first bike, making noise
07-23-14, 10:00 AM
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first bike, making noise
Ok so this will be my first post... I've been a long time lurker and wanted to get more into biking. Just never wanted to spend the kind of money that bikes cost! And I never new enough what to look for in used but after browsing here and getting some advice from friends I felt confident enough to start scouring craigslist and finally found something close by, inexpensive and at least seemingly decent for a first road bike.
I did some research and think this is an '88 LeTour and everything seems original right down to the 26 yr old tires (already ordered some new ones).
First 3 trips out everything seemed great, totaling maybe 25 miles or so. Everything felt tight, I liked the fit, and had a big grin on my face as I dreamt of actually doing some touring. Certainly much nicer on the paved bike path than my old 2.1" knobby tired mountain bike I was using (+10 lbs too). Then yesterday went out and did another 18mi. I noticed something almost immediately - there was a click from the crank when the left pedal was straight up. You could feel it as you were pedaling with each rotation, and as the trip went on it got bad enough to also hear the click. On the opposite half of the stroke it made a kind of squeegee like noise (best I could describe it) I wasnt worried about that so much as the click. I didnt see anything hitting it so figure its inside like a bearing or something. Anyone have any advice? Do I need to tear the crank apart? I'm a bit of a mechanic but don't know much about bikes. Is there a good guide how to tear apart a crank?
Any help appreciated,
Thanks!
I did some research and think this is an '88 LeTour and everything seems original right down to the 26 yr old tires (already ordered some new ones).
First 3 trips out everything seemed great, totaling maybe 25 miles or so. Everything felt tight, I liked the fit, and had a big grin on my face as I dreamt of actually doing some touring. Certainly much nicer on the paved bike path than my old 2.1" knobby tired mountain bike I was using (+10 lbs too). Then yesterday went out and did another 18mi. I noticed something almost immediately - there was a click from the crank when the left pedal was straight up. You could feel it as you were pedaling with each rotation, and as the trip went on it got bad enough to also hear the click. On the opposite half of the stroke it made a kind of squeegee like noise (best I could describe it) I wasnt worried about that so much as the click. I didnt see anything hitting it so figure its inside like a bearing or something. Anyone have any advice? Do I need to tear the crank apart? I'm a bit of a mechanic but don't know much about bikes. Is there a good guide how to tear apart a crank?
Any help appreciated,
Thanks!
07-23-14, 10:40 AM
#2
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The once per rev crank click/creak/crunch is the most PIA thing to diagnose on a bike. If you search you'll find that it could be almost anything, and very often has absolutely nothing to do with the cranks.
My rule here is to play hunches, focusing on those that are simplest to confirm either way, so I don't end up wasting time and effort on complicated work that's not needed.
The single easiest elimination test is to remove the pedals (both) and test with another pair. If that resolves the issue, you've narrowed it to the pedals, but even so, will often find that the original ones, when replaced into cleaned and greased threads now are silent. Be sure to also clean the faces where the pedal meets the arm because this is a very common cause of clicking.
The next likeliest cause is a crank arm loose on the spindle. Often simply tightening it a bit more will resolve the issue, but if they've been ridden loose for any length of time, no amount of tightening can save them. If you think this might be the cause, try mounting cranks from another bike (the spindle faces never wear) and see if that helps. If it solves the problem, you know that one or the other crank is toast, but might pray for a miracle and give them another shot.
If it's not pedal or crank/spindle related, you're in for the long haul. Before pulling the BB, look for other "gee I wish I'd noticed that first" possibilities, like a cable end touching the crank.
My rule here is to play hunches, focusing on those that are simplest to confirm either way, so I don't end up wasting time and effort on complicated work that's not needed.
The single easiest elimination test is to remove the pedals (both) and test with another pair. If that resolves the issue, you've narrowed it to the pedals, but even so, will often find that the original ones, when replaced into cleaned and greased threads now are silent. Be sure to also clean the faces where the pedal meets the arm because this is a very common cause of clicking.
The next likeliest cause is a crank arm loose on the spindle. Often simply tightening it a bit more will resolve the issue, but if they've been ridden loose for any length of time, no amount of tightening can save them. If you think this might be the cause, try mounting cranks from another bike (the spindle faces never wear) and see if that helps. If it solves the problem, you know that one or the other crank is toast, but might pray for a miracle and give them another shot.
If it's not pedal or crank/spindle related, you're in for the long haul. Before pulling the BB, look for other "gee I wish I'd noticed that first" possibilities, like a cable end touching the crank.
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FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
07-23-14, 10:56 AM
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Make sure that a derailleur wire or shoelace end is not ticking against the crank as it goes by. The derailleur wire is a little tricky since it will change/disappear when you change gears up front.
07-23-14, 10:56 AM
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Pull the crank. Used bike, used car, all deserve a look under the hood...
I pulled a crank on and old Peugeot and found bearings that looked like little rusty meteorites. On the downside, I have traced a creak in a crank to a broken spoke, a noisy seat, a bad shoe, and a failing freewheel...
You gotta love it...
I pulled a crank on and old Peugeot and found bearings that looked like little rusty meteorites. On the downside, I have traced a creak in a crank to a broken spoke, a noisy seat, a bad shoe, and a failing freewheel...
You gotta love it...
07-23-14, 12:05 PM
#5
Mechanic/Tourist
Pulling a crank requires specialized tools, time and a lot more knowledge than the OP currently has. Wisest thing is to simply tighten the crank arms and pedals, which can be done with standard tools. If that fixes it one can then look later at niceties like BB overhaul.
As for the shoelace/wire idea - some folks like to bring that up but it's pretty rare and does not at all match the OP's description of the problem developing over several rides and it occurring when the left pedal was straight up - where neither a cable nor shoelace would be interfering.
As for the shoelace/wire idea - some folks like to bring that up but it's pretty rare and does not at all match the OP's description of the problem developing over several rides and it occurring when the left pedal was straight up - where neither a cable nor shoelace would be interfering.
07-23-14, 01:27 PM
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Pulling a crank requires specialized tools, time and a lot more knowledge than the OP currently has. Wisest thing is to simply tighten the crank arms and pedals, which can be done with standard tools. If that fixes it one can then look later at niceties like BB overhaul.
As for the shoelace/wire idea - some folks like to bring that up but it's pretty rare and does not at all match the OP's description of the problem developing over several rides and it occurring when the left pedal was straight up - where neither a cable nor shoelace would be interfering.
As for the shoelace/wire idea - some folks like to bring that up but it's pretty rare and does not at all match the OP's description of the problem developing over several rides and it occurring when the left pedal was straight up - where neither a cable nor shoelace would be interfering.
I dont wear shoes so definitely no laces.
The once per rev crank click/creak/crunch is the most PIA thing to diagnose on a bike. If you search you'll find that it could be almost anything, and very often has absolutely nothing to do with the cranks.
My rule here is to play hunches, focusing on those that are simplest to confirm either way, so I don't end up wasting time and effort on complicated work that's not needed.
The single easiest elimination test is to remove the pedals (both) and test with another pair. If that resolves the issue, you've narrowed it to the pedals, but even so, will often find that the original ones, when replaced into cleaned and greased threads now are silent. Be sure to also clean the faces where the pedal meets the arm because this is a very common cause of clicking.
The next likeliest cause is a crank arm loose on the spindle. Often simply tightening it a bit more will resolve the issue, but if they've been ridden loose for any length of time, no amount of tightening can save them. If you think this might be the cause, try mounting cranks from another bike (the spindle faces never wear) and see if that helps. If it solves the problem, you know that one or the other crank is toast, but might pray for a miracle and give them another shot.
If it's not pedal or crank/spindle related, you're in for the long haul. Before pulling the BB, look for other "gee I wish I'd noticed that first" possibilities, like a cable end touching the crank.
My rule here is to play hunches, focusing on those that are simplest to confirm either way, so I don't end up wasting time and effort on complicated work that's not needed.
The single easiest elimination test is to remove the pedals (both) and test with another pair. If that resolves the issue, you've narrowed it to the pedals, but even so, will often find that the original ones, when replaced into cleaned and greased threads now are silent. Be sure to also clean the faces where the pedal meets the arm because this is a very common cause of clicking.
The next likeliest cause is a crank arm loose on the spindle. Often simply tightening it a bit more will resolve the issue, but if they've been ridden loose for any length of time, no amount of tightening can save them. If you think this might be the cause, try mounting cranks from another bike (the spindle faces never wear) and see if that helps. If it solves the problem, you know that one or the other crank is toast, but might pray for a miracle and give them another shot.
If it's not pedal or crank/spindle related, you're in for the long haul. Before pulling the BB, look for other "gee I wish I'd noticed that first" possibilities, like a cable end touching the crank.
I wondered about the pedals - that is the only variable between the last too - it had original pedals on it before until I swapped to those ones in the picture. They are only 2 yrs old though and were expensive (too me anyhow) with maybe 100 miles on em. I'll definitly check em out and try to figure out how to tighten the crank arms.
Thanks for all the advice! I'll try to get it out tonight.
