Is anyone else having a problem with creaking in their Cane Creek IS-2 1-1/8" Integrated headset? I’ve had the P2K for 3 months and thought initially the ticking/creaking sound I hear when riding over anything-but-flat, smooth pavement or climbing was the fork, but have it dialed into the fork-headtube joint.
I have taken it in twice aready to my LBS for the creaking. Most recently, they replaced the bearings and I rode it in a 1/2 IM last week. It was quiet for the first 28 miles, but then got really creaky again. I just got back from a ride and it was creaking away the entire time.
If I am aero and pull back on the aerobars, I can make it creak/tick with every pull. The sound is coming from where the fork enters the headtube and is incredibly frustrating. It also creaks/ticks when I have ahold of my drop bars while climing (seated or not seated).
I looked at Chris Kings site to see if they had an Integrated set I could replace it with, as they come highly recommended here, but they do not make an integrated set. I will likely end up bring it back to the LBS for round 3, but would like some input so I might be able to help them if any of you have had the same experience. Thank you very much in advance. HELP.
Thanks. I’ve swapped skewers too and the problem still persists. What can I do about a headtube? Send it back to Cervelo? I sent them a note as well inquiring as to whether they’ve had similar problems reported. Did the same with Cane Creek. I’m curious if they have alternative IS-X that would replace the IS-2.
I had a similar problem with my p3sl. when i first bought it, it came with aluminum headset spacers, and of course, i wanted carbon spacers. after i switched, a creaking/ticking sound started. the lbs went over it a few times. they seemed to fix it, then it would start again after riding about 25/30 miles. that noise was driving me NUTS…
So, I figured it had to be the carbon spacers. what i did was put a very thin aluminum spacer between the stem and carbon spacers and between the headset and carbon spacers. guess what??? NO MORE FREAKIN NOISE…way happy now and so are my riding buddies…
Here’s your checklist: Is the front wheel in the fork correctly with the quick release skewer tightened appropriately? Is the front hub adjusted correctly? Has the bike been transported on **any type of exterior car rack, especially a fork mount rack? **Note: Externally mounted car transport racks subject bikes to rain, road film, substantial vibration and impacts (chuck hole strike, rock impacts, bouncing on the rack itself, etc.) that can destroy a headset in 20 minutes. If the front brake is locked and the bike is rocked front to rear, is there movement between the fork steer tube independent of the head tube of the frame? Are the bearings correctly installed? Are all handlebar mounting hardware fastners at the appropriate torque settings? Have they been relieved and re-torqued as a preventive measure to address the sound? Is the saddle clamp hardware correctly torqued, especially at the seatpost head? Note: Headset creaking sometimes oddly turns out to be a problem in the saddle. My bike did this last week. Has the bike been knocked over in a transition area, crashed, involved in a front end collision or been dropped? Was the handlebar stem changed, adjusted or in any way manipulated? Is the stem hardware torqued to the appropriate torque specs?
Many times when something like this occurs it is actually *not *the headset at all, but some other factor or conspiracy of factors that are contributing to the noise. There are no less than 29 fastners that need to be torqued on the front of a triathlon bike. All 29 are an opportunity for a noise to develop. All 29 can be damaged through normal wear and tear such as riding the bike- even on the very first ride and especially if the bike has been car-racked.
One other thing to try that has worked for me twice in the past: Apply some grease to the contact point between the skewer and the fork. That point gets torqued – and could cause that noise – whenever you are on anything other than flat roads.
Easy fix & worth a shot. Good luck getting to the bottom of it.
Thanks everyone for your input. I don’t have carbon spacers, but did try the tiny bit of lube on the skewer early on in the process of elimination to no avail. After just seeing Tom’s comments, I’ll concede I’m not experienced enough to take this troubleshooting deal any further and have therefor deferred to the experts. As of this afternoon, LBS is in the driver seat. Again, thanks for your input and assistance.