Rootman

This is the third set of pedals I've had on my Roam 2. All of them seem to have a click that is the right pedal when it hits the 3 o'clock position. I can feel and hear it. It's not really loud or intense, just enough to bug me. I currently have a new set of Click-R pedals on and they click too. It happens when I'm clipped in or not, wearing plain shoes and pedaling them like flat pedals. It does not happen when I pedal with the left pedal only. After 3 or 4 miles it seems to stop.

Here's what confuses me. This is the third set of pedals that does this. So I don't think it's the pedal. What else could it be? I have tried tightening all the bolts on the chain ring and the crank and they are all tight.

Any suggestions?

reshp1

Front derailleur cable end hitting your foot?

Andrew R Stewart 

There are many possible sources of crank area (and some only sounding like they're from the crank/pedal) clicks/creaks. Lots of threads in the history of this forum. But three sets of pedals with the same issue isn't the typical. perhaps you should look elsewhere. Any place that two pieces touch (bolted. swedged, drawn up a taper, threaded, rolling against each other, and more) are possible points of movement and noise. Think about how many are involved with the cranks/pedals. make a list and check it twice. Andy.

ClarkinHawaii

Loose bearings in the bottom bracket? Any "jiggle" when you attempt to push a crankarm in and out against the frame?

Jeff Wills

I had a cartridge bottom bracket that creaked. I removed it, greased all the threads and metal-to-metal contact points and it was quiet... for a couple weeks. Then the noise came back. I did it again and it was quiet... for a couple weeks. Then the noise came back. On the fourth try, I put teflon tape on the threads. It's stayed quiet for a couple years now.

I think the bottom bracket threads are a teeny bit oversize, leading to movement and noise. The teflon tape is thick enough to stop the movement and rigid enough to not migrate away under normal pedaling pressure.

JohnDThompson 

Shoelace hitting chainstay? Play in the saddle rail/saddle connection? Bad pedal threads in one or both crank arms? Bad threads in one or both sides of the bottom bracket shell? Plenty of possibilities, so start with the simplest first.

cny-bikeman

Multiple, random guesses will not help you here, but rather logic and progressive elimination of causes is necessary. Logically, if you have changed pedals twice (and sufficiently tightened them) and the click persists, it can't be the pedals. You've also eliminated shoes and the front derailleur shift cable end hitting your foot (not a "click" sound at all) or the crank arm (would occur pedaling with either foot). The bottom bracket is not as likely, as most sounds caused by the BB are lower in pitch or more creak than click, and happen with either crank. The most likely culprit is the crank arm attachment to the spindle. If it's a square taper BB (shown with dust cap and fixing bolt removed) -

then the best course of action is to remove the right crank arm with an extractor, clean the spindle and mounting hole surfaces (fine steel wool) and then reinstall with sufficient torque - around 30-35 ft-lbs, or as tight as one can reasonable get with an 8 inch crescent wrench. If that does not work then you will need to remove all the chainwheel bolts, clean the mating surfaces in the same manner (also rinse the seats on the rings with some lube) and reinstall. If the problem was the crank arm then it's also best to loosen the left fixing bolt and re-torque.

Multiple, random guesses will not help you here, but rather logic and progressive elimination of causes is necessary. Logically, if you have changed pedals twice (and sufficiently tightened them) and the click persists, it can't be the pedals. You've also eliminated shoes and the front derailleur shift cable end hitting your foot (not a "click" sound at all) or the crank arm (would occur pedaling with either foot). The bottom bracket is not as likely, as most sounds caused by the BB are lower in pitch or more creak than click, and happen with either crank. The most likely culprit is the crank arm attachment to the spindle. If it's a square taper BB (shown with dust cap and fixing bolt removed) -

then the best course of action is to remove the right crank arm with an extractor, clean the spindle and mounting hole surfaces (fine steel wool) and then reinstall with sufficient torque - around 30-35 ft-lbs, or as tight as one can reasonable get with an 8 inch crescent wrench. If that does not work then you will need to remove all the chainwheel bolts, clean the mating surfaces in the same manner (also rinse the seats on the rings with some lube) and reinstall. If the problem was the crank arm then it's also best to loosen the left fixing bolt and re-torque.

May be helpful to know if the problem occurs on all chainrings or only certain ones. May have to ride smaller chainrings with the small cogs and/or uphill to check.

JohnDThompson 

Campagnolo actually used to offer oversize cups for this issue, but teflon tape is more available and affordable these days.

dsbrantjr

If you skip checking something because it "couldn't possibly be the problem", it will inevitably turn out to be the cause of the problem.

Dave Cutter

Is that also when you shift gears?

Bill Kapaun

Left crank hitting the kick stand?

cny-bikeman

"It does not happen when I pedal with the left pedal only.."

Bill Kapaun

Because maybe the torque on the right arm is enough to move things around enough for a CLICK, not a clunk?

RISKDR1

in the bottom of your cycling shoes are some internal steel tabs that your cleats screw into. They float around in there. There are sometimes more than one set for different cleats. The ones you don't use may be rattling around in there. I had that happen and it drove me nuts. I injected silicone into the space and it dried and locked down the loose ones and the clicking stopped. It is worth looking into as one possibility.

cny-bikeman

I believe that if there is play in the BB pressure on the right crank arm at the 3:00 position would move the left crank arm away from the frame/kickstand on the left side

cny-bikeman

Again, need to look at what the OP has already done. Happens when "wearing plain shoes." Besides, rattling would likely be more random and would have no reason for going away after a few miles. The OP needs to do what I prescribed so as to either solve the problem or further narrow down possible causes. To do otherwise is just guessing, not diagnosis.

exmechanic89

^This would be my guess..

Bill Kapaun

I said torque, not play.
The frame might be twisting slightly.

IF there were play in the BB, it may still be possible if the OP is moving the bike from side to side while mashing.

Since the OP doesn't seem to feel like responding, we may never know.

cny-bikeman

...but then some find guessing entertaining, in case they are right. Kind of like picking numbers for the lottery. Takes no talent but fun if you win;.

Rootman

Well, this is aggravating. I had to take a break for a few weeks due to work issues. I rode tonight and it's still there.

I swapped the pedals out with the original flats that came with the bike and rode in my old work shoes and the click was still there. It sounds like someone someone tapping a pencil on a shoe, it's faint sounding and not noticeable when there is traffic sounds or I am speaking with someone. At this point I am not ruling out that it is something in my foot snapping. I can definitely feel it in my foot, being that I have a little neuropathy in my feet I can't tell it's there and feel the slight feeling but can't identify where it emanates, the pedal or my foot.

I want to avoid pulling the bottom bracket as I have not extraction tools. I want to find someone else to ride it to rule or rule out that it's just me. Funny thing is I can pedal with my heel and it's still there. I can't repeat the sound by putting it on the work stand. even putting pressure on the tire to try and put a load on the drive train.

This is aggravating as hell. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Jeff Wills

Check all the bolts- chainring bolts and crankarm fixing bolts. Tighten all of them 1/4 turn, just to see if something seats.

Bottom bracket/crank noises are very hard to track down and fix. As above, it can take several tries to track it down and fix it so it stays fixed.

dwmckee

At the 3 o'clock position, I'd suspect the crank is hitting the kickstand or chainstay.

Rootman

Please re-read the first post, as I stated it does NOT happen when I pedal with just the left pedal, and if it was hitting the chainstay or kickstand it would happen all the time. I also stated I could not get get it to do it while on the work stand.

I've even tried to tighten all the bolts on the chainring and crank, they are already tight. This has me baffled.

dwmckee

A loose kickstand would not happen all of the time. We have seen several similar cases when the kickstand was loose so it hit only intermittently. A light push could make the stand hit or not hit. Would drive the person nuts and the correlation really threw people off as it was intermittent... Sometimes only a slight tap that feels like a creek.

Good luck.

Jeff Wills

OK- take them all off, grease the threads and any metal-to-metal surface, and reassemble. As Andy said above, any threaded or metal-to-metal interface that moves can create noise. Disassembly, cleaning everything, then reassembling with grease is the only way you'll be sure.