Creaking Headset/BB 😡

Gear
1

My summer road bike has an annoyingAF creaking sound :rage::no_good_man:t2:

I’ve had the bottom bracket and headset out this morning and greased and cleaned them.

All chainring bolts are tightened to the correct Nm.

All stem bolts, too.

It is still creaking like eff :rage:

I can ride in a straight line with “standard” power.
As soon as I turn, or put down a bit more power, or climb, it freaks out and starts creaking and groaning like a geriatric smoker :nauseated_face::woman_shrugging:t4:

Short of replacing the headset and bottom bracket, any ideas?

Im pretty certain it’s the headset, although the sound sort of carries through the bike :sob:

2 Likes
2

Have you checked everything around the saddle (or does it do it when standing)?
Like you say, the sound travels and can be really deceptive as to the true source.
I had a really annoying squeak with my Brompton which exactly corresponded to rotations of the crank. I stripped and greased everything and couldn’t find it. Turned out to be the little suspension block at the back.

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3

Check the skewer/through axle as that can get dirty and do a convincing impersonation of a dry h/s.

Bottom bracket - Praxis, don’t fuck about with anything else. The first thing I do is replace with Praxis. (except on my old P3, because Praxis didn’t do a BBRight adaptor).

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4

The Praxis on my first Diverge was utter shite. It dropped chains like nothing else.

@Poet as above I’d also say check the saddle/rails too.

5

How does a BB drop chains?

6

Yup!
Sorry :face_with_peeking_eye: that was the first thing I checked, my “get home solo” massive saddlebag was squeaking - so I eliminated that.

Pissed off.
Headsets are expensive.
And I need some new tyres, which now appear to be £90/pair for 28mm tubeless :sob:
I also want a new helmet and some Zipp 303FCs and some shiny XTR160mm rotors :money_with_wings::money_with_wings::money_with_wings:

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7

I’ve had that with my headset. Remove it (completely, knocking the bottom bearing out of the frame), clean, grease, re-install.

Wiggle Brand X headsets are pretty cheap if you need a new one

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8

Yeah, did that this morning.
Little spin round the block and it’s still doing it :+1:t3::sob:

The bloody bearing has marks on it where the serial number and sizing is, too :rage::rage::rage:

9

Sorry, I read chainset/crank for some reason :man_facepalming:

2 Likes
10

I’m with @FatPom . Every time it’s dirt and grime on skewers. Strip, clean grease and same on the dropouts.

2 Likes
11

Family fortunes “wrong” noise :x:

I only put the “speed weaponry” on on Friday.
Fresh skewers, greased, and aligned pads :+1:t3:

I’m just gonna launch it into a field instead

3 Likes
12

Have you checked the pedals? I did the same a few years ago with the Trinity stripped everything down which is a massive PITA and it turned out to the pedals needed regressing and tightening.

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13

YIP!!!
Power pedals, so always greased when swapping them over.

Seems like we all know the usual culprits :rage::x:

I like a silent bike … because I am so damn loud in person :joy::joy::joy:

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14

Press Fit BBs are the Devil’s work, and wholly unnecessary imho.

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15

My BB is clicking. Need to strip and grease it to see if that helps. Don’t have the right tool to tighten or remove so that would be an investment.

16

Is your frame cracked? :see_no_evil:

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17

Swapped the rear wheel? Just to eliminate the rear hub?

18

You might need someone to ride next to you, to locate the source?

19

You are of course ignoring the easiest solution.

Noisy bike? Simple solution.

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20

Is it a press fit?

A bit of wood and a mallet works :face_with_peeking_eye::joy:

Pretty sure my frame isn’t cracked!?!
But who knows!!!

@LordFlasheart - If I was spending £12.5k on a bike, I would be baa-ing with the rest of the S-Works proles :ram::sheep::ram:

I’d be looking at stuff like this;

https://argonautcycles.com/bikes/custom-road-bike-rm3/

1 Like