danallen

I have seen this mentioned, but cannot find it now. I get a squeak that stops the moment I start peddling. Coasting, peddles not moving, I get a squeak. I guess it must be coming from the free hub, but where in free hub? With the wheel off the bike, or me off the bike and depending on the position of the stopped peddles while coasting, the squeak is not present. I guess I could just remove the free hub, clean what I can, lube what I can and the problem likely will disappear. I am just wondering is there likely an exact certain spot causing this squeak? Why would the position of the stopped peddles affect a squeak? usually, if I am not peddling and left foot is at the top of the cycle, it squeaks. Putting the left foot at the bottom of the cycle makes it stop.

2009 Madone 5.2

FBinNY 

Off the cuff answer based on the information given.

It sounds like you only get squeaking when there is relative movement between the free hubbody and the hub shell.
Most likely it's a dry seal rubbing and squeaking as rubber on metal would. Or something might have gotten caught in the wheel and wound around between the cassette and hub and that's what you're hear.

You don't hear it when pedaling because under load the free hub and the wheel rotate as one.

oldbobcat

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/...reehub-service

MudPie

Just to be certain it's the wheel, do you have another bike or a friend's bike that you can swap the wheel into and see if the problem follows the wheel? It'd be a quick check and may help eliminate any red herrings in the troubleshooting process. Your observation that the squeak is dependent upon crank position is a head scratcher.

danallen

All those are solid and I thought of none of reading to r posts. Super awesome.i am not worthy.

Now that you mention it, I can trade wheels with my son.

Regarding the hub she'll rubbing with the freehub body, that does it! Now I have to remove the free hub body, which I have not done previously for my current rear wheel. It is a 2009 bontrager generic, no model number available. I don't know how it comes apart. The spot you suggested is the exact spot I was envisioning, but I have been shying from that unfamiliar hub. Ready with a squeak and not fixing it is unacceptable. I am not ready to surrender to a bike shop to pull that freehub body off the wheel.no one but me has worked on that bike since I got it in 2018.

The biggest mystery remains, what possible explanatipn for position of peddles determining whether the squeak I'd present. It's more than foot position, because my weight shifts to the side with the peddle down. I think the frame is twisting slightly depending on peddle foot position.

MudPie

See this article about freehub removal, and Bontrager hubs are addressed in sections 4 and 7.

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/...reehub-service

have a set of 2008 Bontrager Race wheels, and they'll still continue to roll after 50,000+ miles. I've never serviced the bearings nor removed the freehub. When I spin the wheel while holding the axel, they spin buttery smooth with no play. The rims stay really true and need minor tweaks every now and then. I know, they're not the fanciest wheels out there but they've proven to be a solid, reliable wheelset.

Andrew R Stewart 

Of course the frame (and wheels and ...) are flexing when an off center force is applied. But what results from the flex happening is the bigger question. I will suggest that frame flex has nothing to do with the squeak. Every bike frame flexes. Unless there's a crack (talked about FAR MORE than actually happens) or a part that is not fully secured (tightened/threaded down) to the frame so that some tiny movement between two pieces can shift and produce a squeak the one piece frame won't be the noise source. Andy

oldbobcat

Does the timing of the squeak synchronize with the rotation of the rear wheel or is it random? I was going to say, or with the crank, but I remembered that you're coasting when this happens.

danallen

I found the squeak. Loose left side bearing in bottom bracket. Weight on the pedal coasting going over bumps, even a slightly rough road, wiggles the bearing. Suppose to be press fit, but I wiped out the spot that makes the press fit running a dead bearing until it blew up and crunched the spot that holds the bearing. I have nursing the wound over the years with carbon fiber and epoxy glue as the resin. Needs another treatment.