Annoying clicks and creaks.

[gbnz]

(Nb. No injuries for 3.75yr's)

Well done -- wish I could say the same.

Hope your's have recovered

[Cyclothesist]

Ticking and clicking sounds are especially hard to source by listening, even with a stethoscope. The problem is the sounds are transmitted throughout the frame so they all sound like a worn bottom bracket. Timing and any exacerbating position on the bike can be excellent clues on where to look but are occasionally misleading for a cause unknown to you. Unless you know exactly what is the problem a logical approach from cheapest/easiest leaving expensive and tricky to last is best.
There's a good site here that tries to classify the sounds and provide a logical list to explore:
https://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html
IME seatposts and seat rails are high up the list for annoying quiet clicks but I've also had a hub bearing do a good impersonation of that sound.
On the bright side the feeling of relief and satisfaction on curing that irritating noise that's been slowly driving you mad and eluding multiple logical approaches is worth savouring. At least until the next tick appears anyhow

[Cowsham]

(Nb. No injuries for 3.75yr's)

Well done -- wish I could say the same.

Hope your's have recovered

Yes mostly -- on a long ride > 50 miles a bit of a dull ache below my left shoulder blade where most of the rib damage was.

I think my ribs should've been plated to line them up better.

The off I had last year was soft tissue injuries to my left arm which collected a concrete pillar and broke a couple of the previously broken ribs on left side.

Then this year about 6 weeks ago I badly bruised or broke one of the same ribs in a non cycling accident.

Trying to stay in one piece from now till Wed as I'm off on a cycle trip.

[Rob D]

Interesting thread. I had an infuriating vibrating noise on mine, on a trip in Norway. Finally found it. When I'd put the front mudguard back on after the flight, I'd placed it just the right distance from the top of the forks so that, at certain speeds, it vibrated against the forks. And yes, such a relief to have fixed the wretched thing!

[Cowsham]

Tough ride into work today against a headwind which I didn't account for setting off late so had to push hard to make it on time. Fully loaded up with all my bags etc but thankfully no clicks. There's nothing worse than a clicking bike when you're in a hurry.

[Brucey]

there is such a thing as a mechanic's stethoscope (MS). They are not terribly expensive; I have one. The MS differs from the 'normal' layout in that there is a metal rod, designed to transmit sound, connected to the diaphragm. In use, it is simply a case of connecting the metal rod to the suspect area. Using this tool, it is possible to 'listen' to individual bearings, injectors etc. Even if the sound is transmitted through a structure, it is always loudest at the point of origin. Simply gluing a metal rod (eg. an old spoke or mudguard stay) to a USB voice recorder or microphone should give the same kind of functionality.

[Cowsham]

there is such a thing as a mechanic's stethoscope (MS). They are not terribly expensive; I have one. The MS differs from the 'normal' layout in that there is a metal rod, designed to transmit sound, connected to the diaphragm. In use, it is simply a case of connecting the metal rod to the suspect area. Using this tool, it is possible to 'listen' to individual bearings, injectors etc. Even if the sound is transmitted through a structure, it is always loudest at the point of origin. Simply gluing a metal rod (eg. an old spoke or mudguard stay) to a USB voice recorder or microphone should give the same kind of functionality.

You'd be better off buying that MS than trying to rig something up with the voice recorder. At work we have a listener gun with fully enclosed earphones which is a great tool for finding air / gas leaks etc but wind noise might be too high to get clicks from a bike

[Brucey]

if the noise is very bad I'd expect to be able to reproduce it when the bike is stationary, in which case pinning it down with a suitable device should not be difficult. Anyone who has used a microphone will know that it is difficult to stop it 'hearing' every tiny vibration in the microphone body. In that instance, hearing the sound would be a bit like the tail wagging the dog, but all microphones are susceptible to vibrations in a similar way, so don't dismiss the notion of doing something clever with old spoke and a USB voice recorder. Because what we are really interested in is vibrations within the structure, transmitted up the rod, holes which connect the microphone to the air are neither necessary nor desirable. When the microphone is suitably covered, it won't pick up any airborne sound and there certainly should not be any wind noise.

[gbnz]

there is such a thing as a mechanic's stethoscope (MS). They are not terribly expensive; I have one. The MS differs from the 'normal' layout in that there is a metal rod, designed to transmit sound, connected to the diaphragm. In use, it is simply a case of connecting the metal rod to the suspect area. Using this tool, it is possible to 'listen' to individual bearings, injectors etc. Even if the sound is transmitted through a structure, it is always loudest at the point of origin. Simply gluing a metal rod (eg. an old spoke or mudguard stay) to a USB voice recorder or microphone should give the same kind of functionality.

Sounds incredible, though suspect it'd be beyond my immediate skills

Think I'll give it another trial with every component, forks the lot, swapped over 1/1. An ultra short / hi speed fitness ride to test every bit swapped over. Have an unused bicycle of identical dimensions and the fork originally replaced, swapping components will be quick and easy. This creaking bicycle would be fantastic - if the creaking it makes can be resolved !

And fitness rides will be useful - yr's since I've done flat out rides, couldn't believe the benefits of a 4 day weekend ride, 3 weeks back, c/w 12 times the average climb per mile. Am fit, felt crippled on return, 3-4 days recovery, now back to spinning up local gradients

[Brucey]

....Sounds incredible, though suspect it'd be beyond my immediate skills.....

it is a really handy tool. In just a few seconds you can know for certain that you are not wasting you time swapping out a dodgy alternator or what have you. It is fairly easy to use one on an engine; novices are usually just fine. Using one on a bike is less easy, but if the bike makes the same noise on the workstand you should be able to find the source.

[Cyckelgalen]

I'd say it is rare that you can reproduce many creaks and noises on the work stand. I have had creaks that appeared riding the bike, but only climbing a particular gradient, with a precise load on the pedals while holding onto the bars.
The latest one I had on my steel tourer seemed impossible to isolate, I cleaned and lubed all the usual suspects to no avail, BB, pedals, seat post, saddle rails, mudguard mounts... Even tried all the bolts and clamps at different torques.
Already fearing an invisible crack in the frame, I tried swapping the seat post with another steel bike and no more creaks, on either bike! I still don't know where the creak came from, if it was the seat tube, clamps, seat pin or saddle.

[gbnz]

Surreal, found the source of the racket, by chance. This in respect to a brand new bicycle, which

- 2016 / 2017 had possibly every component taken off and tried elsewhere and/or components swapped from elsewhere & fitted to the creaking bicycle, don't often challenge a retailer and have a brand new fork, fitted to an effectively brand new bicycle, but did with this as bicycle wasn't usable with that racket (Nb. Myself doing half the work)
- Would have been unethical to sell it, un-usable with that racket, unused other than a typical 15 mile test ride 2016/2017
- Had pretty much accepted it would have to be used for spare parts, the frame fitted with worn parts, as a bicycle to be locked up at stations
- Rear wheel perfectly ok when tried elsewhere, frame seemed probable source
- But opportunities led to a ride, having acquired a last minute mainline train for 1/5th of typical price on Friday, giving a one way 5/6 Hr'sn ride home with an unusual NEE wind behind, just managed to make it 4 miles to the departure station in time, having bolted a bicycle together out of two in minutes, had to grab the rear wheel from the creaking bicycle, with an hours work on arrival at destination station to ensure this bicycle would work for ride home
- Rear wheel was perfectly ok during 5/6 Hr's ride, though never previously used as an emergency/stand by wheel

No issues noted, until ? End of of the ride, a 150 metre, narrow, stone walled, cobbled alleyway, shortcut on picking up a decent Soave at the end of a ride, such a saving on the train ticket, that it could be justified And ? On the shortcut, the very faintest hint of a distinctive creak could be heard. From the wheel. Checked over weekend, could just about say the frame drop outs might be 1mm closer together than on a similar frame, seems unlikely the freehub had been damaged by that (Nb. Horrific creaking had been apparent from Day One on this bicycle. Aside from typical 15 mile test rides, this had been the only real ride done with that wheel)

Wheel to be rebuilt winter, immediate decent freehub/run of the mill rim wheel ordered Sunday, at most may need to source a slightly slimmer nut for tensioning the bearings. Just seems to be the case that the creaking had been magnified 100 fold by the tight alloy frame. Summers too short to spend rebuilding a wheel, will just give an emergency wheel for future use, once rebuilt

[Brucey]

well done for finding the source. Have you yet established what exactly in the wheel was making the noise?

[gbnz]

well done for finding the source. Have you yet established what exactly in the wheel was making the noise?

Thanks, and no. Multitude of actions taken, in relation to that wheel & bicycle. I always retain, dismantle, learn, rebuild, but unusually knew every £ spent on an immediate replacement/backup wheel was worth it, will have to dismantle/rebuild wheel over autumn

[Cowsham]

well done for finding the source. Have you yet established what exactly in the wheel was making the noise?

+1 good find