Does this sound like a creaky BB?

Cee-Jay-Cee

My Felt VR30 with BB386 has developed a creak. It appears randomly and then might disappear for a few minutes and appear again. It is rhythmic but not on every revolution of the cranks. At one stage while cycling along steadily on the flat it was freaking on every second rev of the pedals. At other times it was creaking on every revolution but I couldn’t be certain as it seemed like it was happening on each turn of both cranks so happening twice per complete revolution of the cranks.

At other times when I’d change up to the big ring it would disappear completely and would then suddenly return with out me doing anything different.

So basically it follows no pattern which makes me think it’s not the BB and it’s maybe something to do with RD or cassette or even rear wheel.

Any ideas???

com1

Seatpost?

ED E

Or a pedal bearing.

Can you notice it if you lift the bike and turn the cranks?

magicbastarder

yeah, i've a minor creak on my carbon bike, only appears when i'm accelerating or going uphill, but through a process of elimination, seems not to happen when i'm out of the saddle, so i'm guessing it's the seatpost on mine.

try rocking the bike from side to side, when out of the saddle (pedalling and not pedalling). it could be the axles flexing in the dropouts if it happens when you do this while not pedalling.
check to see if it happens when you're pedalling, but riding hands free; if not, it could be the headset.
if it only happens when you're seated, no matter what else you do, it could be the seatpost.

Hurrache

Easiest thing to rule out is a dry chain.

triggermortis

Freehub bearings?? Take the wheel off and see if there’s play in the cassette. ie does it rock on the axle?
Could be that or wheel bearings, bb bearing, chain, pedals, crank bolts.
Try taking one thing at a time and cleaning, greasing, replacing if worn. I’ve a creak I’m my bike and found play in the rear cassette, so getting that sorted first. The BB seems ok but I’ll grease it. I’ll clean the chain fully and grease the pedals and see what happens next

meercat

Loosen the skewers on the wheels slightly.

smacl

meercat wrote: »

Loosen the skewers on the wheels slightly.

Greasing the drop-outs can also help here. Don't know what it is about creaks, but they always seem to be coming from the BB are rarely are.

Wishbone Ash

My last BB creak was actually a worn right crank (detected by my LBS).

hesker

Every creak sounds like it’s coming from the BB in my experience. I had one that turned out to be a loose bolt where the seatstay attaches to the rear dropout.

I have another one now and swear it’s coming from the BB.

There is a comprehensive list of things to check floating around the web somewhere. I’ll try to dig it out.

Daroxtar

Best advice I ever got was:

Remove cranks and clean and regrease BB
Release and re tighten QR
Check spokes
Tighten pedals on the cranks
Check cleats on the shoes
Lube the chain

Then buy a new bike

Cee-Jay-Cee

I've removed the cranks and cleaned and regreased the bearings. They were very clean with no dirt or crud anywhere (the seals doing the job correctly)
It happens when i'm out of the saddle so rules out the seatpost/saddle.
The wheels are thru axle and the cassette is tight with zero play.
Headset is new with zero play.
I'll clean and re-lube the chain but I cant see it being it, its a bit oily but not caked with dirt/crud.
Wheels have less than 500km on them and there is no play in the axles and all spokes appear properly tensioned (checking by hand)
Unless both pedal axles/bearings went at the same time then its not the pedals but i'll take them apart and clean/regrease the shafts/bearings.

Could a freehub bearing cause creaking? Like I said the wheels (Fulcrum Racing 5 DB's) are newish and have only 500km on them at most)

Deleted User wrote: »

Can you notice it if you lift the bike and turn the cranks?

No, had the bike on the workstand last night and went through all the gears and big/small ring and not a squeak/creak anywhere.

magicbastarder

soak the entire bike in an oil bath. it's the only way to be sure.

Cee-Jay-Cee

magicbastarder wrote: »

yeah, i've a minor creak on my carbon bike, only appears when i'm accelerating or going uphill, but through a process of elimination, seems not to happen when i'm out of the saddle, so i'm guessing it's the seatpost on mine.

try rocking the bike from side to side, when out of the saddle (pedalling and not pedalling). it could be the axles flexing in the dropouts if it happens when you do this while not pedalling.
check to see if it happens when you're pedalling, but riding hands free; if not, it could be the headset.
if it only happens when you're seated, no matter what else you do, it could be the seatpost.

Happens when riding hands free so not the headset.
Happens when out of the saddle as well as on the saddle so not the seatpost.
Doesn't happen when not pedalling in or out of the saddle.

magicbastarder wrote: »

soak the entire bike in an oil bath. it's the only way to be sure.

I'm going to strip the entire bike today, clean everything and re-lube and rebuild it and if that doesn't work then I'll get the LBS to fit a new BB and hope that it cures it.

ED E

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

My last BB creak was actually a worn right crank (detected by my LBS).

The Ultegra 6800 flaw can start as a creak, then the crank falls apart.

07Lapierre

meercat wrote: »

Loosen the skewers on the wheels slightly.

Loose skewers will cause a creaking noise.

Cee-Jay-Cee

ED E wrote: »

The Ultegra 6800 flaw can start as a creak, then the crank falls apart.

My thinking is that if a crank were worn on one side then the creak would be rhythmic and mine isn't. It doesn't follow a pattern that I can detect.

Cee-Jay-Cee

07Lapierre wrote: »

Loose skewers will cause a creaking noise.

I've thru axles and they are very tight/secure.

07Lapierre

Remove pedals, grease the treads, then refit.
Check chainring and Crank bolts are tight.
Check headset/stem bolts are tight.
check Bottle cage bolts are tight,
remove seat post, grease and refit.
Tighten saddle bolts.
remove wheels, put some grease on the dropouts, refit wheels and ensure they are tight.

take your bike for a road test.

If it's still creaking...new bike!

magicbastarder

ED E wrote: »

The Ultegra 6800 flaw can start as a creak, then the crank falls apart.

you were clearly putting too much power through the cranks.

Cee-Jay-Cee

So I stripped the bike today, cleaned everything, regressed all necessary parts and reassembled.

Went out for a spin and the first 100m were promising, then the first creak appeared and then constantly but randomly. I done a short 10km loop near my home and as I on the last 1km home I dropped into a big gear and sprinted as hard as I could for around 20/25 seconds then dropped it into an easy gear and creak creak creak at what appeared every turn of each crank. Up and down through the gears and it continued. So I’m fairly certain it’s the BB and I’ll drop it into LBS tomorrow and let them sort it. I don’t know if stripping the BB, cleaning and regressing it will do the job or if a new BB is required.

hesker

I stripped my bottom bracket this morning. Fitted a new wavy washer (ultratorque). Removed all chainring bolts. Removed pedals. Regreased everything. Torqued back to spec. Took it for a short spin and it seems fine but hard to be sure with the weather being so windy.

If nothing else at least I have some shiny chainrings to look down at.

Here is that list

https://jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html

Cee-Jay-Cee

I dropped the bike into my LBS this morning and from a quick look they seem to think it’s something to do with the rear wheel. They’ll take better look on Monday and hopefully can cure if.

DaveyDave

I've something similar myself. Started creaking randomly on my last spin, seems to be as I put each pedal down so I thought maybe the saddle, out of the saddle it stopped then was intermittent. Cranks, BB or pedals maybe.

Haven't had time to look but now would be a good time to clean and regrease everything down to the QRs and chainring bolts. Wouldn't be surprised if I need a new BB all of a sudden, they have a hit and miss life in my experience.

fryup

OP, record the sound and upload to this free to use website

Cee-Jay-Cee

fryup wrote: »

OP, record the sound and upload to this free to use website

I can’t as it’s disappeared. My LBS couldn’t really find exactly where it was coming from, everything was stripped, examined, cleaned and re-assembled. It wasn’t the BB or freewheel. They checked another wheel on my bike and my wheel on another bike and no noise. They finally concluded that it ‘may’ have been the rear thru axle.

Anyways it no longer happening and they assured me that it’s nothing major and hopefully it won’t return. If it does I’ll remove the thru axle on the rear again, clean it and the threaded hole thoroughly and regrease everything abd see if it disappears again.

hesker

meercat wrote: »

Loosen the skewers on the wheels slightly.

Well whaddya know ..... This was the cause of my creak. Rear quick release too tight

And the funny thing is I had the exact same problem 5 years ago and same solution. Made a note so I wouldn’t forget and then completely forgot.

Anyway nice to be able to hear the birds again.

07Lapierre

So it wasn't the BB then?

Hurrache

I developed a new squeak over the weekend, annoying as ****, only happened when I peddled, prepared for hours of diagnostics. Figured it wasn't there when I free wheeled, but was when peddling backwards. I had just changed the peddles so I jumped off to investigate. Turned out to be the rubber dust seal around the spindle rubbing against the pedal, so a quick readjustment and I was good to go.

hesker

07Lapierre wrote: »

So it wasn't the BB then?

No, even though you’d swear blind it was. Only happened under load.
Just for clarity sake, I’m not the OP.