Annoying creak on left crank after fitting cleats

[wiggydiggy]

Hi There!

Following some v.helpful advice on cleats/pedals I successfully fitted some SPD (Shimano M530) and have been enjoying them for a week or more.

Except the left one/left crank has an annoying creak on the downstroke, I'm hesitant to have a LBS look at it as the chainset is less than 12 months (and 1500 miles) old and the creak is intermittent, less common when out the saddle but seemingly regular on a steady pace.

I've tried tightening the cleat a little, and a generous coating of lube spray but its still there, so....

Anything else to try without stripping the cranks off, clean, grease and putting them back in?

(And any good guides on doing so BTW - I have a Shimano Ultegra SL Triple Chainset 6604 pic below)

 

[swede54]

If it started when you fiited the cleats try adjusting them. I had a similar issue which stopped when I turned my foot out by a couple degrees.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Adjusted? Tighter? Looser? I have tightened the creaky one before tonights ride home, but hasn't resolved it

I've just had the pedal off and cleaned, regreased, fitted tightly as I dare without risking stripping the thread.

I've now moved them further forward on my shoe, so less toward the centre of my foot.

Fingers crossed, will report back

 

[betty swollocks]

Simple things first.
Oil the springs in the pedals.
Check it's not your shoes creaking. My shoes creak when they're drying out. Have yours been wet recently?
Are the little screws that retain the cleats in your shoes tight?
Check the chain ring bolts are all uniformly tight.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Oil the springs in the pedals. Sprayed with 'maintenance spray' as easy fix first, now generously coated with grease
Check it's not your shoes creaking. My shoes creak when they're drying out. Have yours been wet recently? No, nice and dry
Are the little screws that retain the cleats in your shoes tight? Yes, have just moved them slightly as well so double checked
Check the chain ring bolts are all uniformly tight. Er.... They appear to be, its on the non chainring side though?

 

[swede54]

A lot of people don't have both feet pointing in the same direction so simply setting up both cleats pointing straight may be at odds with the way your feet are naturally aligned. This can cause an unbalance when you pedal and result in a creaking. You don't notice this on flats as your foot finds its natural alignment. Just try twisting your foot in or out and see if the creaking stops. If so shift the cleat to align your foot accordingly.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've got a little squeaky metallic graunch that comes off my right hand pedal. It doesn't bother me too much, in fact it alerts me to when I'm not lifting my foot off the pedal on the upstroke. But if you would like it to balance up your creak, you're welcome to it.

 

[Sillyoldman]

If it started when you fiited the cleats try adjusting them. I had a similar issue which stopped when I turned my foot out by a couple degrees.

I had exactly the same as this. Slight cleat adjust and silence is golden.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'll try this later/tomorrow, not on the bike this morning....

 

[uphillstruggler]

i thought i had a creaking pedal/axle/cleat/crankarm, turned out to be the seat post believe it or not. drove me up the wall for a week or so until the process of elimination sorted it out

 

[rb58]

I had this and it turned out to the the interface between the shoe and the 'flat' bits on the SPDs - the bits either side and fore and aft of the cleat mechanism itself.. I daub of vaseline is all it took. Just remember to take your shoes off before you walk over the hallway carpet...

 

[Nick Stone]

Sounds daft I know but my shoes came with holes for both SPD and SPD sl cleats, had an annoying sound from them found it was the SPD holes that move that weren't being used underneath the cleat were moving and creating the noise.... Bit of tissue in them jobs a gooden

 

[wiggydiggy]

I had this and it turned out to the the interface between the shoe and the 'flat' bits on the SPDs - the bits either side and fore and aft of the cleat mechanism itself.. I daub of vaseline is all it took. Just remember to take your shoes off before you walk over the hallway carpet...

Sounds daft I know but my shoes came with holes for both SPD and SPD sl cleats, had an annoying sound from them found it was the SPD holes that move that weren't being used underneath the cleat were moving and creating the noise.... Bit of tissue in them jobs a gooden

Hmmm the creak is better but not gone after taking the first few posts advice... These are interesting and I'll try them later then report back - I do have 2 sets of holes but I believe they are only for SPD as the shoes's arn't of the SPDsl type.

Thanks again for the help, loving the cleats I have to say but the bloody creak is doing my head in!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Right I'm out of options - its still occurring after multiple adjustments, its not the cleat I believe as Ive tried pedaling normally with my shoe on (rather than clipped in) the pedal and it still happens.

Could the pedal be faulty?

Or am I looking at a new crank/visit to LBS?

Further advice much appreciated!

 

[jdtate101]

Sometimes that creak which seems to be cleat/pedal related is in fact.....chain ring bolts. I had a creak that defied location until my LBS suggested lubing the bolts then tightening them...Solved it straight away.