Creak... Creak... Creak... Creak...

[Keith]

Firstly to those who rode to and from Brighton with me, and to those who rode around Crystal Palace with me, I apologise for the noise that my bike's making.

My bike's developed a creak. It's coming from the bottom bracket / crank area. It's worse under power. I went out in the rain and it went quiet.

I've taken the left crank off, cleaned it all up, put it back together - same noise.
I've just had both sides of the bottom bracket out, cleaned it all up, put it back together - same noise.

The crank is losing some of the chrome plating from the spindle around where it passes through the left BB bearing.

So to the question - does anyone have any advice as to whether it's the bottom bracket that's liable to be the culprit (£22 to replace), or is it time for a new chainset (£120)? Would the loss of chrome plating on the spindle cause a creak? I'm tempted to just try replacing the BB, but would the lack of plating on the crank knacker the new bearings?

P.S. Yes, the peadals are tight, and so too are the clamp bolts on the left crank.

[Alan M]

Have you tried tightening the chainring retaining bolts?

[Keith]

[quote="Alan M"]Have you tried tightening the chainring retaining bolts?

[Keith]

P.P.S. It's Shimano Ultegra, so to all you die-hard Campag fans, you may now engage "smug mode".

[Grahame]

A few thoughts:

Is it one of those new-fangled external bearing bottom brackets? If so, it's probably the bearings - they are made of cheese and need replacing disappointingly regularly. If its an older octalink, it's worth trying a new bottom bracket anyway, they don't cost much and the worst case is that you end up with a spare bottom bracket (that you'll probably use in a year or so anyway). Campagnolo users don't need to be smug - their external bottom bracket bearings have about the same lifespan.

Does the noise go away when you stand up? It may seem silly, but often a noise we associate with pedaling can come from the saddle rails creaking in the seat post clamp, or even the seat post moving slightly in the frame.

How about the pedal bearings? have you greased them, tried a drop of lube on the interface of the cleats and the pedals?

[Dombo]

I had a similar problem. Had the bb regreased and adjusted, same noise; changed cassette and chain, same noise. Finally took it to GBs and they discovered that the rear hub was almost dry. These were 6 month old Easton EA90 SLX factory wheels. GBs re-packed it full of grease, noise gone .
Problem is that noises can be channeled through the frame and appear to emanate from elsewhere.

[quote="Keith"]P.P.S. It's Shimano Ultegra, so to all you die-hard Campag fans, you may now engage "smug mode".

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Knees

[huw williams]

This is the trouble with cheap, old bikes you see

[Keith]

[quote="huw williams"]This is the trouble with cheap, old bikes you see

[Michelle]

Ding ding.

Round 2

[huw williams]

I knew he couldn't resist raising to that bait

[Keith]

Yes, I know, I'm sadly predictable.....

... but so too was your avoidance of the question.

[Marky Mark]

GB done mine for £10... Strip and re-grease. It's lasted a good 4 months so far.

It's the lazy option I know but it's in a carbon frame and I didn't want to damage it.

Good luck..

[huw williams]

Bought a track bike just two months ago - with money too. Before that? Well there was that ol' Chopper back in '74...