Source of a squeak?

Arlberg
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Source of a squeak?

Postby Arlberg » Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:49 am

I have a squeak in my bike somewhere which I'm trying to isolate.

It's definitely a squeak, rather than a rattle or a click or a knock, it actually sounds very much like a bird chirping, which when I first heard it is what I thought it was. It only ever happens when I'm out of the saddle. It happens once per pedal revolution, so the bottom bracket springs to mind although I've never managed to get the sound while seated in the saddle no matter how much I play around with the stroke, ie pulling up more on the upstroke, pushing down more on the downstroke etc.

Its not the skewers either as I have taken them off and greased them and tested them with different degrees of tightness. Its not the tyre rubbing on the chain stays or the brake pads as I have tested for both.

Obviously I can also rule out the seat and seat post, and I'm pretty sure its not the handlebars or stem, or my cleats either.

Any other ideas?

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outnabike
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby outnabike » Sun Dec 03, 2017 2:06 pm

Best sauce for a squeak is oil.....sorry couldn't help myself. :)

We have all had this happen can be hard to find I know.

Might be a good idea to try a little WD 40 in suspected areas one at a time. If you don't like that, use a light chain oil then wipe off excess.
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open roader
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby open roader » Sun Dec 03, 2017 3:57 pm

I too was pretty sure it was not my cleats/pedals when I had a pedaling related squeak.

I candle waxed both cleat to pedal and cleat to shoe sole interfaces and was relieved to be rid of my squeak.

Pedals/cleats interfaces - do them anyhow, if nothing else just eliminate that as a source.
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:33 pm

If it's a one-sided noise, start with re-grease and re-tension pedals and crank, then seat post and headset/stem, and work your way from there. You'll find it, just need to be systematic.
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Duck!
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Duck! » Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:37 pm

Check you're not brushing a foot against the crank on each rotation.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby JPB » Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:44 pm

Just saying.....
I had a squeak, only occured while peddling firm to hard but sometimes occured when I hit a bump.
Turned out to be a cracked alloy top tube just in front of the seat post.

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AUbicycles
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby AUbicycles » Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:21 pm

No rodents using your bike as a hamster wheel?

Because it is once per revolution, I would concentrate on the pedals and other parts of the bike that react to the change in power when you are out of the saddle. The headset / steerer tube is one candidate, but also an unsolveable issue of the chain stay /bottom bracket connection with extra flex in the stays giving a noisy squeak.

On the bike, test out (out of the saddle) slow / fast pedalling and also powerful and soft pedalling along with ajustibg you weight ( front heavy / back heavy). Unfortunately, the source of a noise is very difficult to isolate while riding.
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Arlberg
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Arlberg » Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:34 am

Thanks for all the advice, some good ideas there. However if it is something to do with the cranks/bottom bracket/drivetrain/pedals, surely it would squeak regardless of whether one is pedalling in or out of the saddle? This bird only 'chirps' only when I'm out of the saddle despite my best efforts.

Duck, I have checked the shoe on the chain stay and I can rule that out as it was easy to diagnose. (Just gotta look down while pedalling). I'm disappointed that was not the cause, as it would have been an easy fix. Just isolating the sound or even narrowing it down to left or right side or front or back ain't easy...

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AUbicycles
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby AUbicycles » Thu Dec 07, 2017 11:23 pm

When you are out of the saddle, your weight distribution and force changes. The center of gravity is higher and further forward and you can put more power down. Particularly when hill climbing and out of the saddle, the pedalling motion is generally not as smooth, your legs are moving 1, 2, 1, 2 whereas in the saddle is it more natural to get achieve a smooth pedalling stroke.

So it changing the directions from which force is applied and the mount changes the bikes, a lot of riders will swing the bike left to right, think end-sprint in a road race. The chain stays will flex far more, as will the wheels and also with more weight on the front end and steerer, any 'issues' will be exacerbated.

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After inspecting your entire bike and checking that everything is tight - to identify the squeak when out of the saddle, try different things like gentle power, strong power, weight forward, weight back, more weight left and more weight right. Could even be something as silly as your shoe against the pedal or a lose bolt causing movement of a cleat.
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headasunder
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby headasunder » Sat Dec 09, 2017 2:58 am

Jockey wheel bushes can cause squeaks when dry

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Duck!
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Duck! » Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:59 pm

headasunder wrote:Jockey wheel bushes can cause squeaks when dry
Indeed they can, but will generally squeak while shifting when the pulley is subjected to side loading.

Many headseats have a rubber weather seal under the upper bearing cover, and can squeak on the rim of the head tube. A squirt of silicone lube shuts it up.

Some hubs have rubber caps over the cones & locknuts, and can squeak against the hub shell.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Too Tired » Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:12 am

I had a squeak that matches your description. Turned out to be failure to lubricate threads when I installed new pedals. Of course the bike shop replaced the bottom bracket first.
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Bentnose
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Bentnose » Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:21 pm

I serviced my headset, replaced my bottom bracket that was making a racket, then had to lube the cable guide under the bike and now I think the last remaining squeeks are to do with my cable ferrrules moving a little over bumps and when I'm wrenching on the handlebars up steep hills. Everything I have done has made the bike a little quieter but I had a million squeeks, more a whole aviary's worth than a bird, now I think I only have about 3 birds left. My carbon bike is just noisy, my alu bike is quiet as.
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Arlberg
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Arlberg » Mon Dec 25, 2017 7:13 am

Thanks to all those who responded with the great advice. It took a while but eventually I learned it was the rear skewer after all. After reading the very helpful post from AUBicycles I played around a bit while riding out of the saddle and found the noise decreased the more I rode with my body as perpendicular to the road as possible with as much weight as possible over the rear wheel, essentially leaning right back - an unsustainable riding position for more than a few strokes. Anyway having already removed, greased and tightened the rear skewer to varying degrees I replaced it with a brand new one and presto - noise gone. I'm amazed that something as simple as a skewer, with so few moving parts and which had been thoroughly cleaned and greased in every nook and cranny could have caused that noise but there you go. Thanks again to all who offered advice which eventually solved this very irritating problem.

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Bentnose
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby Bentnose » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:13 am

Turns out my squeak was also the rear skewer.
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g-boaf
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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby g-boaf » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:44 pm

Bolts can be a source of squeaks too, chainring bolts, the pedal bolts, etc. I had that very problem a while back and it drove me insane. Ended up taking out all the bolts one by one in the general area that the noise came from and regreased the lot of them. Problem fixed, but no idea which one was the culprit.

If your shoe rubs against the crank when riding, that's a possible one (and a good suggestion by the person above), and another one which would be more of a creaking noise would be saddle clamps.

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Re: Source of a squeak?

Postby CXCommuter » Mon Jan 22, 2018 1:06 pm

Have you checked you don't have a mouse pad in your bike?

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