I ride a 61cm Cervelo Dual. I notice some creaking/cracking type sounds coming from the area of the BB when I pedal fairly hard. The stock BB/crank was switched out for Dura-ace when I bought the bike. It does not seem like a problem, but the noise sometimes bugs me. I do not “feel” any problems.
Am I simply hearing the sounds inherent in a large sized aluminum frame? Or is there something else I should be thinking about?
Are you sure it’s from the BB? The funny thing about Alu frames is that they transmit sound, so it may sound like it’s the BB when in fact its the rear quick release or the seatpost.
If the noise is truly coming from the BB, just remove it, regrease and reinstall. Check all the bolts, incl chainring bolts and pedals.
It definitely could be the seatpost. It is up pretty high so probably flexes quite a bit.
On my aluminum bike (cannondale caad3) a creak was caused by either 1 of 2 things.
or…
Pedals might be the problem too. Do you have Look pedals? They are infamous for creaking incessantly.
No. Speedplay. But that is possible too. Thanks.
My suggestion to you is to remove the bb, clean and lube all surfaces and re-install. If there is the tsmallest piece of sediment in there, it will make huge noises. I have had this problem in the past and this has fixed it.
new bottom brackets can get loose (I think)… just have it re-tightened? but as someone else said, creaks can come from other places; usually from the seatpost/clamp
i second the remove and clean bottom bracket. i don’t have a c’dale but i do have that problem with my bike. about every 6-9 months i have to remove, clean and regrease the BB. i clean out the threads with a fine pick but still crap gets in there. i notice the noise first when i stand to climb.
He has a DA BB. I have had nothing but trouble with them as I live in a sandy area. Creak and DA BB are synonymous where I live unless you pull it every week. Beyond, that I would caution anyone telling someone to pull a DA BB unless that person knows what they are doing as it can be tricky to adjust the bearings just right upon re-installation.
I would suggest pulling it only to put an Ultegra BB back in. Fool proof installation and sealed bearings, what more could a person want out of life?
If your creaking something is moving,you might not see it but it happening,if it creaks sitting,stand if it stops might be the seatpost,could be petals/seatpost/bottom brk to frame/ crank to spindle,chainring bolts
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Sounds like a new bike altogether may be in order. I bet that gets rid of your creak…
also check the saddle. Had a creaking sound one time that I thought was the BB or seat post. Changed them both and it turned out to be the saddle.
I’ll join in with those who suspect the noise is seat-related.
I ride a Cervelo, too, a Soloist – and it had a creaking noise that drove me crazy. I occured only when pedaling in the saddle. I couldn’t really hear where it was coming from (as one poster noted, it’s often hard to tell). My LBS guessed BB and checked it out, but the noise persisted.
Then one day I flipped the seatpost head around to the forward/tri position – and voila: no more noise. I don’t know if it was the seatpost head itself or what, but it definitely had something to do with the seat/post/head area.
Steve Nichols
johnt,
You would be surprised how often creaking noises result from pedals and cleats and not bottom brackets, etc. You may need to experiment a little bit to better determine the source of the creaking. Clean and lubricate your cleats and pedal surfaces that have contact with each other and see if this has any effect on the creaking. Do you have a second pair of shoes and a second pair of pedals that you could “swap out” to see if this “cures” the creaking? When you are out of the saddle pedalling, does the creaking stop, then resume when you sit? Then possibly your seat/seatpost.
This is not to say a bottom bracket can’t be responsible for the creaking. If and as a bottom bracket loosens up, it will first make noise, clicking/creaking, before any movement can be detected. A bottom bracket must be very loose for you to detect movement when pedalling. Its more likely that you would detect movement at that point by manipulating the crank by hand.
Good luck eliminating your creaking noise. It does mean something is not the way it is supposed to be.
I’m with JeffJ.
I think everyone goes through this process of trying to identify and fix the mystery creak. I would recommend starting with the easiest to remove/clean/grease/reinstall items such as seat post, pedals, crank bolts, and then if that doesn’t fix it try front derailler, rear cassette/hub, bottom bracket. I would have bet $100 my creak was the BB and it ended up being the rear hub just needed to be tightened up…