Originally Posted by
canklecat
Creaks are tricky. I've overhauled bikes just chasing down creaks and it usually turned out to be the last thing I tried.
- One chainring bolt.
- Handlebar/stem.
- Spokes (soft wax from an old scented candle between the crossed spokes fixes the problem for a month or so at a time)
- Saddle (I just ignored it for a couple of years, then replaced the saddle.)
If I checked those first, it'd turn out to be something else.
So far it's never been the bottom bracket, crank arms, pedals, hubs, chain, cassette or freewheel... but eventually it'll probably be one of those. Whatever the cause, it'll be the last thing I check.
If you think about it, won't it always be the "last thing you check"? Said differently, would you continue to look AFTER you fixed the problem?
I often hear people say things like "Every time I mis-place my car keys, they are always in the last place I look". Of course they are. Why would you keep looking after you found them?
Just saying... Or maybe that was your point... ;-)