Click mystery solved - keep that crankset tight!
08-04-18, 02:45 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Click mystery solved - keep that crankset tight!
Thought I'd post this for the future reference of anyone searching the forum for answers. It wasn't an audible click, but a clicking sensation, for lack of a better way of describing it. Felt like my left cleat wasn't secured tightly enough in the pedal. My foot seemed to shift ever so slightly with each revolution. Just the left foot.
1. Ratcheted up the pedal tension. No help.
2. Put new cleats on my shoes, the old ones looking the worse for wear. No help either.
3. Tightened the cleats on my shoes to within an inch of their lives. Still no help.
4. Checked the tightness of the pedals on the crank arms. It was fine.
This went on for a week. Finally, exasperated, I took my hex wrench to the bolt holding the Hirth joint of my Centaur Ultra-Torque crankset together, and lo and behold, it needed tightening. Practically a half turn's worth.
That totally fixed the situation. My feet feel tightly connected to the bike again, no clicking or rattling sensation whatsoever. It was about 3,300 km ago when I last removed the crankset from the bike to replace the bearings on it. I'm quite sure that I tightened it enough at the time when I reinstalled it, but maybe I didn't? Or maybe the threading in the Hirth joint is beginning to fail now that the crankset has about 20,000 km on it?
Or maybe it's just a fluke?
1. Ratcheted up the pedal tension. No help.
2. Put new cleats on my shoes, the old ones looking the worse for wear. No help either.
3. Tightened the cleats on my shoes to within an inch of their lives. Still no help.
4. Checked the tightness of the pedals on the crank arms. It was fine.
This went on for a week. Finally, exasperated, I took my hex wrench to the bolt holding the Hirth joint of my Centaur Ultra-Torque crankset together, and lo and behold, it needed tightening. Practically a half turn's worth.
That totally fixed the situation. My feet feel tightly connected to the bike again, no clicking or rattling sensation whatsoever. It was about 3,300 km ago when I last removed the crankset from the bike to replace the bearings on it. I'm quite sure that I tightened it enough at the time when I reinstalled it, but maybe I didn't? Or maybe the threading in the Hirth joint is beginning to fail now that the crankset has about 20,000 km on it?
Or maybe it's just a fluke?
08-05-18, 08:35 AM
#2
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It’s always good to check torque after several miles and again after a hundred or so, anytime you take components apart to service.
The torque of riding can loosen stuff easier than you think.
I also had to tighten the crank on one of my bikes yesterday, which had worked itself extremely loose after repacking the bearings in the BB a while ago.
The torque of riding can loosen stuff easier than you think.
I also had to tighten the crank on one of my bikes yesterday, which had worked itself extremely loose after repacking the bearings in the BB a while ago.
08-05-18, 10:49 AM
#3
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08-07-18, 11:21 AM
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Halfway through a ride on Sunday I ran through a patch of gravel and began hearing a steady click which I thought was coming from the BB. Several stops and I still couldn't find any obvious problem. I was ready to drop it off after the ride to have the BB checked when a woman who was riding behind me said, you know your pedal is bumping your frame pump, right?
Stupid!
Stupid!
08-07-18, 03:37 PM
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Most bizarre "creaking crankset" causes I've discovered.
1) worn cleats
2) creaking seat post (carbon paste)
3) creaking head set (tightened vertically)
4) loose FRONT skewer (was tweaking and clicking with the side to side motion under high torque)
5) BRAKE cable clicking against the frame with increased side to side under high torque)
Oh. and of course the crankset and bottom bracket itself.
1) worn cleats
2) creaking seat post (carbon paste)
3) creaking head set (tightened vertically)
4) loose FRONT skewer (was tweaking and clicking with the side to side motion under high torque)
5) BRAKE cable clicking against the frame with increased side to side under high torque)
Oh. and of course the crankset and bottom bracket itself.
