I have rebuilt my road bike, which sounded like a bag of old spanners. Now its lovely and quiet unless very occasionally I put a lot of power through the right pedal when seated - for instance pulling away from a junction. Its a really loud, not happy sounded crack sound. The frame didn't make this sound before, so likely something not quite right with the install:
New force chainset and hope BB (pushfit jobbie)
New chain and cassette
New cables
Rear hub (zipp 404FC) cleaned out and regreased
Newish vectors
(other changes, swapped saddle, new bar and stem and tape)
I thought I'd tracked it down to the rear hub not being full tight on the bearing which gives a little movement. Rode this morning. Crack sound happened once in a 12min commute. Damit.
Could I have not tightened up the crankset enough? Its pretty damn tight, I can't feel any play. Only have a smaller torque wrench so going this by hand
Any other ideas, its ruining an otherwise lovely quiet bike!
If it were shimano I'd say it was the freehub giving up and the pawls slipping but not familiar with Zipp hubs.
I'd be checking simple stuff like saddle rails. If the drivetrain is new have you got a stiff link which occasionally lines up with the cassette when you're pulling away?
Rear axle. Cover it in grease.
I was thinking it was the rear hub, bearings seemed good when spun with a finger. I believe zipp say to run with oil not grease, but I put a little grease on, to help it all fit back together. May pop the axle out and put some more on, and try to source a new freehub. If it was the axle / freehub I would expect it to go it a lot more often and when standing. Going for a longer ride at lunch so will try to work out exactly when it happens.
Will check for a stiff link and saddle rails are currently fitted dry (never had a problem before) but will try a little grease.
I've had a few saddles that make a cracking sound occasionally at the point the rails enter the body, that was my thinking.
If it's only when seated I'd be looking at the saddle and seat post first.
It's not necessarily the rails/post interface but the saddle itself, I had one that did the same a few years ago when really putting some welly in.
Try the old saddle again and see if the issue vanishes would be my advice.
What they ^^^^ all said about the saddle - I've had a few creaks that I eventually pinned down to saddle or saddle rails. Also check chainring bolts - a bit of movement in one of them can generate that sort of sound. May make sense if you're getting it int he same part of the pedal stroke.
May make sense if you’re getting it int he same part of the pedal stroke.
On that note I've had it when gears aren't perfectly indexed, flex in the frame was just enough they would catch, loudly but not noticeable through the cranks, under power in one point of my pedal stroke. It sounded awful, like I'd snapped the chain, as the carbon stays amplified the noise perfectly, but was actually next to nothing.
New force chainset and hope BB (pushfit jobbie)
Pressfit BB slipping/moving in the frame.
38 miles later still no wiser. Did it once louder, whilst pedalling normally, sounded like a stone hitting the BB area (it could have been a stone). Some minor other noise under standing power, but nothing unusual. Stumped.
Does it do it in all gears?
If you are using a quick link check it's gone together fully.
good call on quick link. no idea on gear will stop next time to check. what a pita
I think it's the hub. Sounds like pawls not fully engaging, which could because you've used grease (too sticky).
Usually get this on manky old hubs that are so clogged up the same thing happens.
I think it's the rear hub.
My money is on the freehub having cracked or a pawl failed :/
Looks like a 188 free hub is £135 ouch. Will try cleaning it back out again.
Curious....was cleaning the hub and lighter lube enough?
by jove I think I've found it. Hit a pot hole at speed today and the whole right shifter twisted round, causing a slightly scary moment. Seems the shifter was tight enough not to move by hand but when you pedalled hard and leant bike over it must have moved a little. Why on earth the sound was coming from the BB area I have no idea.
