Creaking sound coming from the front of my bike

[JamesMayesUK]

There's a creaking sound when I turn my handlebars coming from the headset [stationary]. I have no idea what it is but it's annoying me. I don't think there's much wrong with it, I just find it really annoying. Any ideas on what it could be?

 

[uclown2002]

My money is on the headset!

 

[TissoT]

Strip it down and lube it back up (headset/forks) .. See if it clears up the problem .

 

[mjr]

If not headset, look for cables rubbing and hold the stem while pulling on the bars to try to check if it could be cracked bars Had the bike fallen on its side recently?

 

[growingvegetables]

Sorry - not a shred of advice or help.

But a persistent squeak was driving me up the wall this afternoon in Leeds. Seemed to come from the front. Then behind. Then the left. Then the right. I was going bonkers.












OK - own up. Who trained the damned starlings to mimic a bike squeak! Wouldn't have minded, but the crafty little b's fell silent every time I stopped.

 

[rusty bearing]

Before attacking the same headset try a little oil or grease on the cable outer ferrules where they enter the frame or frame stops depending whether you have internal or external routing.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just slackening the stem should tell you if its the headset

 

[vickster]

Isn't it a new bike? Take it back to the shop

 

[Gravity Aided]

Get a beam torque wrench and set the bolts as per recommendations.

Headsets
Component Brand Newton meters Inch-pounds
Threaded Lockrings Chris King® Gripnut 14.6~17 Nm 130~150 in lbs
Tange-Seiki® 24.5 Nm 217 in lbs


Threadless
Component Brand Newton meters Inch-pounds
Threaded stem bolt (quill-type) ControlTech® 16.3~19 Nm 144~168 in lbs
Shimano® 19.6~29.4 Nm 174~260 in lbs
Threadless stem (fork column bolts) ControlTech® 13.6~16.2 Nm 120~144 in lbs
Deda® 8 Nm 71 in lbs
FSA® Carbon 8.8 Nm 78 in lbs
Syncros® cotter bolt 10.1 Nm 90 in lbs
Thomson® 5.4 Nm 48 in lbs
Time® Monolink 5 Nm 45 in lbs
Race Face® 6.2 Nm 55 in lbs

This info is from Bike Tutor.
Generic information. Specific information is probably attainable from the manufacturer of the headset. I buy a lot of used bicycles, and the most common source of creaks on the front end, beside brakes and hubs, is the practice of tightening headset components as tightly as they will go, sometimes shearing the bolt in the process.