4 Quick Steps To Silence Creaks When Pedalling

[Ben Reeve]

HI all,

In this article I will describe 4 basic steps you can take to eliminate creaking noises from the bottom of your bike when pedalling.

The noise I am describing is usually most obvious when pushing down hard on the pedals. To me it sounds like slowly opening a badly oiled door. Whilst not always a sign of something majorly wrong, it can be very annoying to you and those cycling with you!

What I am not going to tackle in this article is any of the more complicated issues that can cause creaks such as bottom bracket problems or bearings. This is designed as a quick troubleshooting guide to help you resolve some of the more common and easy to solve difficulties you will encounter.

In my experience going through these steps will help you eliminate most of the creaking noises that happen whilst you pedal, and I hope it will solve the majority of the problems you come across. As always, if you are still struggling after this then your local bike shop should be able to give you further advice.

Tools Needed

• Pedal Spanner
• Allen Keys
• Grease
• Lubricating Spray

Step 1 – Remove and Grease Pedals

• SAFETY: Put chain onto large cog of front chainring to ensure you don’t catch your hand if you slip
• I find this can quite often be isolated to one side of the bike. When out cycling try clipping out of the pedal on one side, and cycling with one leg for a few metres. If the creaking stops, but then starts again when you try the same thing on the other side you may have isolated the noise to one of the pedals.

Use a pedal spanner or allen key to remove the pedals

Grease the threads of the pedals

Grease the thread on the inside of the cranks

Replace the pedals and secure tightly. A torque wrench would put this value at about 40nm. If you don’t have one, get them pretty snug. The quote I’ve seen that seems about right is “tight enough so you are using your muscles, but not so tight you are straining them”. Remember, pedals thread in the opposite direction to the way you pedal, so they will be kept tight as you pedal forward.

Step 2 – Remove and Grease Cleats
Before removing the cleats draw around them with a pencil. The graphite should be enough to show a thin line in the muck that builds up on on the sole and will make putting the cleats back in the same place easier.

Remove the cleats with the allen keys.

Clean down all the parts of the cleat and grease the bolt threads. You can also see from this photo mine are looking a bit worn and will need replacing soon.

Replace the cleats on the shoes, tightening the bolts up so the cleat cannot move under pressure.

Step 3 – Tighten Front Cassette Bolts
There are usually 4 or 5 bolts on the front cassette, and if these are loose they can cause noises.

Mine suggest tightening to 10 Nm with a torque wrench, but if they feel loose at all give them a slight tighten up.

Step 4 – Remove and Grease Seat Post

• If the creaks when pedalling only happen when you are seated and stops when you stand up then there is a chance the creak is the seat post. Whilst the creak might sound like it is coming from the bottom of the bike, noises can easily resonate along the inside of the frame and appear to be in a different place to where they started.

Mark the current height of the saddle with some electrical tape to make it easier to replace correctly.

Use an allen key to loosen the seat post bolt and remove completely.

Clean the old grease from the seat post.

Re grease the seat post. Put a bit extra around the top to help create a seal and stop water running down the seat post when attached to the bike. The electrical tape will keep this as a straight line after you remove it.

Replace the saddle.​

 

[mjr]

Shouldn't you clean and grease the pedal bearings too, while you've got them off?

Shouldn't you remove, clean and grease the chainring bolts before tightening them?

 

[Ben Reeve]

Shouldn't you clean and grease the pedal bearings too, while you've got them off?

Shouldn't you remove, clean and grease the chainring bolts before tightening them?

Fair point on the chainring bolts. Not sure I'd re do the bearings every time there was a creak though.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Great, Ben, and excellent, clear photos.
In a constructive spirit, I suggest:
You explain the scope of the article and I think it would be useful to indicate the three areas that it's going to address.
Photos you use should demonstrate good practice - so clean bike, clean chainwheels and clean chain.
Pedals
Clean pedal threads (eg degreaser/WD40 and toothbrush) and dry off before (re) greasing and reinstalling.
Same for "the thread on the inside of the cranks"
Comment ref @mjray 's: Agree (with you) clean and grease pedal bearings is not a reasonable step at this stage. May have to come back to that if creak can't be solved.
Cleats
Before removing cleats, clean and dry shoes and cleats. Did you draw round that cleat with your pencil before removing? Can't see evidence on the photo.
That removed cleat should have been replaced a while ago (so avoid using it as an illustration - it's a distraction and not what your article is about).
Again the cleat bolts should be cleaned as should the threads before any greasing. You are reinstalling the cleats, not replacing them (normally).
Chainwheel bolts
The chainwheels are not a 'front cassette' (so don't so describe them).
You have suggested just to make sure the chainwheel bolts are tight but I agree with @mjray , (and you do too I think) I'd remove and clean them (and the chainrings and the cranks, while I had them off). Some people advocate using threadlock on the chainwheel bolts.
Seat post
For the seat post, I would add a thorough clean of the inside of the seat tube as far down as you can go.
What do you mean by "Put a bit extra [grease] around the top to help create a seal". The excess grease on the seat post will provide this as a matter of course: no 'extra' required.

Hope that helps.

 

[Citius]

Step 3 – Tighten Front Cassette Bolts
There are usually 4 or 5 bolts on the front cassette, and if these are loose they can cause noises.

As per your previous thread - you really do need to get the terms right, if you are expecting this stuff to be taken seriously.

Also, if the objective is to eliminate a creak, then I would be spending a bit more time trying to locate the source (there are various ways of doing this) in order to save yourself a lot of wasted time removing and regreasing stuff which really doesn't need removing or regreasing.

 

[Ben Reeve]

Great, Ben, and excellent, clear photos.
In a constructive spirit, I suggest:
You explain the scope of the article and I think it would be useful to indicate the three areas that it's going to address.
Photos you use should demonstrate good practice - so clean bike, clean chainwheels and clean chain.
Pedals
Clean pedal threads (eg degreaser/WD40 and toothbrush) and dry off before (re) greasing and reinstalling.
Same for "the thread on the inside of the cranks"
Comment ref @mjray 's: Agree (with you) clean and grease pedal bearings is not a reasonable step at this stage. May have to come back to that if creak can't be solved.
Cleats
Before removing cleats, clean and dry shoes and cleats. Did you draw round that cleat with your pencil before removing? Can't see evidence on the photo.
That removed cleat should have been replaced a while ago (so avoid using it as an illustration - it's a distraction and not what your article is about).
Again the cleat bolts should be cleaned as should the threads before any greasing. You are reinstalling the cleats, not replacing them (normally).
Chainwheel bolts
The chainwheels are not a 'front cassette' (so don't so describe them).
You have suggested just to make sure the chainwheel bolts are tight but I agree with @mjray , (and you do too I think) I'd remove and clean them (and the chainrings and the cranks, while I had them off). Some people advocate using threadlock on the chainwheel bolts.
Seat post
For the seat post, I would add a thorough clean of the inside of the seat tube as far down as you can go.
What do you mean by "Put a bit extra [grease] around the top to help create a seal". The excess grease on the seat post will provide this as a matter of course: no 'extra' required.

Hope that helps.

Wow, this is incredibly constructive. Thanks you so much. Still new to writing these kind of posts, and this kind of feedback is pure gold. I will go back and edit incorporating some of your points if that's ok.

 

[Colin_P]

Great advice.

Another thing to add is; "a noise may not be originating from where you think it is and may need to carry out all of the above before you find and cure it."