Is it only me?

[mynydd]

Thanks all, refacing looks interesting. After I returned to the shop i bought the bike from three times with this issue, they sent it off to specialised - when it was returned, that was the longest it went without clicking. I never found out what they did, but surely they would have looked at this?

I've just reassembled everything so I'll keep going till it starts again, and then go to my lbs and ask them.......

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Thanks all, refacing looks interesting. After I returned to the shop i bought the bike from three times with this issue, they sent it off to specialised - when it was returned, that was the longest it went without clicking. I never found out what they did, but surely they would have looked at this?

I've just reassembled everything so I'll keep going till it starts again, and then go to my lbs and ask them.......

You don't say whether you have a screw-in or pressfit BB on that bike. If it is a newish bike, you probably have a pressfit BB on there. Nothing can be done about the clicking in a pressfit BB other than regular removal and cleaning. Unfortunately, removing a pressfit BB is destructive. Pressfit BB is a poor design with no benefits whatsoever. Unfortunately there is not much choice with carbon fibre bikes since the carbon BB shell cannot be threaded. It either requires a threaded aluminium insert or a pressfit BB. the latter is chosen because it is cheaper to manufacture, lighter and less prone to galvanic corrosion than aluminium inserts.

 

[mynydd]

It's a screw in bb. I've just fitted a brand new one this evening, as lo and behold it did start clicking again after the last strip,down. I'm hoping that I messed up,the instalation last time, due to not setting the pre load adjuster properly - and that riding it like that damaged the bb sufficiently for it to click.
Popped into my lbs to ask about refacing, they didn't seem to think it would be the issue......
Fingers crossed

 

[Yellow Saddle]

It's a screw in bb. I've just fitted a brand new one this evening, as lo and behold it did start clicking again after the last strip,down. I'm hoping that I messed up,the instalation last time, due to not setting the pre load adjuster properly - and that riding it like that damaged the bb sufficiently for it to click.
Popped into my lbs to ask about refacing, they didn't seem to think it would be the issue......
Fingers crossed

If it is a hollowtech BB you should not worry that the preload messed it up. The clicking is coming from the threads. Aluminium on aluminium is a bitch. Put a little bit of copper compound on the threads before screwing it in and torque it properly. It will be quiet for a while before you have to open and clean it again. They don't stay quiet forever but you should get some respite. If you are worried about the bearing, check it. Remove the chain, place the bike on a stand or have someone hold it and spin the crank. Now put your ear against the top tube and listen to the bearing. But don't get your teeth into the spinning crank, it hurts. A good bearing says shhhhhhhhh leave me alone. A bad bearing rumbles and says rrrrrrreplace me. Don't spin the crank from the pedals, then you introduce the pedal bearings to the equation as well.

 

[mynydd]

yes, it is a hollowtech. I'll give the copper compound idea a go, thanks

 

[tyred]

I'm not sure if this pertains to the current discussion, but all my BB woes disappeared when I switched to a bike with a sealed-bearing BB. I don't think I would go back to a cup-and-cone BB in a hurry now. In fact, I recently had to ride my old bike (the new one had a punctured tyre), and the racket from the BB was awful. I'm guessing that most members of CC made the switch long ago, though.

Steve

A cup and cone BB should make any noise. I thing you've missed your service schedule.

 

[Acyclo]

I found the squeak from my bottom bracket went away when I got some new cycling shoes. Doh!