Pedals creaking

[David2504]

Does anyone know the possible reason(s) why my pedals creak when applying pressure through pedal stroke? Doesn’t occur when spinning. Shimano clip in mtb style pedals.

[Jdsk]

It's often difficult to work out where the creaks are coming from. Lots of examples in the archives.

On both left and right sided pressure?

I'd start by inspecting the threads on the pedals and refitting.

And then soaking the clip mechanism and cleats in WD-40 as a diagnostic test.

But I'd also check seat post clamp and saddle bolt(s).

Jonathan

[geomannie]

I sometimes get this. With me it's the slight rotation of the cleat within the SPD mechanism. If I get fed up with it, a squirt of GT85 fixes it.

[David2504]

It's often difficult to work out where the creaks are coming from. Lots of examples in the archives.

On both left and right sided pressure?

I'd start by inspecting the threads on the pedals and refitting.

And then soaking the clip mechanism and cleats in WD-40 as a diagnostic test.

But I'd also check seat post clamp and saddle bolt(s).

Jonathan

Thanks. It’s not the seat post. Definitely coming from pedal/crank area. What’s more it’s intermittent and seems to occur during more vigorous pedalling action.

[bikes4two]

> Is it the pedals creaking or the cranks?
> Or maybe Shimano cleat creak - a well known phenomenon especially with the 2-bolt SPD cleats
> I had a creak recently - I tried the usual things and EVENTUALLY I found that the headset bearings were dry - that was the last place I'd expected to be the cause, but there you go!!!

[Steve]

Another possibility is the chainrings creaking at the bolts. I'd recommend undoing each bolt in turn, and then reassembling with greased threads (the Brucey approach). That won't cost anything, might well sort it, and certainly shouldn't do any harm.

[kylecycler]

Whatever you do, try one adjustment at a time or you'll never learn what fixed it. IME it's been the pedals not tightened up enough to the crank.

[Jules59]

If you've got Shimano Hollowtech cranks then an early symptom of crank separation can be creaking. cf Hambini
My own bike developed an intermittent creak on one side during the power stroke- eventually traced to the PF30 BB, which was replaced with new cups and bearings plus Loctite bearing retainer.

[ossie]

Does anyone know the possible reason(s) why my pedals creak when applying pressure through pedal stroke? Doesn’t occur when spinning. Shimano clip in mtb style pedals.

I have this issue on one set of my SPD's on a road bike in this case. I've stripped them, re greased etc but no change. The only fix is a little lubricant on my cleats prior to longer rides.

[TheBomber]

> Is it the pedals creaking or the cranks?
> Or maybe Shimano cleat creak

I've always found it quite easy to distinguish between the squeak that can come from the cleat/pedal interface and the creak that might be coming from the pedal/crank/chainrings/BB. But as interpretations of the words 'squeak' and 'creak' may differ it's hard to express on a forum. Typically I find myself working through the possible solutions from easiest to hardest until the problem is solved.

[axel_knutt]

I had the bearing on a pedal break up whilst I was away on tour once. In towns, the screeching had people the length of the street looking round to see where all the racket was coming from.

I had a creak recently - I tried the usual things and EVENTUALLY I found that the headset bearings were dry

I once had a creak that only occurred when I was standing on the pedals, it turned out to be the handlebar clamp not tight enough.

[David2504]

Thanks for the replies. As suggested I will try one adjustment/treatment at a time, until I find the cause.

[mattsccm]

You have already stripped and greased the bearings I guess. To wonder where a noise comes from when there are easily abused bearings to be serviced is a bit, I duno, doing things the wrong way round surely.

[Jdsk]

Typically I find myself working through the possible solutions from easiest to hardest until the problem is solved.

Me too. It's a smart general purpose heuristic even when the easiest/cheapest places to start aren't the most likely causes.

Jonathan

[bluespeeder]

I get this a lot and find that getting rid of dried mud under the cleat clears it. There is a lot of clay locally and this can set like concrete, I us a screwdriver to scrape under the cleat where it is clamped by the pedal.