Hello r/bikewrench!
After five service rounds at three different shops, I’ve made the decision to ask Reddit. I’ve had this sound coming from my bike for around half a year now. It’s a Cannondale CAAD12 with an alloy frame, which helps sound travel everywhere—making it hard to pinpoint the source. I think it’s coming from somewhere near the bottom bracket.
You might ask: why is it still not fixed after five service rounds? Well, when I don’t ride the bike for a couple of days, the creaking goes away. But whenever I start riding again, it takes a bit of time for the sound to return. Today (after the fifth service round), it took 6–7 minutes to hear the first subtle clicks. Then the full-on creaking started around the 30-minute mark.
Of course, the mechanic doesn’t ride it for 30 minutes—and neither do I during a quick test ride. And naturally, after each visit, the mechanic does something they believe fixed it. I pay with a smile on my face, thinking this was the missing piece and that my bike is finally fixed.
The sound:
- Synchronized with the pedal strokes (usually creaks the loudest when pushing down with my right foot)
- Persists when I'm out of the saddle
- Persists when I let go of the bars
- Persists when light-pedaling
- Persists when pedaling normally
- Persists when sprinting
- Persists when riding in normal shoes (not clipped in)
- Becomes a bit more silent when I tilt the bike to either direction, but I remain in the same position and keep pedaling
Things that have been serviced:
- Bottom bracket bearings replaced, greased
- Both wheels’ bearings replaced, greased
- Headset bearing replaced, greased
- Spokes tightened
- Chainrings removed and the bolts regreased
- Pedals removed and regreased
Reddit, you are my (and the bike’s) last hope. Any help is much appreciated!
by Johnnny416
5 Comments
That really sucks. I’m not a mechanic but I did have a phantom creak in my mountain bike that was solved with drop of lube at every spoke cross over.
No promises but it seems like you’ve already tried a bunch.
When you say wheel bearings changed did you also change the bearings in the freehub if possible. I had an impossible to find creak and found it when I did a much overdue full hub service and the freehub bearing disintegrated when I punched it out.
How much seat post is down in the tube?
Saddle bolts tight?
Saddle rails clean?
Just had a similar issue and it turned out to be the dropper post. Can’t recall if it persisted out of the saddle but worth checking.
Edit: I was also convinced it was the bottom bracket.
Check your seat post and saddle rails. I have had similar creaks under pedalling on my hardtail and for me it was always the seatpost.
Also have you cleaned and greased your axles and dropouts?