![]() One of my friends has a press-fit bottom bracket on his road bike, and these are notorious for generating creaking noises if they are not fitted well. If you remove the skewer from the axle, and its showing signs of surface corrosion then give it a good clean and coat it with think layer of grease before re-inserting. Of course it’s a simple one to check, and fix. The sound resonates through the frame, and can create the belief that it is coming from the bottom bracket area. Typically it occurs when pedalling out of the saddle, as you push/pull on the handlebars and so put force through the forks onto the front axle The nature of this, is such that it can easily be mistaken for a creaking bottom bracket. This is another one of those root causes that can be more prevalent during the Autumn and Winter months, as it is the result of the quick release skewer becoming corroded and hence sticking inside the axle. I have suffered from this multiple times, and only last week, saw this on a bike brought into the shop with a “bottom bracket creaking issue”. Now this is my personal favourite root cause ! So a quick check to ensure the bolts are tight is all that is needed to either fix or eliminate this as root cause. pushing hard on the pedals), and this can generate the dreaded creaking noise. If they do, this can cause either of both of the chainrings to move slightly when put under pressure (eg. The bolts that hold the chainrings paired together on the chainset can come lose. ![]() I have suffered from this one, more than once on my winter hack bike. If you suspect that the pedals maybe the cause of the noise, then the best way to determine this is to switch them out for another pair (or temporarily borrow your some from a friend) to see if that eliminates the noise. The pedal axles and their bearings take a hammering, particularly during Autumn and Winter, and can easily become the source of groaning and creaking noises.Ĭhecking that the pedals are screwed into the crank arm tight, and that there is no obvious play or friction when the pedals are turned by hand are good points to check. If you are unsure as to whether these elements are responsible for the noise, try riding the bike in trainers, and see whether the sound reproduces. If your using SPD cleats and they are worn, we keep those in stock SPD Cleats It is worth checking that the spring releases on your pedals are not the cause of any unwanted sounds, and similarly that the cleats in your shoes are tight. Many of the causes of creaking sounds will come from the interface between component parts of the bike or in this case bike and rider ! Okay so onto some of the root causes I have come across. To kick-off it’s useful to recognize that the hollow tubing used in bike frames can amplify a creaking sound, and the sound can travel along the tube walls giving a false impression as to where the sound is originates from. ![]() However it is often not the cause of the creaking sound, so much so I thought it might be a good thing to scribble down a few of the other root causes of this symptom that I have seen. Understandably, and sometimes with good reason, the belief is that the bottom bracket bearing is the cause of the problem. Often this is further clarified by stating that the creaking sound appears to be coming from the crank or bottom bracket area, and occurs most prominently when pedalling out of the saddle. One of the most frequent issues we get reported in the shop when bikes are brought in for servicing is that “there is a creaking sound when I push hard on the pedals” ![]()
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