Clicking/Creaking Noise when Pedalling

[DanB7290]

I've had this on and off for a month or so, but today it got much louder that I cannot ignore it.

My bike is a Specialized Allez 2019, everything as it was when I got it brand new except for some SPD pedals. I am experiencing a clicking and creaking noise when pedaling, it's most noticeable when pressing on and putting more power through the pedals, in higher gears. It'll always happen when the right pedal is at the top i.e. about to come down, around the 1 o clock position if viewed from the right hand side of the bike. Occasionally I get it from the left side too, again when the pedal is at the top. Google has quite a few suggestions, ranging from take it apart, lube it up and rebuild, through broken bottom brackets right to might as well buy a whole new crankset.

I use the bike very regularly and don't want to be bike less for too long, all suggestions appreciated.

[The Mad Monk]

It can mean that a ball bearing is breaking up, or has got grit in it. Bottom bracket or pedals?

[outnumbered]

"Bottom Bracket" creaks can come from all sorts of places. It might be the bottom bracket. but first make sure that your rear wheel QR is done up tightly and also that your seatpost and saddle aren't moving at all.

[DanB7290]

Thank you both, I'm going to try stripping it down tonight, although I'm not exactly mechanically minded. At least I can do it in the kitchen where there is space, the Mrs is out tonight!

Rear QR is all fine I think, I've used two different skewers (original factory one and the heavy duty one for my turbo trainer) and no change there. Noise is almost certainly coming from the bottom bracket or crank area but will check everywhere

[DE1975]

I've had this. My solution was to remove the pedals and apply grease to the thread of the spindles before re-attaching.

It did the trick for me

[Pulse]

Creaks. The bane of any cyclist’s life!

I have OFTEN found my creak I thought was coming from some sort of pedalling area was simply needing to grease the seatpost (where it enters the frame) or the saddle rails.

Worth trying!

[DanB7290]

Nice, I've just had the rear wheel off, note to self: trying to replace tyres without levers doesn't work! Amazon sending me some out soon! So much black gunk in the cassette and derailleur, that's not helping performance so its all cleaned out!

Tried to take pedals and crank off. Pedals seem to be on too tight for me, and I don't have a socket set to get the crank off. But everything is cleaned and reoiled, will be testing tomorrow.

[Maximus_Meridius101]

Creaks and clicks and squeaks are a nightmare to hunt down, even more so with a Carbon frame, as that tends to transmit noises more. The usual suspects are seat post, saddle rails, saddle, bottom bracket, pedals, cranks, and the points where the spokes cross each other in the wheels. The Q.R. skewers / axles are prone to causing squeaks and creaks if you don’t keep them lubed up as well. I’ve had a creak caused by the cable guide under the frame at the BB before too . Lubing the cables and tightening the screw on the guide sorted that out.

[okgo]

Good checklist above.

I would add chainring bolts, and mech hanger too.

That said, I recently had very similar to what you describe, tried everything, and it was the non drive crank arm in the end?! No idea what, tightened everything, lubed everything, but a new crank arm was the only thing that stopped it. Perhaps it was close to snapping...

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Pulse said:

Creaks. The bane of any cyclist’s life!

I have OFTEN found my creak I thought was coming from some sort of pedalling area was simply needing to grease the seatpost (where it enters the frame) or the saddle rails.

Worth trying!

Definitely try this! I spent a lot of time trying to trace a drivetrain creak which turned out to be the saddle rails

[lufbramatt]

I bet it's the pedal bearings... easy to whip the axle out, clean the old grease out and pack with new. Might need a little plastic tool to fit the splines but they're only a couple of quid.

[snobetter]

Cleaning the headset bearings usually solves the "bottom bracket" creak on my bike.

[Maximus_Meridius101]

snobetter said:

Cleaning the headset bearings usually solves the "bottom bracket" creak on my bike.

It’s often not even that. It’s the process of getting it apart, and re tensioning it, that actually sorts the noise out. The amount of times that the split ring ( for example ) causes the creak is astonishing.