Creaky Time Atac Alium pedal (I think)

[arallsopp]

SOLVED: Creaky Time Atac Alium pedal (was retention spring)

Howdo.

I've got a pair of Time Atac Aliums, and after around 600 miles the right hand pedal seems to be developing a hollow sounding "crirrink crirrink' sound once per revolution. The pedal spins pretty smoothly, and there's no clunking or anything ugly felt.

I can make the sound go away if I twist my right foot a little, and it only seems to happen under load. If I clip out and pedal with the left foot only, it seems to go away too, but its hard to get a similar push with only one leg up

Once it starts, it tends to stay for the rest of the ride, and its starting increasingly early each time. I can't work out if its the cleat engagement, the pedal bearing, or the bike frame acting as an amplifier and transferring noise from the BB/frame/elsewhere.

The bike is a recumbent SMGTe with about 1000miles on it. I'm pretty sure the sound comes from the pedal, but oddly the right hand pedal is the one I leave clipped in at junctions. If I remember, I'll take her out for a spin without my proper shoes and see if the noise goes away.

Can't see any way to open the pedal and get at the bearings, but then, I have the engineering instincts of a bowl or cereal.

 

[bonj2]

i recommend upgrading to shimano.

 

[arallsopp]

Fairly contentious response, I think. I had Shimano pedals on before, which were more expensive, heavier, and offered zero float to my aching knees. Hence the 'upgrade' to Time Atacs

Horses for courses, of course. Its entirely subjective, and I'm glad you get on with yours.

 

[02GF74]

I recommend buying a new bike and shoes to alleviate the problem.

.... but serioulsy, I have similar with my ritchey spd - basically the bearing races on the spindle are worn. how much use have your pedals had? I suspect they are worn.

 

[arallsopp]

Deeply tempting. While I'm being frivolous, I may as well buy a new house, just to make sure I've got space for the new kit. Hell, I'll buy one in Holland too, then I won't have to worry about hill starts either.

Oh no. Wait a minute. I didn't win the lottery yet... Damn. Best rethink that.
Maybe I'll save up and buy some new laces instead

As per OP, the pedals have had about 600 miles on them. Isn't this a little soon to be worn? With my new commute, I'm doing 40 miles a day, so that'd be a new pair of pedals every 3 weeks!

Mind you, the train is £12.80 a day, so that's still a £10.50 a day saving.

 

[bonj2]

Fairly contentious response, I think. I had Shimano pedals on before, which were more expensive, heavier, and offered zero float to my aching knees. Hence the 'upgrade' to Time Atacs

Horses for courses, of course. Its entirely subjective, and I'm glad you get on with yours.

well, only thing is it says in the manual on the Time website (http://www.time-sport.com/upload/MTBpedals7.pdf)
"other than keeping the pedals clean, no maintenance is necessary".
it obviously is though, isn't it...

if it's a recumbent though you don't need mtb pedals on it I wouldn't have thought.
you could get some speedplay pedals. On the zeros you can have from zero to 15 degrees of float, and you get the best of both worlds of having the large platform and comfort of a road pedal and the ease of clipping in of a double sided pedal.
The other one in their range that you may prefer is the X series which has more free float: http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.x

 

[Cranky]

As per OP, the pedals have had about 600 miles on them. Isn't this a little soon to be worn? With my new commute, I'm doing 40 miles a day, so that'd be a new pair of pedals every 3 weeks!

I've done several thousand miles on these pedals and they're still fine. Very occasionally they have creaked slightly, either from the cleat or the spindle but a quick spray of lube has sorted it.

 

[tyred]

I had that problem with my mountainbike pedals (whatever cheap unbranded crap came on the bike). I removed them, dismantled them. cleaned and greased the bearings and they have been fine since. Just be careful as 1/8" bearings are easy to drop...

 

[arallsopp]

Aha. Cheers all. Now... anyone know how to get at the bearings to lube 'em?
Can't see a way in from here.

 

[tyred]

The axle/spindle which screws into the crank goes right through the pedal with a bearing on each end so there should be a cap hidden on the outside directly opposite the axle. Remove this and you should find a 10mm nut which acts as a lock nut on the cone for the outside bearing. Remove the nut and cone and the axle should pull out from the crank side of the pedal. Do this working over an old biscuit tin or similar as the ball bearings may drop out.

Some pedals such as the Unions used on 1970s Raleighs can't be dismantled. If this is the case, try and work some gear oil or similar into the bearings.

 

[Dave5N]

I have on various bikes around the house, at least five pairs of these.

Far superior to spds.

Hard to tell without seeing it, but I reckon it's coming from the cleat/shoe/pedal interface.

 

[Dave5N]

Probably worth checking it's done up properly, as well.

 

[Baggy]

Hard to tell without seeing it, but I reckon it's coming from the cleat/shoe/pedal interface.

Agreed, mine make the same noise sometimes depending what angle my foot is at - I think it's the spring.

Like Cranky all I do is give them a squirt of GT85.

They're great pedals, my first pair have done about 8,000 miles so far...

 

[NickM]

I agree with the above two posters (although I am a happy SPD user, the problem seems to occur with all clipless pedals). I certainly wouldn't attempt dismantling of the pedals without first treating the pedal/cleat interface. Often it's the sole of the shoe which creaks against a part of the pedal that it is in contact with. I have found that Pledge spray furniture polish banishes such noises as well as anything, and is reasonably persistent. It might need reapplying every couple of weeks.

 

[arallsopp]

Ladies, Gentlemen,

You are collective geniuses, and the Time Atacs are absolved without blame. Problem was indeed cleat / shoe interface creaking and was resolved with a teeny squirt of lube on the retention spring.

Happy is arallsopp once again.