am I expecting too much from my £350 GT Aggressor or, as my local dealer tells me, modern bikes are dire?


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## ColinJ (14 Jun 2019)

It sounds a bit soon to be needing another BB (as long as you haven't been using a pressure washer on the bike!) - are you absolutely _sure _that it is the BB that is clicking? It is amazing how noises from one part of the bike can sound like they are coming from somewhere else. For example, I once had a clicking sound that I thought was from the BB... it turned out to be my leg catching the end of the front mech cable and flicking it against the seat tube!


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## southcoast (14 Jun 2019)

I purchased a new 2001 GT Avalanches back in the day. The bottom bracket started to make a noise after a few months. I tightened it up in the frame and it’s been fine ever since. So it’s lasted 18 years and I’ve covered most of the North and South Downs on the bike.


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## Rusty Nails (14 Jun 2019)

Do you mean rear freewheel or cassette? What went wrong with it as 5/6 hundred miles is not a lot of miles, as with the bottom-bracket.

When you wash the bike do you use a power-jet to clean it as that can cause problems with bearings. (ColinJ beat me to it!)

£350 is not a top-end bike, but it is certainly nowhere near a BSO, so you are entitled to expect better than that.


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## Crackle (14 Jun 2019)

It would seem too soon for the BB to be going, it's possible but lots of other things can click as Colin has already said. Pedals, a loose chainring bolt or something catching can all fool you into thinking it's the BB. Even something like your handlebars clicking can do it, it's not always easy to trace a noise. I can't believe you've gone through those items in 6 months, change your dealer!


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## ColinJ (14 Jun 2019)

I thought my pedals and cleats were squeaking. I adjusted the cleats. I adjusted them some more. I cut little bits off the tread on the soles of my shoes. I filed bits of pedal away. I lubed the cleats and pedals...

But then I discovered that the squeaking was actually caused by the soles of the shoes coming unglued!


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

ColinJ said:


> It sounds a bit soon to be needing another BB (as long as you haven't been using a pressure washer on the bike!) - are you absolutely _sure _that it is the BB that is clicking? It is amazing how noises from one part of the bike can sound like they are coming from somewhere else. For example, I once had a clicking sound that I thought was from the BB... it turned out to be my leg catching the end of the front mech cable and flicking it against the seat tube!



Hi Colin, I don't use a pressure washer, I wear different types of shoes and the noise persists whether I pedal standing up or sitting down. I'm not 100% the problem is the BB but it seems to be coming from that particular area.


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

Crackle said:


> It would seem too soon for the BB to be going, it's possible but lots of other things can click as Colin has already said. Pedals, a loose chainring bolt or something catching can all fool you into thinking it's the BB. Even something like your handlebars clicking can do it, it's not always easy to trace a noise. I can't believe you've gone through those items in 6 months, change your dealer!



Thanks Crackle, when I first had problems with the freewheel & BB the dealer told me he admired my enthusiasm for cycling (at my age!) and said I would wear parts out quickly with the amount of miles I cover. I can't help but think the bike is simply piss poor compared to my bikes of 20 years ago?


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

Rusty Nails said:


> Do you mean rear freewheel or cassette? What went wrong with it as 5/6 hundred miles is not a lot of miles, as with the bottom-bracket.
> 
> When you wash the bike do you use a power-jet to clean it as that can cause problems with bearings. (ColinJ beat me to it!)
> 
> £350 is not a top-end bike, but it is certainly nowhere near a BSO, so you are entitled to expect better than that.



No I don't use a jet wash. A knocking noise started to emerge after two months (approx 200 miles). I took it back & the dealer replaced the freewheel and the noise ceased. Then a crunching noise emerged and the dealer replaced the BB which rectified the problem. Now I have this clicking noise on every rotation.


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## burntoutbanger (15 Jun 2019)

Clicking noise on every rotation could well be a slightly loose crank arm. Try tightening the non drive side crank.


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## oldfatfool (15 Jun 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> and said I would wear parts out quickly with the amount of miles I cover. I can't help but think the bike is simply piss poor compared to my bikes of 20 years ago?



Think the dealer is piss poor, 100 miles a month is not high mileage. Have put thousands of miles on a bike without need of bb or freewheel


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## screenman (15 Jun 2019)

Jet washers do not cause problems, if they did I would need bottom brackets on all my bikes.


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## IanSmithCSE (15 Jun 2019)

Good morning,

I would join the others in suspecting elsewhere first.

I got given a pair of those resin pedals that makers like Specialized put on their bikes when they expect you to throw them away and buy clipless.

One of them had the bearings over tightened and this undid the pedal over a short period of time, this caused a click once a rotation. 

It was not visibly obvious and your dealer may have tightened it when you took it back and not mentioned it.

Bye

Ian


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Good morning,
> 
> I would join the others in suspecting elsewhere first.
> 
> ...



Thanks Ian.


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Jun 2019)

What sort of BB is it? A sealed unit or something with loose or cage balls that can be easily adjusted and greased? 
I've done more miles than you on bikes that I've pulled out of bins which were already over 20 years old to start with, and all I have ever done is strip and regrease the existing BB and headset bearings. I've not had to replace any freewheels either, mine are nearly all basic Shimano 5/6 speed units nothing fancy. What was actually wrong with the freewheel to require replacement? I can't see how it could have worn out so quickly, they should outlast a chain - and you haven't mentioned that failing. I would not be surprised if a BB was fitted at the factory with poor lubrication or adjusted too tight though. A lot of bikes also seem to have over-tight wheel bearings. I get the distinct impression modern bike assembly standards are piss poor, and done by cheap unskilled labour. I bought two basic, budget level new bikes in the early & mid-1980's (one Raleigh, one Puch) and both were properly assembled and adjusted out of the box and gave me no trouble whatsoever over a lot of miles. I outgrew the Raleigh but still own the Puch now! Cheap bikes with budget components can last OK so long as they aren't maladjusted from the outset.


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## Kajjal (15 Jun 2019)

Clicking noises can be annoying to resolve as they may not come from where you think. In my experience the following caused what seemed at first look to be bottom bracket clicking.

Front mech cable catching on pedals
Pedal bearing lose / not lubricated
Lower headset bearing worn / not lubricated
Front chainset loose
Disc brake catching due to stone behind pad, not adjusted properly, too much fluid in brake.
Wheel loose
Rear hub failing
Stiff chain link
Chain not clearing front/ rear mech either adjustment or some kind of obstruction.


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## dave r (15 Jun 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> Thanks Crackle, when I first had problems with the freewheel & BB the dealer told me he admired my enthusiasm for cycling (at my age!) and said I would wear parts out quickly with the amount of miles I cover. I can't help but think the bike is simply piss poor compared to my bikes of 20 years ago?



As oldftfool said, a 100 miles a month is not a high mileage, last month I did 500 miles, your dealer sounds like an idiot.


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## Heltor Chasca (15 Jun 2019)

BBs seem to have a mind of their own. On the cargo bike I had one go at 1500km. The ‘new’ one has so far lasted over 5000km. 

Probably just saying that aloud has borked it. Doh!


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Jun 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> BBs seem to have a mind of their own. On the cargo bike I had one go at 1500km. The ‘new’ one has so far lasted over 5000km. !



Do you just ride stuff to destruction, or adjust and lubricate things as soon as any excessive free play is detected? A rider's approach to maintenance can make a vast difference to component service life, reliability, and bike running costs.


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## dave r (15 Jun 2019)

Heltor Chasca said:


> BBs seem to have a mind of their own. On the cargo bike I had one go at 1500km. The ‘new’ one has so far lasted over 5000km.
> 
> Probably just saying that aloud has borked it. Doh!



For me I would normally expect two, two and a half years for a bottom bracket, square taper, hollowtec, I have had them last longer, I had the splined one, FSA ISIS? on a pearson I had and that did well to last twelve months and I swapped that for a square taper.


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## Heltor Chasca (15 Jun 2019)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Do you just ride stuff to destruction, or adjust and lubricate things as soon as any excessive free play is detected? A rider's approach to maintenance can make a vast difference to component service life, reliability, and bike running costs.



In this case it ‘just went’. Instantaneous. No heads up. My mileage is high, but I am a neat freak, so I have an intimate relationship with the working parts of my bike so generally the wear and tear is less than a comparable bike with less mileage. 

With my BBs I tend to service once a year in the winter. Based on the state of the grease, that’s about right for my bikes.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2019)

You weren't expecting too much from the bike, but at £350 you are at the lower end of what we could call a proper bike.

Costs are cut where they can't be seen, so you have a less durable freewheel as opposed to a cassette/freehub, and the bearings - wheel and bottom bracket - are probably 'no name'.

Fit a £15 Shimano bottom bracket and all will probably be well for a while.


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> Costs are cut where they can't be seen, so you have a less durable freewheel as opposed to a cassette/freehub.



From what I have seen, a lot of modern freehubs are less durable than old-school freewheels!
I've never had a freewheel fail, nor have I broken a rear axle on a freewheel bike either. I did recently acquire a scrap
donor 26" MTB though, where the rear axle had snapped and all the balls fell out of the wheel bearing. That was the reason for the bike being discarded, the rider went out and got another cheap secondhand 26er to replace it.


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## oldfatfool (15 Jun 2019)

Just a thought, back off your brake blocks from the rim a tad. I had a squeek that was driving me insane, that i thought was the bb as it appeared worse under high load, wasnt present freewheeling, and couldnt be replicated on a work stand. Also check that gear cable ends arent overly long and hitting anything.


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> What sort of BB is it? A sealed unit or something with loose or cage balls that can be easily adjusted and greased?
> I've done more miles than you on bikes that I've pulled out of bins which were already over 20 years old to start with, and all I have ever done is strip and regrease the existing BB and headset bearings. I've not had to replace any freewheels either, mine are nearly all basic Shimano 5/6 speed units nothing fancy. What was actually wrong with the freewheel to require replacement? I can't see how it could have worn out so quickly, they should outlast a chain - and you haven't mentioned that failing. I would not be surprised if a BB was fitted at the factory with poor lubrication or adjusted too tight though. A lot of bikes also seem to have over-tight wheel bearings. I get the distinct impression modern bike assembly standards are piss poor, and done by cheap unskilled labour. I bought two basic, budget level new bikes in the early & mid-1980's (one Raleigh, one Puch) and both were properly assembled and adjusted out of the box and gave me no trouble whatsoever over a lot of miles. I outgrew the Raleigh but still own the Puch now! Cheap bikes with budget components can last OK so long as they aren't maladjusted from the outset.



Let's start with the BB, it's a sealed non-serviceable part. As for the original freewheel, it was a Shimano 7 speed unit. Something was giving off a dull knocking sound and, thinking it was an accessory, I removed mudguards, lights, toolbar etc. I narrowed it down to the freewheel and no problems since replacing it. Chain is running fine. I had a late 90's Scott Timber prior to buying this one. It lasted 17 years without so much as a squeak.


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## Paulus (15 Jun 2019)

Just as a thought, could it be the rear hub needs cleaning out , re-greasing and adjusting? I had a similar problem on my wife's bike some years ago. It had only done a few hundred miles when a clicking/clonking sound started. I did the BB, it was still there. moved onto the rear hub, no play, but I dismantled it anyway. Problem solved.
You could also try taking the BB out, cleaning all the threads, re assemble with a little grease on the threads and see what happens. A 30 minute job.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2019)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> From what I have seen, a lot of modern freehubs are less durable than old-school freewheels!
> I've never had a freewheel fail, nor have I broken a rear axle on a freewheel bike either. I did recently acquire a scrap
> donor 26" MTB though, where the rear axle had snapped and all the balls fell out of the wheel bearing. That was the reason for the bike being discarded, the rider went out and got another cheap secondhand 26er to replace it.



My local bike shop tells me freewheel installations are prone to snapping axles.

I suppose the freewheel itself may be durable.

The conclusion seems to be a freehub is a better job overall.

Sheldon says much the same.


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> You weren't expecting too much from the bike, but at £350 you are at the lower end of what we could call a proper bike.
> 
> Costs are cut where they can't be seen, so you have a less durable freewheel as opposed to a cassette/freehub, and the bearings - wheel and bottom bracket - are probably 'no name'.
> 
> Fit a £15 Shimano bottom bracket and all will probably be well for a while.



The bracket cost £18 and was replaced in Feb. Is an ingression of water likely? We have a lot of rain here in the Welsh valleys.


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## SkipdiverJohn (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> My local bike shop tells me freewheel installations are prone to snapping axles..



That can be true, especially in the case of bikes that are ridden unsympathetically by large heavy riders. However, I am no lightweight rider at 14 stones and all my bikes bar my 531 Dawes weigh over 2 stones so that's 2 CWT+ minimum running weight. However, I have never snapped an axle, and I believe it to be because I don't bash up and down kerbs sat on the bike like a sack of spuds and I tend to get off the saddle and have most of my weight on the pedals over big bumps and potholes, which allows the bike to move around and probably also reduces the load carried by the rear wheel.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> The bracket cost £18 and was replaced in Feb. Is an ingression of water likely? We have a lot of rain here in the Welsh valleys.



The bottom bracket ought to withstand the weather.

Do you know what make the replacement is?

My admittedly limited experience is there are cheap 'no name' bottom brackets that do not perform well.

Anything with 'Shimano' written on it should do the job.


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## T4tomo (15 Jun 2019)

screenman said:


> Jet washers do not cause problems, if they did I would need bottom brackets on all my bikes.


Used carefully they are fine, used carelessly they can. 

Similar to cars don’t kill people, careless drivers do.


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## Crackle (15 Jun 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> The bracket cost £18 and was replaced in Feb. Is an ingression of water likely? We have a lot of rain here in the Welsh valleys.


It seems unlikely. I've got two bikes with sealed BB's. One is on 8000 miles, the other is 22 years old and spent a lot of time on car bike racks, I replaced that only a few years ago as it was getting stiff. You could be unlucky here but it's puzzling that you've had so many things go on a relatively new bike and it's not a cheap piece of rubbish it's a reasonable bike. 

One thing to check, take your seat out and turn the bike upside down and see if any water comes out but even if it does I'd still expect more from a BB.


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## raleighnut (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> My local bike shop tells me freewheel installations are prone to snapping axles.
> 
> I suppose the freewheel itself may be durable.
> 
> ...


I'm sure that keeping the wheel bearings properly adjusted mitigates that problem, the load should be taken at those but once they're loose the static 'axle' is under more stress, no doubt @Yellow Saddle will disabuse this theory but in 50+ years of cycling I've yet to break a spindle and I'm not a light fella (up to 106Kg at one point)


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## Crackle (15 Jun 2019)

I've broken one, touring. Cheap wheels though, so exact cause unknown. I didn't notice at first as it jammed against the brake blocks intermittently. I got to the top of the hill I was on first before collapsing and thinking I was on a bad day.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2019)

raleighnut said:


> I'm sure that keeping the wheel bearings properly adjusted mitigates that problem, the load should be taken at those but once they're loose the static 'axle' is under more stress, no doubt @Yellow Saddle will disabuse this theory but in 50+ years of cycling I've yet to break a spindle and I'm not a light fella (up to 106Kg at one point)



The bike shop had a few Carreras in with snapped axles.

To use what is possibly a northern phrase, the bikes are 'ragged about' by the kids who think nothing of crashing off kerbs or doing jumps.


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## Yellow Saddle (15 Jun 2019)

raleighnut said:


> I'm sure that keeping the wheel bearings properly adjusted mitigates that problem, the load should be taken at those but once they're loose the static 'axle' is under more stress, no doubt @Yellow Saddle will disabuse this theory but in 50+ years of cycling I've yet to break a spindle and I'm not a light fella (up to 106Kg at one point)



Allow me to abuse your theory, if I understand it correctly. Do you say that properly adjusted wheel bearings will reduce axle breaks on freewheeled hubs?

If so, then the answer is no. Freewheel hubs have a long unsupported axle on the right hand side whereas freehub wheels have bearings almost right up to the frame of the bike. This long unsupported section of axle flexes under pedalling forces and develops cracks from the stress risers at the thread of the axle. 5-speed was OK, but then as freewheels progressed to 8-speed with super long unsupported axles sections, things got worse. They regularly break. Note that the breaking is not caused by potholes (the British blame for all cycling ills) but by regular just-riding-along chain tension working on the axle. It is worth keeping in mind that the most highly stressed part in a bicycle is the chain and its opposite force - the right chainstay. Nowhere else in a bike is there more stress than there and it is all concentrated on a section of axle, hence the weakness.

Freehubs improved the situation to the point that when a freehub axle breaks, you look for a frame misalignment and you will always find it.


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> The bottom bracket ought to withstand the weather.
> 
> Do you know what make the replacement is?
> 
> ...



It's a 'no name' bracket. The old one was very dry and a little rusty. I'm wondering if it's the same problem of water seeping in.


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## raleighnut (15 Jun 2019)

Yellow Saddle said:


> Allow me to abuse your theory, if I understand it correctly. Do you say that properly adjusted wheel bearings will reduce axle breaks on freewheeled hubs?
> 
> If so, then the answer is no. Freewheel hubs have a long unsupported axle on the right hand side whereas freehub wheels have bearings almost right up to the frame of the bike. This long unsupported section of axle flexes under pedalling forces and develops cracks from the stress risers at the thread of the axle. 5-speed was OK, but then as freewheels progressed to 8-speed with super long unsupported axles sections, things got worse. They regularly break. Note that the breaking is not caused by potholes (the British blame for all cycling ills) but by regular just-riding-along chain tension working on the axle. It is worth keeping in mind that the most highly stressed part in a bicycle is the chain and its opposite force - the right chainstay. Nowhere else in a bike is there more stress than there and it is all concentrated on a section of axle, hence the weakness.
> 
> Freehubs improved the situation to the point that when a freehub axle breaks, you look for a frame misalignment and you will always find it.


Like I said I thought you'd disagree, but as I said I've never had one break on 5-6-7 speed freewheels and I'm firmly of the opinion that because I keep the cones adjusted there is little 'load' on the spindle but once they're loose the assembly loses it's integrity and the weakest part fails.


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## Pale Rider (15 Jun 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> It's a 'no name' bracket. The old one was very dry and a little rusty. I'm wondering if it's the same problem of water seeping in.



Sounds like your next move is a Shimano bottom bracket.

It's not an Evans store is it?

One near me wanted to use a no name bracket until I applied a bit of pressure on them.


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## nmfeb70 (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> Sounds like your next move is a Shimano bottom bracket.
> 
> It's not an Evans store is it?
> 
> One near me wanted to use a no name bracket until I applied a bit of pressure on them.



No it's a local independent dealer. I'll go there on Monday. Thanks


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## HobbesOnTour (15 Jun 2019)

Leaving aside the technical discussion.....



nmfeb70 said:


> Thanks Crackle, when I first had problems with the freewheel & BB the dealer told me he admired my enthusiasm for cycling (at my age!) and said I would wear parts out quickly with the amount of miles I cover.





nmfeb70 said:


> A knocking noise started to emerge after two months (approx 200 miles).


100 miles a month is about 25 miles per week and the bike shop is telling you you'll wear out components quickly???
This!


oldfatfool said:


> Think the dealer is piss poor, 100 miles a month is not high mileage. Have put thousands of miles on a bike without need of bb or freewheel





dave r said:


> As oldftfool said, a 100 miles a month is not a high mileage, last month I did 500 miles, your dealer sounds like an idiot.



I think your first step is to look for another shop/mechanic.

Without knowing your weight and riding style and mechanical skills it's difficult to say whether wheel failure is due to a crap wheel, a reasonable wheel that was not "tuned" correctly or not maintained properly.

Most bike dealers will have a free tune up service to check these kinds of things after a few weeks/distance.

While 350 is not a lot for some people, it is a significant amount for others and so long as the bike is being used within the reasonable bounds of the bike design I would not be happy with those failures.

As for the clicking sound, from experience, it can be many things, some technical, some not, some in the location you suspect, some not, but they can be very distracting and cause a lot of worry.

If you don't want to tackle this yourself, bring it to another shop/mechanic. If you do want to tackle it yourself but lack the confidence/skills Youtube is your friend.

Good luck!


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## Cycleops (15 Jun 2019)

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but a loose pedal can produce a click as I've found out.
Looks like you've been unfortunate enough to get lemon. Sorry.


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## Yellow Saddle (15 Jun 2019)

raleighnut said:


> Like I said I thought you'd disagree, but as I said I've never had one break on 5-6-7 speed freewheels and I'm firmly of the opinion that because I keep the cones adjusted there is little 'load' on the spindle but once they're loose the assembly loses it's integrity and the weakest part fails.



I don't follow your explanation.


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## dave r (15 Jun 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> My local bike shop tells me freewheel installations are prone to snapping axles.
> 
> I suppose the freewheel itself may be durable.
> 
> ...



In the days when we were all on 5 or 6 speed blocks I used to break axles quite regularly, but the club I was a member of used to do rough stuff as part of their Sunday rides, I'm no heavy weight, five and a half tall and eleven stone.


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## dave r (15 Jun 2019)

raleighnut said:


> I'm sure that keeping the wheel bearings properly adjusted mitigates that problem, the load should be taken at those but once they're loose the static 'axle' is under more stress, no doubt @Yellow Saddle will disabuse this theory but in 50+ years of cycling I've yet to break a spindle and I'm not a light fella (up to 106Kg at one point)



on the six speed blocks the wheel bearings were inboard and there was a section of unsupported axle between the wheel bearings and the frame, the axle could break or bend at that point.


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## Yellow Saddle (15 Jun 2019)

dave r said:


> on the six speed blocks the wheel bearings were inboard and there was a section of unsupported axle between the wheel bearings and the frame, the axle could break or bend at that point.


Even worse on 8-speed blocks. For those, the frame was 4mm wider hence the axle has an even longer unsupported section.


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## johnnyb47 (15 Jun 2019)

I may be stating the obvious but when i thought my bottom bracket was on its way out by its annoying clicking it merely turned out to be a loose saddle that wasn't clamped up tightly on the saddle rails. With each stroke of the peddles i would hear a clicking noise which made me think it was the bottom bracket but it was actually my shifting weight on the saddle that causing it to move slightly creating the annoying sound.


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## screenman (15 Jun 2019)

T4tomo said:


> Used carefully they are fine, used carelessly they can.
> 
> Similar to cars don’t kill people, careless drivers do.



In which case it is not the tool.


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## NorthernDave (15 Jun 2019)

As @Kajjal said:
Front mech cable catching on pedals

Or in my case, the crank arm. 

Drove me potty for miles, only happen on the inner ring and took me ages to figure out what it was.
Once I'd figured out what the clicking was, it took about 5 seconds to sort...


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## dave r (15 Jun 2019)

NorthernDave said:


> As @Kajjal said:
> Front mech cable catching on pedals
> 
> Or in my case, the crank arm.
> ...



Yes I've come across that one, the one that got me was my metal watch strap rattling against the handle bar on a bike with flopped and chopped bars, it was only a cool day needing a long sleeved jersey that enabled me to solve it.


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## ColinJ (15 Jun 2019)

dave r said:


> Yes I've come across that one, the one that got me was my metal watch strap rattling against the handle bar on a bike with flopped and chopped bars, it was only a cool day needing a long sleeved jersey that enabled me to solve it.


I wear a metal medical dog tag round my neck when out of the house. A couple of times I have been caught out by it swinging against the zip on my cycling jersey and making a tinkling noise which sounds like something is wrong on the bike.


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## nmfeb70 (16 Jun 2019)

johnnyb47 said:


> I may be stating the obvious but when i thought my bottom bracket was on its way out by its annoying clicking it merely turned out to be a loose saddle that wasn't clamped up tightly on the saddle rails. With each stroke of the peddles i would hear a clicking noise which made me think it was the bottom bracket but it was actually my shifting weight on the saddle that causing it to move slightly creating the annoying sound.



Thanks, the seat was the first


ColinJ said:


> I wear a metal medical dog tag round my neck when out of the house. A couple of times I have been caught out by it swinging against the zip on my cycling jersey and making a tinkling noise which sounds like something is wrong on the bike.



Thought I had another problem yesterday with a knocking noise from the front wheel.


ColinJ said:


> I wear a metal medical dog tag round my neck when out of the house. A couple of times I have been caught out by it swinging against the zip on my cycling jersey and making a tinkling noise which sounds like something is wrong on the bike.



Thought I had another problem yesterday with a knocking noise from the front wheel. Turned out to be the sensor from the mileage counter hitting the spokes. I had knocked it inwards while washing/drying the bike on Friday. I just wish my original problem was as simple! Many thanks for all the suggestions fellas, will keep you informed.


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## raleighnut (16 Jun 2019)

dave r said:


> on the six speed blocks the wheel bearings were inboard and there was a section of unsupported axle between the wheel bearings and the frame, the axle could break or bend at that point.


I feel left out now, I've never had one break.


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## Yellow Saddle (16 Jun 2019)

raleighnut said:


> I feel left out now, I've never had one break.



Don't feel left out. Most 90-pound weaklings have never had an axle break on them.


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## dave r (16 Jun 2019)

Yellow Saddle said:


> Don't feel left out. Most 90-pound weaklings have never had an axle break on them.



Thats a bit below the belt! I'm only a little short arse myself.


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## Yellow Saddle (16 Jun 2019)

dave r said:


> Thats a bit bellow the belt! I'm only a little short arse myself.


He's tough. Watch out for his comeback.


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## raleighnut (17 Jun 2019)

Yellow Saddle said:


> Don't feel left out. Most 90-pound weaklings have never had an axle break on them.


Errr 240lb 6 footer acksually, I've not ben 90lbs since 1972.


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## nmfeb70 (20 Jun 2019)

Re: My post.

The problem was a faulty bottom bracket. The dealer has replaced it with a Shimano BB free of charge. Thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated.


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## Nomadski (4 Jul 2019)

My first bike, a Cannondale synapse 105 road bike was £900 from a discount bike online store and it had 3 bottom brackets in 2 years. The original broke in the first 3 months and an expensive Praxis one only faired a year. 

The cheap £20 replacement has been good 4 years and counting. 

So even in well known brands and decent quality components, these things can go wrong.


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## Blue Hills (4 Jul 2019)

Forgive my ignorance - what sort of bottom bracket.

For in some things cheaper (NOT cheap as in rock bottom poor) cycling componentry is often better unless you are a weight weenie training for the TdF.


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## Nomadski (4 Jul 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Forgive my ignorance - what sort of bottom bracket.
> 
> For in some things cheaper (NOT cheap as in rock bottom poor) cycling componentry is often better unless you are a weight weenie training for the TdF.



If that was to me I have no idea of brand of it, the lbs put it in. It wasn't a fancy dan thru bb like the Praxis but rather two pieces either side put in. But it was dirt cheap, weighed less than the Praxis and still hasn't broke. Yet.


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## nmfeb70 (19 Jul 2019)

Hi everyone, an update for those of you still interested in this thread.
Soon after having a replacement BB, the original noise persisted. I took it to a different bike dealer and they discovered the following;

Completely worn chain,
Completely worn freewheel,
Worn pedal causing side to side play,
Replacement BB had not been greased (although in perfect working order).

The replacement & labour cost was £93 and the bike now rides perfect.They also gave me some invaluable tips about how to keep a bike healthy.

Thanks again for the interest & replies to my problem. I've learned a lot.


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## SpokeyDokey (19 Jul 2019)

nmfeb70 said:


> Hi everyone, an update for those of you still interested in this thread.
> Soon after having a replacement BB, the original noise persisted. I took it to a different bike dealer and they discovered the following;
> 
> Completely worn chain,
> ...



All's well that ends well.


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## Ming the Merciless (19 Jul 2019)

Did he miss completely worn cyclist as well?


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## SkipdiverJohn (19 Jul 2019)

SpokeyDokey said:


> All's well that ends well.



Not sure I'd regard having to replace all those bits so soon on a bike that has done under 1,000 miles from new as "all ending well".
I've done more miles than that on some of my secondhand machines that may have had multiple previous owners and done a lot of miles, yet have not needed either new freewheels or BB's.
Either the OEM component quality is very poor or the LBS has adopted a scattergun approach by randomly replacing things until they chanced upon the actual fault by sheer luck!
Doesn't inspire confidence in LBS repairs and just reinforces my belief in doing DIY maintenance.


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## Milzy (19 Jul 2019)

Yes.


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## SkipdiverJohn (19 Jul 2019)

Milzy said:


> Yes.



No, because £350 is well above the level of a supermarket BSO, and should be reasonably durable IF correctly assembled in the first place, and then maintained in service afterwards.


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## 12boy (20 Jul 2019)

The only cartridge BB I've had fail was the original one on my Brompton. On the other hand I've gone thousands of miles on the Shimanomreplacement and with other bikes. No service, greased when inserted and slicker than snot after may years. I do avoid the left hand side being plastic though... had several crack before full insertion, even greased.


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