Tick...Tick...Tick...

[Paul A]

I have a Carbon framed Colnago with Shimano 105 groupset and FSA cranks and bottom bracket. The bike is just over a year old and has had the problem pretty much from the start.
Under load (most of the time) it produces a 'tick' sound with every revolution of the pedals. I think it's making the sound when the right side pedal is pushed. So far; I've dismantled the Shimano cleat/pedals, copper greased everything and re tightened. I've split, copper greased and re tightened the chainrings and bolts. There doesn't seem to be any play in the crank, and anyway, it's done it from new! I've changed the saddle so it isn't coming from there and the seatpost is greased and tight too.

I'm at my wits end, this ****** noise is ruining every ride for me, help!

Paul.

http://www.francecoast2coast.co.uk

[JenniferAdcock]

I had a similar problem. Assuming it was the bottom bracket going, I went to replace that - no it was fine. I greased the crank - nothing.

Eventually I pulled out the seat post and ensured it had the right amount of lubricant on it - tick sound gone.

[mig]

knee?

[Mick F]

I had a clicking/creaking sound at crank rate.
I posted about it on here.

I heard the noise form the BB area, then the handlebars, and chased it all around everywhere, I was at my wit's end.

Turned out to be the saddle clamp.

[axel_knutt]

I had a click from the crank that lasted for months, all the harder to track down because it only occurred occasionally. The puzzle was solved next time I serviced the bike when I found the crank brushing the nipple on the end of the front gear cable whenever the chain was on the large ring.

[howfar]

If it's a BB30 bottom bracket these are notorious for clicking and may need replacing - usually a warranty job.

Ian

[Brucey]

I would check

- the pedals; remove them from the cranks, clean and regrease/copper ease the threads
- the chainring bolts (grease the threads, but clean the interfaces between the chainrings and the crank)
- The BB installation.
- the BB spindle to left crank interface/bolt
- the saddle
-the saddle clamp
- the seat post
- the handlebars
- the stem
- the headset
- the brake levers
- the gear hangar on the dropout
- the rear hub
- the bonding of the BB sleeve into the frame
- the frame

If you want to be able to find and fix it a second time (or just satisfy your curiosity even) I strongly suggest that you attend to the above list one thing at a time (not necessarily in the order given...). One outstanding item is that the BB spindle is pressed into the RH crank on many FSA cranks; if this interface creaks then that is it for the cranks. Maybe you can sell them to a deaf bloke or something...

BTW if you apply copper ease to threaded parts (eg pedal threads) you should apply it to both crank and pedal before they are assembled; if you put the copper ease on one part only it may not coat the entire interface properly.

hth

cheers

[Valbrona]

You know the bit of inner wire that sticks out from the FD, does the RH crank arm brush against it?

[Paul A]

You know the bit of inner wire that sticks out from the FD, does the RH crank arm brush against it?

No it doesn't.

I'd already checked and greased the mating faces and threads of most of the obvious stuff plus the seatpost; but this evening following Brucey's advice to dismantle and grease everything including the garage door and tool box lid I've taken off the left pedal, pushed the spindle/crank through the BB slathered grease all over it and said pedal bolts etc and re-tightened everything up to the recommended torque.

I'm as slippery as a greased weasel at the moment so will go for a test ride tomorrow once I've Gunk'd myself off.
Fingers crossed! Will I pull a face if it still makes a noise....

Thanks all, Paul.

http://www.francecoast2coast.co.uk

[CREPELLO]

This is a bit late now you've re-lubed most bits on the bike. But for anyone else interested, you can do a quick diagnosis by spraying lube on all the various interfaces - one at a time of course. Once the creak/noise has been identified, you can then refit with a proper dollop of grease.

I'm not sure what is safe to use on a carbon frame, but on a metal frame I'd use TF2 or GT85.
Tip - often creaks will disappear when the bike gets a good soaking in the rain because water acts as a lube - before everything then dries out and rusts

I had to do the TF2 on an aluminium frame bike. I must admit that I never actually discovered the source of the creak, having even sprayed the bottle cage nutserts on the down tube and seat tube. The damn thing still creaked even with the BB removed. A last resort was to spray lube through those nutserts with everything intact. The noise went away! Did the same a couple of weeks later just for good measure. I've never had a murmur from the frame since

[Dynamite_funk]

On our tandem the ''tick tick' is usually my shoelace hitting the crank arm. It takes half an hour of worrying about derailleurs, etc etcc before I pipe up and say 'I wonder what that noise is?', closely followed by a response from my stokering gf of 'it's your shoelace, I've been watching it hit the crank for half an hour'

[Valbrona]

Some of the ticks that you think originate from the crankset/BB area can sometimes be coming from the headset.

[Gearoidmuar]

I've had a maddening creak associated with pedalling, more than a tick, but MAYBE a tick could come from this as well.
Source, an overtightened rear quick-release which contained a plastic washer which was the culprit.
So, if all comes to all, try that..

[pioneer]

A cracked ball bearing somewhere?

[Edwards]

Do you have a seat bag or similar fitted?
Www