creaky front end

[jonny jeez]

New chain ring nuts (greased like a 50's icon)
New bottom bracket
One pedal out, cleaned threads, greased and refitted
Other pedal seized on...like would not budge even with the crank arm clamped in a vice...
Ride away from the house...smooth as silk.

5 minutes later, creak returns (faintly and nowhere near as bad)

Back to the drawing board
Am pinning my hopes that it the seized pedals and will whip the arm off to see if the lbs can get it off with a long arm Allen key.

If that doesn't solve it...im out of ideas.

Bloody creaks!

 

[simongt]

Have had a similar problem recently. A creaking sound akin to leather horse harness rather than a metallic creaking. Stop pedalling and the creaking stops, but it doesn't seem to be coming from the BB area. I checked the crank axle bolts and my SPD cleat bolts for tightness, so I'm a little puzzled especially as the sound stopped on Friday.

 

[Gravity Aided]

If that doesn't solve it...im out of ideas.

Always this..

Both pedals, crankset seized, pedals were broken when I got the bike for small coin due to this problem. About an hour with the angle grinder and a cutting wheel.

 

[screenman]

I would have drilled a hole through next to the spindle. A lot quicker.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

New chain ring nuts (greased like a 50's icon)
New bottom bracket
One pedal out, cleaned threads, greased and refitted
Other pedal seized on...like would not budge even with the crank arm clamped in a vice...
Ride away from the house...smooth as silk.

5 minutes later, creak returns (faintly and nowhere near as bad)

Back to the drawing board
Am pinning my hopes that it the seized pedals and will whip the arm off to see if the lbs can get it off with a long arm Allen key.

If that doesn't solve it...im out of ideas.

Bloody creaks!

I would guess pedal bearings, you might find that if you can get the seized pedal off stripped cleaned and regreased there will be silence, your first post had me thinking pedal bearings. The one thing that I don't remember being mentioned is cleats, is everything tight and clean? I've gone back to clips and straps now but when I had clipless on one of my bikes the left cleat wouldn't stay silent, I'd silence it for a while then the creak would come back and I'd have to silence it again.

 

[jonny jeez]

I would guess pedal bearings, you might find that if you can get the seized pedal off stripped cleaned and regreased there will be silence, your first post had me thinking pedal bearings. The one thing that I don't remember being mentioned is cleats, is everything tight and clean? I've gone back to clips and straps now but when I had clipless on one of my bikes the left cleat wouldn't stay silent, I'd silence it for a while then the creak would come back and I'd have to silence it again.

I've isolated cleats (swapping to another shoe) and have oiled the pedals.

Hanging my hopes on the seized pedal thread being the issue (although the sound seems to cone from the other side).

Fingers crossed

 

[jonny jeez]

Have had a similar problem recently. A creaking sound akin to leather horse harness rather than a metallic creaking. Stop pedalling and the creaking stops, but it doesn't seem to be coming from the BB area. I checked the crank axle bolts and my SPD cleat bolts for tightness, so I'm a little puzzled especially as the sound stopped on Friday.

Did you wear or carry anything differently on Friday, was it raining or hot out.

Creaks make it impossible for me to ride properly...i know that sounds daft but it just the way I am, if the bike doesn't runs smoothly I cant seem to either and my enjoyment of the ride goes through the floor. Good luck with yours.

 

[jonny jeez]

Just a quick update.

I swapped out the crankset last night (after waiting on the delivery of a shiny new...but identical...replacement)

So far so good, will give it a good test on the way home from work.and put 30 miles through it to ensure I am right.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[jonny jeez]

Ahhhhhhhh

Noooooo! It's back.

I've literally swapped everything, pedals, crank arms, crankset, bottom bracket......and stilly he creak persists on every rotation of the cranks.

Isolated the seat, the bars and the headset...

Gave in and took it to the lbs, accepting that it'll cost a fortune in labour to strip things down and poke about.

Chap in the shop identified...and fixed the problem in less than 3 minutes. I'm not sure if I am jubliant or gutted that it was not only something so simple but also something that would have eventually sorted itself out!

Oh and @e-rider , @mjray , @Globalti , @Gravity Aided , @meta lon , @Svendo , @simongt and @dave r ....it was none of the things you guys suggested.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Ahhhhhhhh

Noooooo! It's back.

I've literally swapped everything, pedals, crank arms, crankset, bottom bracket......and stilly he creak persists on every rotation of the cranks.

Isolated the seat, the bars and the headset...

Gave in and took it to the lbs, accepting that it'll cost a fortune in labour to strip things down and poke about.

Chap in the shop identified...and fixed the problem in less than 3 minutes. I'm not sure if I am jubliant or gutted that it was not only something so simple but also something that would have eventually sorted itself out!

Oh and @e-rider , @mjray , @Globalti , @Gravity Aided , @meta lon , @Svendo , @simongt and @dave r ....it was none of the things you guys suggested.

Prey tell what was it?

 

[Svendo]

front dropouts?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

front dropouts?

I had a slight creaking from the front of my work bike (one of the blue aluminium Ribble 'winter'), & started to get slightly concerned

I'd not changed anything, so did the usual checks, stem tightness, handlebar clamp, brake-lever clamps, checking for loose spokes

It turned to be a ever so slightly slackened QR
It was still tight enough to require a (quite) firm grip to release it, & I very much doubt it would have worked loose, but a 1/2 turn extra removed all the noise

 

[jonny jeez]

front dropouts?

And the WINNER is....

I cant believe it, in order of effort I have;

• Removed and replaced all the chain ring bolts (2 hours as I originally planned to grease and tighten but then revisited to replace them all)
• Removed and replaced pedals (30 mins)
• Removed crankset and replaced bottom bracket (2 hours, i'd never done it before so was learning as I went)
• Removed greased and reset non drive crank arm (30 mins)
• Removed Crankset again and re greased bottom bracket (45 mins this time)
• Removed and replaced the Crankset, with a new one which took 4 days to arrive (30 mins, I'm getting pretty quick at whipping off cranksets now!)
• Removed pedals, greased threads and replaced
• Spent at least 2 hours (overall) scratching my head and drinking tea whilst trying to work it all out (probably actually about 4 hours, I drink a lot of tea in the workshop)

So around a 9 hour day in the workshop and about £60 in parts (I had spare pedals) and also a further £20 in tools (I had no bottom bracket wrench or dust cap removal thingy)

In total frustration, I eventually gave in and took it to the LBS, confident that they couldn't sort it either.

Chap in shop, without any tools placed a dab of grease...here.

and all was well.

I cannot believe it, all that time, stress and a little bit of cash was down to my rear QR CAM being dry and not allowing the QR to properly clamp the Dropout. he did the front and back... but it was the back that was complaining.

now, there is a lesson learnt.

 

[jonny jeez]

I had a slight creaking from the front of my work bike (one of the blue aluminium Ribble 'winter'), & started to get slightly concerned

I'd not changed anything, so did the usual checks, stem tightness, handlebar clamp, brake-lever clamps, checking for loose spokes

It turned to be a ever so slightly slackened QR
It was still tight enough to require a (quite) firm grip to release it, & I very much doubt it would have worked loose, but a 1/2 turn extra removed all the noise

NOW he tells me!!!!!

only kidding

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Live & learn, my friend, live & learn.........