[ncrider]

So with the resent rain in southern California everything got real muddy, including my bike. Now things have dried up, as has my bike, and I am left with wonderfully tacky dirt and a bike that sounds like grama's rocking chair. WTF!!!!!
I initially thought that my rear linkage or possible shock bolts were loose. So I took the entire rear end apart and lubed everything. Went riding yesterday and it still creaks. I'm almost certain the noise is coming from the front end headset/bars area. I checked there and all bolts are nice and tight.

Anybody have any ideas? Especially guys that are used to riding in wet conditions.

 

[sayndesyn]

I'm from Maine so I have had some long hours in mud and rain and have experienced creaks that just won't go away... Are you sure it isn't your bottom bracket? It is pretty hard to make a headset creak and it wouldn't be the stem on the stearing tube. I'd take apart your crankset/bb and clean then regrease it. Then take care of your whole drivetrain. I've found that sometimes you have to ride a re-lubed bike for at least 20 minutes for the lube to work all the way into the joints and get rid of the noise. If that doesn't work then ride your bike into a field on a dark night and shoot it twice in the headtube and call your insurance company and say your bike was stolen...

 

[buildyourown]

You have to be a bit more specific. Does it creak when you hit bumps, or just when you pedal? This will help you isolate the area. Drivetrain or suspension. IME, most creaks come from the BB/crank interface. Are you running square tapers, octalink, or ISIS? All of these can creak if allowed to become dry.

 

[ncrider]

BB could be a possibility. But I can make the creaking start by just standing over my bike, pushing down on the bars and compressing the first coupling inches of travel in my fork. So to me that would mean the noise is coming from somewhere other than the BB. Either way I'll be lubing my BB in the mean time.

Any other suggestions/stories?

 

[buildyourown]

Take apart the stem. Clean everything and reassemble with fresh grease on the bolts. If water got into the bar clamp bolts, this could be your culprit.

 

[ncrider]

To be more specific the creaking is most audable rolling over bumps, while not pedalling. It sounds like my bike is going to break. It's not a rattling sound it's creaking and craking. While pedalling seated it makes no noise unless I go over a bump. While pedalling standing it makes no noise unless I hit a bump or pedall really agressively and cause fork bobbing.
Hope thats a little more clear.

 

[BigStonz]

Try taking the crank arms off, grease BB spindle, tighten crank arm bolts real snug

Grease frame linkages.

Maybe one one the cartridge bearings in your frame got water in it...repack or replace

 

[jon-boy]

Could be the fork crowns and/or bar to stem interface. Take apart, clean, re-grease and assemble. Welcome to bike maintenence.

It's funny that this is something of a first for you to have to deal with! For most people not in CA it's an in-going chore!

 

[ncrider]

It's funny that this is something of a first for you to have to deal with! For most people not in CA it's an in-going chore!

Yeah well us Californians are more used to dusted related problems not water/mud related.

So from what everybody has recomended, it pretty much sounds like if you ride when it's wet then you better be ready to take your bike apart and rebuild it. I'll take dust over mud anyday.

 

[ncrider]

so I took the bars off and the head set. Greased everything, but I was wondering if it's okay to grease the steer tube? there is no grease on it yet.

 

[OGRipper]

Be sure you have a little lube between the stem and the headset and that your headset is not loose. I know, but still. It could be your bars creaking in your stem too.

I hate to say it but it could also be an ovalized headtube and one of your headset cups is moving around enough to creak, seen that one a few times.

Just keep doing what your doing and eventually you'll isolate it.

And this may be obvious but check all over for cracks, especially your bar and stem. Yikes!

 

[me89]

does the creaking occure when you are at an all out sprint and are just yanking the **** outa your handle bars or does it occure all the time even during slow periods and your bars arent getting much abbuse. also you said while rolling over bumps while standing and sitting. this also makes me think that it is in your bars because there is a lot of downward force put on the bars when your going threw rough sections of a trail. everyones bars do it and its okay, but it can be stopped with all the steps stated above.

 

[MikeD]

If you want, you're welcome to bring the bike down here, throw it in the repair stand, and we'll go over the sucker with a fine-toothed comb, then maybe take a ride...

(actually, I might be heading up your way, too, for some work-related stuff these next 2 days...)

 

[ncrider]

Ahhh success (I think).
Ended up taking the whole front end off, cleaned, lubed and tightened everything. Did a little 20 minute urban ride and no noise (music to my ears). Actually I've never taking a headset off before, so I hope it's on good and snug. When I put it back together I made sure the steer tube was flush with the top of my bar clamps (I have an 888 combo deally), then I laid a towel over it and wacked it with a 2x4 cause I don't have a rubber malet. Then I tightened it all up. Doesn't seem to have any play. Does that sound good with you guys?


Hey MikeD if you're coming up this way bring your bike. I'll show you what a few of us digging 8 hours a day for a week straight can make. It's nothing amazing, but it'll put a little smile on your face. Thursday late afternoon 3ish or anytime on friday. Oh and maybe you should bring your bike stand

 

[Pau11y]

NCRider, I had my Marz cryofit stanchion/crown start creaking on me. To rule this one out, try this:
flip your bike upside down and take your front wheel out. Next try and squeeze & pull apart your fork legs. Use some force but don't go too nutz. If it is your crown, then it'll start clicking and creaking.

Try taking the crank arms off, grease BB spindle, tighten crank arm bolts real snug

DO NOT DO THIS if you have a square taper bb spindle! If you grease your square tapers, it'll let you pull your cranks on too far and ruin your cranks. And also, don't grease your steerer where your stem clamps on.
Try this for your BB: (Do this one side at a time if you don’t have a fixed cup)
remove the cups. Wrap your bb cup threads w/ plumber's tape (Teflon thread tape in hardware stores) w/ 2 layers of this stuff. Take care the direction you put it on; same direction as you spin the cups back in so it doesn't bunch up when re-installing. Coat your BB shell thread w/ some anti-seize compound (might need to remove the bb spindle to do this). Do this for both sides.

Handle bar in stem:
aluminum duct tape. Let me clarify, it's actually made of aluminum and not the plastic fiber grey duct tape. Put on 1 - 2 layers of this stuff to shim. Use a smooth flat tool to smooth this out once applied, a spoon works really well. Slap your bar back in the stem.

Headtube ovalized:
your screwed unless you go King's or FSA's deep HS.

Rear Linkage:
Use grease on moving parts and anti-seize on non-moving parts.

Also check your seat/seatpost clamp. If you have Ti rails and Al seatpost clamp, that could be a source too as it echoes thru your frame.

Last note: grease will temporarily fix creaks. Once the grease wears out, the creak comes back. You may want to use anti-seize instead.



Edit: Doh! Too late.

When I put it back together I made sure the steer tube was flush with the top of my bar clamps (I have an 888 combo deally), then I laid a towel over it and wacked it with a 2x4 cause I don't have a rubber malet. Then I tightened it all up. Doesn't seem to have any play. Does that sound good with you guys?

You should get a headlock. It shoudn't be flush. The steerer should be 1/8 shy of the top, or, in your case, a 1/8" spacer put on the top and then your HS cap.

 

[ncrider]

Thanks pau11y tons of good advice there.

So to the rest of the not used to mud and water guys, trust me just stay away. I have ended up taking my entire bike apart (not including BB cause I don't have the tools) for one day of riding. F-that.

 

[Kntr]

I have had the metal caps on cables make a lot of noise too. I try and use plastic ones now.

 

[me89]

dude thats why you pick trails with river crossings or what we call bike washes. ohh yeh and mud = fun. or atleast with my crew it does

 

[Bicyclist]

Rain is precious here in Socal so I ride whenever it rains if I can... Mud is fun compared to dust.

 

[BigStonz]

Pau11y,

When I said grease the BB spindle, I was referring to splined BBs. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Pau11y]

Pau11y,

When I said grease the BB spindle, I was referring to splined BBs. Sorry for the confusion.

Oh no worries. Might want to try anti-seize tho, I've had better luck w/ that stuff over grease.