Cervelo S5 Bottom Bracket Creeking

[Bondsy]

Many thanks to all for the pointers, I would like to say that I discovered something never seen before and unique but sadly not. As pointed out there are many different creaking noises that a bike can make and not all come from the BB. After systematically checking, lubricating and re-torquing everything it turns out that the cause of the creaking was the back wheel. Once I lubricated the thru axle and the hub and frame contact points and re-fitted the wheel the creaking was no more. What a biff!! As an engineer and a confident bike mechanic I am pretty deflated that it took so long to find the issue. Sometimes it's the simplest of things. Once again thanks for all the assistance, greatly appreciated.

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks Derrick that looks pretty much like the one I have fitted with the only difference being I have 11mm which protrudes from the frame on the drive side. When you fitted the new bearing did you use loctite where it interfaced with the frame? If you did what type was it?

It sounds like his are BB30 type but yours is BBright?

 

[Bondsy]

ColinJ it's a Cervelo BBright connect 24 x90.

 

[Milkfloat]

I am glad you did not go bashing around with the BB causing more cost and potential future frustration. It is so weird how noises get to your ears and convince you of the cause. Happy to hear the problem is solved (for now )

 

[ColinJ]

Many thanks to all for the pointers, I would like to say that I discovered something never seen before and unique but sadly not. As pointed out there are many different creaking noises that a bike can make and not all come from the BB. After systematically checking, lubricating and re-torquing everything it turns out that the cause of the creaking was the back wheel. Once I lubricated the thru axle and the hub and frame contact points and re-fitted the wheel the creaking was no more. What a biff!! As an engineer and a confident bike mechanic I am pretty deflated that it took so long to find the issue. Sometimes it's the simplest of things. Once again thanks for all the assistance, greatly appreciated.

I'm glad that you sorted it out.

This discussion reminded me that my singlespeed bike has been creaking. I too was thinking about the bottom bracket, but the bike has history in this respect, and every time the problem has been caused by the cassette lockring needing to be tightened. The reason why the problem comes back every thousand kms or so is because I bodged the bike together out of spare parts. I took all but one sprocket out of a cassette and filled the gaps with spacers. This means that in the whole cluster the single sprocket is the only one thing which is not free to move.I think the spacers gradually make micro-movements which end up loosening the lockring.

I may not have understood the problem exactly but I just confirmed that the ring had in fact loosened by about 30 degrees of turn. At least that was the amount that I could tighten it by using a 'reasonable' amount of torque. I went for a short test ride up an 8% hill which the bike creaked on a few hours ago. No problems now!

 

[Elybazza61]

Many thanks to all for the pointers, I would like to say that I discovered something never seen before and unique but sadly not. As pointed out there are many different creaking noises that a bike can make and not all come from the BB. After systematically checking, lubricating and re-torquing everything it turns out that the cause of the creaking was the back wheel. Once I lubricated the thru axle and the hub and frame contact points and re-fitted the wheel the creaking was no more. What a biff!! As an engineer and a confident bike mechanic I am pretty deflated that it took so long to find the issue. Sometimes it's the simplest of things. Once again thanks for all the assistance, greatly appreciated.

One thing I've learned working in a bike shop is that bikes that comes in with a creaking noise are the hardest to diagnose.

As for press fit bb's a good quality bb installed correctly should have no issues;have C-Bear ceramic ones on two of my Ridleys and they have been faultless and the manager has had no issues in the one he has fitted,they are not cheap mind; also had no issues with Gussett and Wheels Manufacturing ones either.

 

[Globalti]

Creaky QRs are one good reason why bolt-through axles are so good.

 

[CXRAndy]

Speak to Hambini. He loves BBRight 😄

 

[JuhaL]

Speak to Hambini. He loves BBRight 😄

Especially ceramic ones 😗.

 

[ozboz]

I developed creak-snap sort of noise , intermittent under load , it was driving me to the edge , to cut it short, the noise was from the drive side pedal , I swapped the pedals but am doing to take the offending pedal apart to see what the problem is .Inhad a bb30 squeaking , it was fixed under warranty , but I was not enlightened to how it was sorted, if it starts again I’ll get a Hambini fix .

 

[Ajax Bay]

Ceramic bearings are for 'hard riders': harder than steel.

 

[Nigelnightmare]

Ceramic bearings are for 'hard riders': harder than steel.

The trouble is that while the balls are ceramic, the rest of the bearing is steel & Mr Hambini has a few choice words to say about that situation.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The trouble is that while the balls are ceramic, the rest of the bearing is steel

Yes - aware. Was trying to imply that.
Hambini description of difference and merit.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7iZVfSDbiA
Key graph at 10:30.