Bike noise, creak, click, creaks, clicks, clicking, pinging sound - help

yeah, but what? I can't see any cracks, externally or internally with a torch, can't see any excessive flex even when i get someone else to make it make the noise...

What type of Chainset / BB do you have?

the Athena crankset and BB has got me scratching my head: external BB cups and 2 piece crank, but I can't work out how to remove the cranks.

<2011 UltraTorque or 2012 PowerTorque? UT cranks are removed with an 8mm Allen Key* plus a small screw driver to get the circlip off the drive side cup, PT needs a bearing puller and, apparently, a suitably shaped piece of official Campagnolo cardboard.

• Kidding; unless you have extraordinarily long Allen keys, you need the UT-BB110 tool
  

Has anyone here tried using a motor mechanics stethoscope? . I've seen them on ebay for way less than £10 inc postage. May get one myself...

What type of Chainset / BB do you have?

External, gxp team bb with sram apex cranks.

As I said, BB and chainring bolts replaced with no difference to creaking, and I'm pretty sure I can make it creak without any weight on the pedals. Will check. I guess I haven't tried swapping out the cranks themselves yet (because I'd have to buy a BB to fit square taper cranks).

The car hit the back wheel, and that is still true.

Wheels are stronger than frames, as long as you hit them straight. Many a wheel has survived a shunt which wrecked the frame.

Wheels are stronger than frames, as long as you hit them straight. Many a wheel has survived a shunt which wrecked the frame.

I haven't had the frame checked officially yet, but the impact was from the side while I was stationary at traffic lights.

I really hope it's not the frame.

re. clicking my selection of san marco saddles all have a bit of clicking which I have diagnosed as the shell moving around on the rails. Regale saddles you can actually physically move the shell around a little bit whilst its clamped in place.

I have 2 suggestions:

i) Take out your seatpost, and run a file or equivalent around the lip of the non-saddle end. I had some kind of invisible burr on an alu seatpost that caused exactly the kind of creak you mention, on an alu Condor frame coincidentally. I had tried a similarly exhaustive list of fixes before that.

ii) Use an angle grinder to cut your ears off.

iii) Put loctite on everything

iv) Put Loctite on nothing.

I have 2 suggestions:

i) Take out your seatpost, and run a file or equivalent around the lip of the non-saddle end. I had some kind of invisible burr on an alu seatpost that caused exactly the kind of creak you mention, on an alu Condor frame coincidentally. I had tried a similarly exhaustive list of fixes before that.

ii) Use an angle grinder to cut your ears off.

Love option 2. I was thinking about trying to sell the bike to Ed. Or attaching some speakers to the bike and playing loud, abrasive music while riding. Or confine my journeys to the OKR. The upshot of all this is that the bike rides exceptionally smoothly, due to the exhaustive maintenance I have carried out so far.

My most recent bit of investigation led me to shine a light down the seat tube to see if I could see anything peculiar.

As it's the lavoro with the cutaway aero downtube, I was thinking that it might be the same issue that Leader frames have, due to the 27.2 shim coming loose and creaking in the frame.

I don't think it is though, because in the case of the condor the tube is actually welded/melded into the the visible part of the top tube, rather than just tacked on to the inside.

I measured the length of the 27.2 section of tube and found that it did match up almost exactly with the length of post inserted into the frame, so it might be caused by some kind of flex between the post and the interior of the frame. Interestingly I couldn't make it click (not conclusive by any means) when I inserted a post as far in as I dared, and I haven't been able to make it click in it's current setup (with shitloads of grease in the seatpost).

I doubt the problem is fixed though. i might try the file idea next. It's become a daily ritual to disassemble part of the bike and fiddle with it.

Loctite the seatpost in

my moneys on rear hub bearings, clicking during a tight spot on the chainring...

Loctite your ears shut.

my moneys on rear hub bearings, clicking during a tight spot on the chainring...

Interesting. Wheel seemed to spin fine when I took it out to test it, I guess just spinning it isn't going to subject it to any real force.

Might try a diff back wheel out.

yeah, but what? I can't see any cracks, externally or internally with a torch, can't see any excessive flex even when i get someone else to make it make the noise...

re. clicking my selection of san marco saddles all have a bit of clicking which I have diagnosed as the shell moving around on the rails. Regale saddles you can actually physically move the shell around a little bit whilst its clamped in place.

I'd second this, I have pretty much the exact same creaking noise problem, and without having changed my selle italia turbo to check, after going through almost everything else, i'm sure it's the shell moving on the rails as doubletap has said

Change your saddle and see

I'd second this, I have pretty much the exact same creaking noise problem, and without having changed my selle italia turbo to check, after going through almost everything else, i'm sure it's the shell moving on the rails as doubletap has said

Change your saddle and see

already have done 3 times, and i have lubed the rails of each saddle where they meet the saddle top.

I'm pretty sure it's not the saddle.

Your pedal/cleat interface?

As it's the lavoro with the cutaway aero downtube, I was thinking that it might be the same issue that Leader frames have, due to the 27.2 shim coming loose and creaking in the frame.

I had a Giant SCR once that creaked horribly around a 27.2 post shimmed into the seat tube. Removed the shim and replaced the post with an appropiately sized one and it cured the problem. No idea why Giant didn't sell the bike with the correct sized seat post in the first place.

Not sure if this is an option with you ?

My issue was definitely the saddle, after adjusting it and slightly lubing the seat/rail interface the creak has vanished.

I finally put together my first fixie and I had to admit I'm rather proud! However! When the wheel starts spinning an annoying noise occurs. Here's a video of pretty much the same problem: Fixed Gear Drivetrain Noise - YouTube

I think I know what might be the cause but I'd rather have someone who knows what they are talking about advise me. I managed to grab a Miche Primato Advanced for £30 today but my BB is Shinamo (as far as I'm aware). There is a 5-6mm space between the right crank and BB and almost 1cm on the left. I suspect this is the cause but if anyone can confirm this I'd be grateful. Feel free to suggest other potential faults! Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks.

Bertie

Just as my campag cranks wouldn't fit your BB properly, miche ones wouldn't either as their taper is slightly different.

Shimano = JIS taper
Miche = ISO taper

Either your chainline is a out a bit or your chain is too tight.

A FG drivetrain is noisier than a geared drivetrain. Deal with it.

Trust me dude, it's way too loud to be dealing with it... Is there a proper method of checking chainline? As far as I can see, from every angle, the chain is straight. All the teeth that the chain is resting on is also centered. Might have to get myself a new BB I guess... A shame, I haven't even ridden it yet!

What chain do have? Supposedly some make more noise than others, for example a lot of people say Izumis are noisy.

But it doesn't sound that abnormal to me, unless that video makes it sound significantly quieter than it actually is.