zrossiter

So a couple of weeks ago I did a bike event ~100mi one day, ~75mi the next day. About 20 miles into the event I start hearing a creaking sound coming from my drivetrain area. As the miles continue the sound gets worse and worse. At first I didn't think much of it, maybe I just need to clean the chain or adjust a derailleur. By the end of the first day it is sounding awful. It was only when I was pedaling, it was only when I was putting a good amount of pressure on the crank (ie pedaling hard), and it happened in the big ring/small ring and every cog in the cassette.

My friend thought it could be the bb just needing lubed or possibly replaced. We took it to his shop after the race and pulled it out, cleaned everything, lubed it back up. He said the bearings seem perfect. Once back together I rode around a couple blocks and it seemed fine. The next time i took it out for a few miles in the neighborhood the creak started fading back in. Today I took it for an actual ride and its awful again.

So after this long explanation, does anyone have any thoughts of where to begin. I know the chain will need to be replaced probably at the end of the season. My friend thinks it may be the crank screws but also said some creeks are impossible to diagnose....in which case, new bike?

Its a cannondale optimo with 7800

10 Wheels

Mine came from the crank set....Good Luck

lineinthewater

I'd first try a different rear wheel, if available. Re-grease, re-torque chainring bolts. Re-grease, re-torque your seat. Anyone who has chased a creak will tell you it can be a major headache. Try to be as systematic as possible.

If you can re-create the creak while the bike is stationary, then a mechanic's stethoscope can be a great help. It's helped me find three clicks/creaks.

zrossiter

yea thats the problem, unfortunately it only happens when I am cranking on it...even slightly, but moreso than can be done on a stand.

the fact that lubing the bb even masked it for a tiny bit of time leads me to believe its somewhere in the crank area

lineinthewater

I had a wheel that would only act up after a few miles, so I don't think your tests are conclusive. You even said that it took 20 miles on the first ride for it to start up. It may well be your crank, but all I'm saying is don't eliminate other possibilities. If you can quickly eliminate the wheels as the source, I would do it.

lineinthewater

I assume you already tested if this happens out of the saddle?

Another high likelihood source is the headset.

zrossiter

yea I've tested both and and out of the saddle.

And good point on the wheel. I will try swapping out the rear and seeing if that changes anything.

things started back up after about 1 mile (after the lubing up of the bb), they took about 2 or 3 more to get to their worst point. At this point though as soon as I hop on its bad, it doesn't lessen/get worse

lineinthewater

One good test I've used is doing hard, short S-turns while coasting (not pedaling). It's a good way to see if you're rocking pedaling motion/stress on the frame/components is causing something other than the drivetrain/crank to creak.

zrossiter

Yea I think ive tried that. Ive rocked things back and forth and up and down pretty well.

For example even if I essentially hop up and down while clipped in, or thrust forward/backward hard nothing happens.

But if i start pedaling, with any more pressure/force than pure 'spinning', it creaks.

lennyk

Try swapping pedals with a friend

lineinthewater

Well, if not the wheels, I would look at the chainring bolts as a good next bet. Clean em, grease em, and properly torque them. Also, as mentioned above, the pedals are always a possibility.

RollCNY

Make sure rear quick release is tight.

Make sure cassette is tight.

Ride no handed (or minimal load), see if it still creaks.

Pedal one legged, see if it varies with leg.

Pedal swap is always a good test.

zrossiter

you mean the actual chain? I am up for a new one relatively soon, so if torquing the crank bolts doesn't solve it I am just going to replace the chain. It is slightly stretched, and come to think of it when I have the bb relubed, the chain was also cleaned/relubed...so much lube. I'll try cleaning it again and seeing if that remedys the problem, even for a small time which would hopefully indicate the source

FactVord

Swap your wheels onto a fully functional bike to rule that out or discover the source of your problem. Recently, that's where my creak came from and it was a loose spoke.

Good luck on your search

lineinthewater

No, chainring bolts- holding your chainrings to the crank. It's possible it's your chain, but I doubt it.

zrossiter

Oh yea I gotcha, that would make sense too as I got the wheelset ~3 months ago and swapped the cassette fairly recently...I'll take it back in and try that first

RollCNY

Chainring bolts have nothing to do with wheelset. They are the five bolts that are on a 110 or 130mm bolt circle around your crankset. They pinch the two rings to the crank spindle.

zrossiter

lol now I see what you meant. I was thinking the thing that holds the cassette on. The guy that put it on forgot the spacer the first time, so I wouldnt be surprised. The chainring bolts is what my shop buddy suggested, aside from a new bb thats all I can think of in the crank area that would make sense

lineinthewater

It might also help to tell us what kind of crank/BB you're running.

PVFD304

I lubed and tighten seat post and rails and tighten up crank ring bolts. My noise went away.

koolerb

Nothing I tried fixed my creak then it went away on its own after about 700 miles. Good luck.

jayp410

Mine turned out to be that the lightweight quick release skewer couldn't be tightened enough... even though I tightened it as much as I could, the axle was slipping in the dropout when under load. Switched back to Ultegra skewers and clamped down HARD and it went away.

sfrider 

7800... maybe time to remove the BB cups, clean and grease it, check the bearings (make sure they feel smooth, nothing gritty or uneven), reinstall them, retorque the crank?