annoying creaking

[mynydd]

Hi, I'm after some advice.
I picked up my new bike on friday, specialised tricross sport. The first thing I did was put the SPD pedals from my old bike on and go for a quick ten mile ride - all was good.
On my next ride it developed an annoying creaking every rotation of the crank. Whenever I put a decent amount of pressure on the pedals to climb. I established that it was coming from the left hand pedal as there was no noise when I only used my right leg. I assumed the pedal needed cleaning and tightening, undid it, cleaned it, greased it and tightened - still the same noise.
Being new I then took it back to the shop, they tightened everything up. It was fine for about four miles then it started again.
I've checked everything I can think of including the seat post, chainring bolts etc. To no avail.
Obviously I'll take it back if I can't find a solution, but being a forty mile round trip I'd rather not if I can help it.
Any ideas what else to try would be greatfuly received.
The noise is driving me mad, particularly as my entire ride home is uphill!
Thanks

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Cleat and shoe or the screws, I get the same problem on mine, strip grease and reassemble, I seem to have to do it every two weeks or so, they get a little rusty.

 

[mynydd]

Thanks, I wondered about the cleat so I unclipped and rode for a while with my heals on the pedals - still creaking

 

[fossyant]

Check I chain ring bolts, pedals, and most importantly, could be the bottom bracket

 

[I like Skol]

What sort of crank/bottom bracket? This sounds like classic square taper left hand crank creak. I would speculate that the left crank wasn't checked during the PDI and once the damage is done no amount of tightening will effect a permanent cure. Only a new crank arm will stop the misshapen square hole from repeatedly loosening with the resulting annoying creak!

 

[400bhp]

If you stand to one side of the bike, lean the bike away from you whilst pressing down hard on one side of the crank. If it creaks/clicks it's the bottom bracket.

Try the putting the pedals on your other bike again. If there's no issue with that bike, then it could be as fossy described with the chainring bolts.

It could even be something like the seat/seatpost.

 

[mynydd]

Thanks all. Have tried the chainring bolts and tightened the seat post. Still new to this so don't know exactly what bottom bracket it it but it hasn't got a square crank. Its covered by a plastic plug is round and hollow (if that makes sense) tried what 400bhp suggests and all seems well

 

[Kipperboy]

Sounds daft, but I had something simialr with my bike, and turned out the pedals were screwed on way too tight!? Loosened (but not loose) and the annoying creaking was gone. The only creaking now is my knees.

 

[mynydd]

SOLVED! Having tried all the above suggestions, and more, I was finally about to give up. Having been driven mad by the noise for the last five days I decided to have one last tinker before taking it back to the shop. Looking at the left crank arm again I noticed there was a fraction of a mm of crank showing. I loosened the crank arm pushed it on a tiny bit further and the noise has gone! Apologies if my terminology is wrong, am still new to this.
I can now look forward to my commute again tomorrow, until the next creak starts.
Thanks for all the advice

 

[Edge705]

SOLVED! Having tried all the above suggestions, and more, I was finally about to give up. Having been driven mad by the noise for the last five days I decided to have one last tinker before taking it back to the shop. Looking at the left crank arm again I noticed there was a fraction of a mm of crank showing. I loosened the crank arm pushed it on a tiny bit further and the noise has gone! Apologies if my terminology is wrong, am still new to this.
I can now look forward to my commute again tomorrow, until the next creak starts.
Thanks for all the advice

Good stuff be mindful though that the crank area will have torque recommended settings Alloy is brittle in comparison therefore over tightening can result in shearing of either the bolts or part of the crank arm near the bolts when under load. Its good practice not to tighten to the recommended torque setting instead use the RTS as the maximum I generally set my RTS to 5/10 percent below. If you have to over tighten to get rid of a noise then that's always a bad sign. Im shocked your LBS didn't pick this up, in fact, Im amazed if they have any cycling mechanic credentials ! Send em a bill for incompetence and your inconvenience

 

[mynydd]

Great, thanks for that. Torque wrench is on my shopping list. I didn't tighten them too much, so hopefully all will be good.
Yes, I'm a bit annoyed with the shop. Will have a word when /if I take it in for its first free service

 

[Norry1]

anyone recommend a good torque wrench for bikes

 

[mynydd]

I was going to ask the same thing. Any opinions on a topeak torque wrench and bit set at 14.99? In halfords.