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PSA - sometimes a creak needs to be investigated

//i.imgur.com/tKC0ubL.jpg)

I had noticed a creak/noise from my bike, especially when accelerating from stopped. It sounded almost like the chain clunking into position, so I ended up replacing my outer chainring as it was a few years old, but the noise persisted. I was contemplating whether it was pedals, bottom bracket bearing or even rear cassette, but yesterday I discovered the answer.

I was just starting off on a ride and heading uphill on my road - negotiated my way round a van coming downhill and then got off the saddle to accelerate and start warming up. Hit the deck almost outside my front door and luckily got a lightly grazed knee and knuckle out of it, though my handlebars looked very skewed. The van driver did stop and check that I was okay which was nice of him.

So, sometimes a creaky noise isn't what you think it is.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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37 comments

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PRSboy | 2 years ago
0 likes

A noise like a chain clunking into position you say?

Hmm, mines started doing that noise.  Will check the crank condition carefully.

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IanMSpencer | 2 years ago
2 likes

I had this last year, as others have said, a known problem.

I am not a strong rider and tend to spin up hills rather than grind. My suspicion is that I used my Giant Defy through winter in some fgrim conditions - but when doesn't a British rider not ride in those?

As to the point of keeping checking, "bottom bracket creaks" have turned out to be wheel bearings, freehub bearings, cranks, headsets, saddles, dry chains and so on across my riding group, you need to do careful elimination.

The crank was easy enough to spot once of decided to look properly, grasping the crank and applying a lot of sideways force.

This week on a ride the shout of "Mechanical" went up, and a rider said he thought his bottom bracket had gone. I saw a lot of flex in the frame, but no clunking or odd movement. The rest of the group were preparing to remount, but it didn't make sense, so I looked back along the drive train then grasped the rear wheel which wobbled alarmingly, "Bearings gone" I declared, but then wobbling the wheel, I thought too much movement - broken axle? Looked again and the chain-stay weld on his PlanetX titanium bike, about 9 years old had entirely failed. He walked home.

The lesson is, don't guess, prove.

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hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
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Well, just went for a little ride and I think I can cope with the gearing - it doesn't seem to make any difference if you always get off and push as soon as there's an uphill gradient.

Annoyingly, I've still got some noises from my drivetrain, so the next step is to replace the chain and cassette which was on my agenda (possibly change the bottom bracket bearing too).

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hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
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Got my new crankset and fitted it and adjusted my front derailleur for the different height (also changed the settings in the Shimano software, though I think the synchro shifts are in the same place anyway).

Unfortunately, my new pedals are coming from Bikester.co.uk and it looks like they're being sent from outside the UK, so I've now ordered a pair from ProBikeKit.co.uk which should arrive tomorrow. I'll just return the slowest pair.

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Steve K replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
3 likes

How are you going to work out which pedals are slower?

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hawkinspeter replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
11 likes

Steve K wrote:

How are you going to work out which pedals are slower?

Obviously, I'll fit the left from one set and the right from the other set and after a few pedal rotations, I can measure how much one crank has caught up with the other.

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mdavidford replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
1 like

Your comment obviously has a vital couple of watts saving over mine.

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hawkinspeter replied to mdavidford | 2 years ago
4 likes

mdavidford wrote:

Your comment obviously has a vital couple of watts saving over mine.

It's not always a race!

Protip: it's always a race (unless you get overtaken in which case you're on a recovery ride, you've got blisters, tyres are running flat and you're worried your crank will snap if you give it some welly)

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mdavidford replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

I'll just return the slowest pair.

Are you going to be testing them in the wind tunnel?

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
0 likes

Ah, it's back.

Which version of ultegra is this one ?

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
0 likes

FC6800

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Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
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<gulp>

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes
hirsute wrote:

<gulp>

It seems to be an issue with all their hollow bonded Ultegra and Dura-Ace sets.

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dee4life2005 | 2 years ago
3 likes

I've had my right-hand crank sheer off just like that on three separate ultegra cranksets now - twice on the same bike within about 14 months. All bikes are well maintained, not its not a neglect issue. Dura-Ace also suffers this problem. Only way to guarantee it never happening is to switch to 105 which has a solid crank-arm and isn't two separate pieces bonded together (as far as I know). 

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jaymack | 2 years ago
1 like

Bloody hell, that could have been really nasty. Van-man gets a bad press on this site so thank you for adding a little bit of balance by reminding us most road users are decent most of the time. 

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BadgerBeaver | 2 years ago
1 like

If you're riding a bike with fishing tackle for gears what do you expect?

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Liam Cahill | 2 years ago
1 like

I've got a fairly significant click that I can't find the source of. Time to inspect the crank properly I think

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HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

Blimey, that could have been very nasty. Seems to becoming a common problem with these cranks, well explained in this video https://youtu.be/FkEkQV-zK0s?t=181.

What are those black dot stickers near the pedal end? Did you get cracking there?

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hawkinspeter replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

The black bits are the ends of a black-reflective sticker that I'd put on both cranks - not part of the crank itself.

Something similar to these

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HoarseMann replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
2 likes

Good idea for reflective placement!

Perhaps Shimano have gone a step too far in the quest for lightness with epoxy bonding a crankset.

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hawkinspeter replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
1 like

I just removed the left crank and have had a close look at both cranks - no sign of the bonding coming loose or any other cracks that I can see. Probably metal fatigue from where I accelerate as hard as possible away from lights etc.

I've also put a couple of those stickers onto my wheel rims - you can just about see one of them.

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matthewn5 replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
2 likes
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a1white replied to matthewn5 | 2 years ago
1 like

Always seems to be higher end Ultegra and Dura-Ace

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hawkinspeter replied to a1white | 2 years ago
3 likes

Apparently (after watching HoarseMann's link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkEkQV-zK0s&t=181s) that's due to whether it's hollow bonded or hollow forged. The 105s, Tiagras etc.  aren't breaking as they're hollow forged, but the pricier ones use bonding. I'm now wondering if I should have bought a 105 in replacement, but I've already ordered another Ultegra which should arrive tomorrow. I'll just have to keep an eye out for any cracks forming, especially if a new creak/click happens.

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HoarseMann replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
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hawkinspeter wrote:

I'm now wondering if I should have bought a 105 in replacement

Well, it's not a wrong choice to favour performance over durability and as you say, you'll know what to look out for now.

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Welsh boy | 2 years ago
3 likes

Hope your injuries are not too bad but a for that chainset, in the words of Edmond Blackadder, it rhymes with "clucking bell". That could have been very nasty. 

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hawkinspeter replied to Welsh boy | 2 years ago
3 likes

Thanks.

I think I lead a charmed life - I could hardly have been closer to home and I've had worse injuries trying to remove a pedal. I only bothered putting a plaster on my knuckle when I went to bed as it was still weeping (for the lost crank).

Talking of pedals, I tried to remove the pedal from the broken crank without any luck, so I'm going to go for a pair of PD-ES600s to replace my old, stuck PD-A600s.

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wycombewheeler replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
1 like

hawkinspeter wrote:

Thanks.

I think I lead a charmed life - I could hardly have been closer to home and I've had worse injuries trying to remove a pedal. I only bothered putting a plaster on my knuckle when I went to bed as it was still weeping (for the lost crank).

Talking of pedals, I tried to remove the pedal from the broken crank without any luck, so I'm going to go for a pair of PD-ES600s to replace my old, stuck PD-A600s.

weeping for the 3 months lead time to buy a replacement chainset

HoarseMann wrote:

Good idea for reflective placement!

Tempted to get some of these, affix to front and back edges of the cranks, also see if I can fix to the SPD and SPD SL pedals (because, the law).

It would certainly be hard to criticise a cyclist for no refletives on the pedals if the entire crank arm was glowing.

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hawkinspeter replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

Merlin's got some in stock: https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-ultegra-r8000-chainset-11-speed-102855.html

(I went for 175mm 39/53)

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Hirsute replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
0 likes

53/39 - they make 'em tough in Bristol.

Looks like I will be checking my cranks regularly from now on !

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