Notices
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

GRX Drivetrain - Clicking

Old 07-09-20, 11:59 AM
  #1  
ronin4740
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 123

Bikes: Giant TCR, Pure City Original Fixie, Fuji Roubaix, Raleigh M800

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 14 Posts
GRX Drivetrain - Clicking

Have developed a clicking sound from the drivetrain. Pretty sure it's not a wheel bearing as the noise does not happen when the pedals are not turning.

I did a deep cleaning of the Drive system as best I could yesterday. I'm away from home and don't have a bike stand to work from...

* Pulled the chain off the bike, cleaned the FD and RD as best I could without pulling apart the jockey wheel cage (cleaned the pulleys with a rag and applied some chain lube to the bearings),
* Pulled the crank off, dry cleaned the threaded bottom bracket, cleaned and lubricated the drive side crank spindle, installed and torqued the non-drive side to spec*
* put the chain back on, cleaned it using orange clean and a Park chain cleaning tool. Lubed it using muc-off ceramic lube.

Rode the bike today. The clicking was gone for the first half of the ride which was on pavement. After spending about 8 miles on a gravel trail and going back to pavement the clicking was back with a vengence.

The clicking sound seems to be located at the rear of the bike. I've ordered a new chain in the event I've bent the chain or have a sticky link... Am wondering if I should also replace the pulley wheels and, if so, if anyone knows how many teeth are in a GRX RD pulley wheel?

Thanks!
ronin4740 is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 01:52 PM
  #2  
gus6464
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,235
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 353 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 92 Times in 67 Posts
Originally Posted by ronin4740
Have developed a clicking sound from the drivetrain. Pretty sure it's not a wheel bearing as the noise does not happen when the pedals are not turning.

I did a deep cleaning of the Drive system as best I could yesterday. I'm away from home and don't have a bike stand to work from...

* Pulled the chain off the bike, cleaned the FD and RD as best I could without pulling apart the jockey wheel cage (cleaned the pulleys with a rag and applied some chain lube to the bearings),
* Pulled the crank off, dry cleaned the threaded bottom bracket, cleaned and lubricated the drive side crank spindle, installed and torqued the non-drive side to spec*
* put the chain back on, cleaned it using orange clean and a Park chain cleaning tool. Lubed it using muc-off ceramic lube.

Rode the bike today. The clicking was gone for the first half of the ride which was on pavement. After spending about 8 miles on a gravel trail and going back to pavement the clicking was back with a vengence.

The clicking sound seems to be located at the rear of the bike. I've ordered a new chain in the event I've bent the chain or have a sticky link... Am wondering if I should also replace the pulley wheels and, if so, if anyone knows how many teeth are in a GRX RD pulley wheel?

Thanks!
Is the bike new? Have you adjusted the rear derailleur to compensate for cable pull? Whenever you change shift cables or get a new bike the rd will need adjusting after about a 100 miles because the cable has stretched a little and set in. The clicking is basically the chain rubbing on cassette cog sides.

From the list of stuff that you did I didn't see you adjusting the tension on the rd.
gus6464 is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 02:10 PM
  #3  
ronin4740
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 123

Bikes: Giant TCR, Pure City Original Fixie, Fuji Roubaix, Raleigh M800

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 14 Posts
The bike was delivered to me mid May. I have about 1000 miles on the bike. I have fiddled with the RD tension adjustment knob and believe that it is adjusted properly.

I took it to the local Trek store and they suggested that it might be the bottom bracket. I've purchased the tool to remove it from Amazon and will pull it and regrease it to see if that helps. Also considering replacing it as the BB-RS5500's aren't terribly expensive.

Open to recommendations if there's a better threaded bottom bracket that I can replace it with...

They also checked chain wear and stated that it's at about 50% of the wear. Could not reproduce the sound in the shop. They also suggested checking the rear cassette locking ring (but this happens on two wheel sets so I don't think it's that) and packing the freehub with grease (again, the sound occurs across two wheel sets so I don't think this is the issue either).

They also suggested servicing the pedals. I'll have to wait until I get home to do this as I lack a vice where I'm at...

Left without buying a chain or jockey wheels. I did buy a set of gloves to help compensate the shop for the 20 minutes they spent looking at the issue.
ronin4740 is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 03:14 PM
  #4  
gus6464
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,235
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 353 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 92 Times in 67 Posts
Originally Posted by ronin4740
The bike was delivered to me mid May. I have about 1000 miles on the bike. I have fiddled with the RD tension adjustment knob and believe that it is adjusted properly.

I took it to the local Trek store and they suggested that it might be the bottom bracket. I've purchased the tool to remove it from Amazon and will pull it and regrease it to see if that helps. Also considering replacing it as the BB-RS5500's aren't terribly expensive.

Open to recommendations if there's a better threaded bottom bracket that I can replace it with...

They also checked chain wear and stated that it's at about 50% of the wear. Could not reproduce the sound in the shop. They also suggested checking the rear cassette locking ring (but this happens on two wheel sets so I don't think it's that) and packing the freehub with grease (again, the sound occurs across two wheel sets so I don't think this is the issue either).

They also suggested servicing the pedals. I'll have to wait until I get home to do this as I lack a vice where I'm at...

Left without buying a chain or jockey wheels. I did buy a set of gloves to help compensate the shop for the 20 minutes they spent looking at the issue.
Did they check the rd hanger for alignment?

What's the bike? Is it a Trek with BB90?
gus6464 is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 03:34 PM
  #5  
ronin4740
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 123

Bikes: Giant TCR, Pure City Original Fixie, Fuji Roubaix, Raleigh M800

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 14 Posts
They did not check the rear hanger for alignment. The bike is an Otso Warakin Ti with a BB-RS5500.

I have pulled the RD jockey cage apart, pulled and dry cleaned the wheels and added a bit of muc-off ceramic lube to the centers.

I've also added more lube to the chain. Will test ride tomorrow on the road only and see if the noise has stopped. Will also pull and clean/regrease the BB tomorrow afternoon when the tool arrives just for sake of thoroughness.
ronin4740 is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 03:45 PM
  #6  
dsaul
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 2,258
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 712 Post(s)
Liked 793 Times in 471 Posts
Does it happen if you stand and pedal? A clicking seatpost or saddle rail can sound like its coming from the drivetrain, but it will only happen when pedaling seated.
dsaul is offline  
Old 07-09-20, 03:50 PM
  #7  
ronin4740
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 123

Bikes: Giant TCR, Pure City Original Fixie, Fuji Roubaix, Raleigh M800

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 14 Posts
I will check that tomorrow. I think it does but will try that to be certain. I did rock and bounce on the saddle while coasting on the ride today and could not reproduce the sound though.

I might as well drizzle some muc-off ceramic lube into the saddle where the rails disappear into it.. greasing the seat post clamp will be kind of a problem as I rounded out that bolt a little when I was torquing it to the eBay seller's recommended 18nm... I have spare bolts but really didn't want to fight with it on the trip.
ronin4740 is offline  
Old 07-10-20, 02:26 AM
  #8  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
Clicking is almost never in the drivetrain components. Saddle and cleats are two very common sources of clicks.
unterhausen is offline  
Likes For unterhausen:
Old 07-10-20, 12:34 PM
  #9  
Hondo Gravel
Life Feeds On Life
 
Hondo Gravel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Hondo,Texas
Posts: 2,143

Bikes: Too many Motobecanes

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4387 Post(s)
Liked 4,499 Times in 3,011 Posts
Identifying an annoying click can be anything. Most of the time I ignore it because it is usually minor. A tiny pebble in you’re pedal cleats for example. Sand particulars in the chain, stuff like that.
Hondo Gravel is offline  
Old 07-11-20, 08:41 PM
  #10  
dwmckee
Senior Member
 
dwmckee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 2,468

Bikes: Co-Motion Cappuccino Tandem,'88 Bob Jackson Touring, Co-Motion Cascadia Touring, Open U.P., Ritchie Titanium Breakaway, Frances Cycles SmallHaul cargo bike. Those are the permanent ones; others wander in and out of the stable occasionally as well.

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 427 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 339 Times in 229 Posts
Here is a good list of diagnostic checks we use for something like this to pinpoint the source.
Is it one click per pedal stroke?
Same place in the pedal stroke?
When you pedal very lightly as well as heavily?
When you pedal backwards?
Have you checked derailleur cable ends to be sure they are not rubbing against the crank?
Can you make it click when not moving but putting force on the pedals (lean against a wall with brakes on and step on pedals to see if it still creaks.
Does it creak with brakes applied while pedaling?
Is it one click per wheel revolution?
One click per chain revolution?
A single click or a series of clicks ( creeeeek)?
Can you make it click with more or less force on handlebars?
Standing or sitting or both?
We had a bike in shop recently with a click that sounded like bottom bracket. We isolated parts of bike until we found it was actually coming from rear axle under chain tension and wound up to be caused by a poorly tightened rear QR skewer that slipped a bit when pedaling hard.
dwmckee is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.