Creaking under load - drivetrain?

[Dombo]

DRivetrain is making a funny noise when under load, sort of a rhythmic creaking more so when seated than standing. I replaced the chain, checked BB for play - it is a Truvativ GXP Xpipe with a Bonty Race Lite triple - no play in the cranks either. Mech is Ultegra. Wheels are EAston EA90s and newish so not the hubs. Strangely there is also a tinkling sound like something hitting the spokes, yet there is nothing in contact with them. The bike is just over a year old and has 1900 miles on the clock. The only thing I have not checked is seatpost clamp tightness.
Two questions:

1. Any idea what it might be? If likely to be crankset I can change that for Ultegra as chainreaction have a stunning offer;
2. Anyone had experience of Ev*ns mechanics to take a look at it? I know some have said they'd rather empty a bag of spanners over their bike than go there but we have a branch in Canary Wharf and I cannot get to Butlers or Dauphin before the weekend. Plus I bought the bike from Ev*ns despite it now being just out of warranty.

Thanks for any advice.

[Ivor]

Well you can determine whether it's anything to do with the seatpost by seeing if it occurs when you're pedalling out of the saddle.
I have a similar annoying click/creak at the moment on the road bike and can't for the life of me figure out where it's coming from.

Re Evans in Canary Wharf. I'd seriously recommend not considering using them. at all. ever. There's one of two guys in there who can talk about bikes and seem to know their stuff....
But the service on my Joey was a complete waste of time - crank not correctly tightened, I swapped the brake pads out the next week to discover I'd been charged for new ones but still clearly had the original ones in. all they'd done was move the adjuster right in so they bit on the slightest touch of the lever.... which isn't what you want on a folder where you have to remove the front wheel!!

I simply dropped it in to save myself time doing it at the weekend, in hindsight I've spent more time checking and adjusting it myself since!

Much better just doing it yourself.

[Andrew G]

Creaking from a bottom bracket area is normally a bottom bracket job I think. Cranks should be fine and would only make a noise if they were loose, but don't let that stop you buying new kit .

May need a new BB depending on the qualty of the one that's there, although is it integrated on the Shimano ones? If so could it be the outboard bearings? Don't know how they work/fit together but the end result may be the same - strip down the BB, check, and re-fit. Replace it if it's no good but does this also mean the chainset on Shimano with the integrated BB? - another design landmark to fix a problem that wasn't there and get money out of you - new BB = new chainset . Any BB below Chorus with the "old" square taper BBs on Campag is cheap so I'd just replace but they rarely have any problems anyway which is why I haven't looked at upgrading to the new integrated ones.

I've ridden a bike with a load of creaks and groans from the BB and it didn't do any more damage so I wouldn't worry about having to leave it until the weekend unless the noise really annoys you.

I'd steer well clear of Evans or the cranks will almost certainly be loose when you get it back.

[Marky Mark]

Creaking? Clicking? Groaning? Cracking?

The noises from my new bike which I've grown to love over the past weeks. The bottom bracket is being rebuilt on mine this Wednesday so hope to lose them all. Think of them and music and pedal to the rythem

NOTE : This Saturday I had NO clicking or creaking. This supports the theory that the assemby is dry and needs lubricating. The 'rain' seemed to have cured the lot. Short term fix and very cheap

[Dombo]

Thanks for the advice, it's going to Butlers for a check.

[Marky Mark]

[quote="Dombo"]Thanks for the advice, it's going to Butlers for a check.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I can do a quick inspection for you - turnaround time a few minutes

NB, ever thought it might be your knees

[Ivor]

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"]NB, ever thought it might be your knees

[George]

My Bianchi really used to creak alot from the bottom bracket area.
In the end It was the way the front wheel was resonating, cos I swapped the wheel and solved the problem.

Just had a slight clicking from my bottom bracket so I replaced it with a new one which solved the problem, new one £40 from butlers and sold my second hand one on EBAY for £30 £10 job done.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

That secondhand bottom bracket that I bought off eBay for £30 has a dodgy clicking sound.......

[sid_day]

Working in a bike shop you see a rush of workshop jobs for creaking BBs at this time of year.

Bottom Brackets start creaking at this time of year because of
a: higher milage
b: the BB threads have dried out after the wet weather.

It is quite easy to resolve yourself with the correct tools.

You need to:

1 Get your cranks off
2 remove BB
3 Clean all threads.
4 Grease all threads.
5 Refit BB back in nice and tight.
6 Re-fit cranks
7 Check pedals are tight.

The interface between square taper BBs and cranks somtimes creak too.
This can eventually inticate that you need a new BB and Chainset because the hole in the cranks has become enlarged.

[Dombo]

Thanks all. I have the tools for my mtb shimano bb and have replaced it and the crankset several times. however my road bike has the newer external bearings which I'm not sure about. Time to revisit Park website and get more tools!
Bike is at Butlers now - they also mentioned the bb drying out - so hopefully sorted by the weekend.

[Marky Mark]

Mine is in the same place and they promised it back for Friday night. Fingers crossed

[Dombo]

Excellent service from GBs, only £25 to sort out the BB creak, check the wheel and other bits and lubricate all drivetrain including my rear nipples (steady at the back, Finbar!).

Only problem was when I asked them to weigh the bike, out of idle curiosity. Even with my superlight Easton climbing wheels my steel/carbon steed tipped the scales at a whopping 19.5 lbs ! A fine excuse however for finishing the upcoming Etape in the broomwagon, and the Dragon when it's dark.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Dombo"]. Even with my superlight Easton climbing wheels my steel/carbon steed tipped the scales at a whopping 19.5 lbs ! A fine excuse however for finishing the upcoming Etape in the broomwagon, and the Dragon when it's dark.