Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

by **boss** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:09 am

The other day I was doing a particularly tough ride, on a 15% section and noticed creaking coming from my cranks/BB area. Great, I thought, I need to get new BB bearings. It was only on the really steep bits, so I didn't think too much else of it.

Then I was walking in the corridor at work, and heard a creaking not dissimilar to the noise I heard on the bike. The shoes!

It makes a noise as I transfer weight from my heel to across the cleat and heel. I've done about 4500km on these cleats and while they look a little bit weathered they seem to be in pretty reasonable shape, not past the wear indicators.

I've checked the shoes and visually they don't seem to have any wear issues (cracking or otherwise) and don't flex a great deal when pressure is applied by hand.

Anyone had a similar issue? Time to replace cleats or...

by **BNA** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:40 am

by **geraldobeavis** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:40 am

Will be watching this with interest. I also have similar creaking when climbing or putting power down, more pronounced on left side. I thought bb as well, but have clipped out and pedalled and the noise is not there. No creaking when walking. Only done 1000 km or so with this pedal and shoe combo

by **Dan** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:24 am

Things creak under load. Solved, and saved from another 'it could be x, y or z' thread

by **Fresh** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:48 am

Do you have Look pedals/cleats?

by **boss** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:59 am

Dan wrote:Things creak under load. Solved, and saved from another 'it could be x, y or z' thread

While I appreciate the sentiment, my shoes haven't creaked for 4499km and are now creaking. This would indicate something has changed.

Moreso, they creak while being walked on. I'm not stamping around and putting a tonne of load on them, just regular walking.

Fresh wrote:Do you have Look pedals/cleats?

Nah, I saw threads about Look cleats while googling. Mine are SPD-SL.

by **Dan** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:18 pm

Yeah, might've been a bit short there. Point is that there's so many variables, this might just be one to figure out on your own, then report back. Otherwise you'll get ten pages of replies like this below:

by **Dan** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:21 pm

My shoes never creak. I don't have look or spd-sl though, just normal spd. What size shoes are you? Maybe that has something to do with it.

Have you tried to replicate the noise at home? Perhaps its the floor at your workplace?

by **Marx** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:24 pm

No science to this, but if you take out your shoe liner(s) & stuff heaps of talc power inside your shoe, then put the liner back in, some of that powder might make it into the nooks & crannies that might be causing the ‘creaking’.

I think the big problem is when you take your cycling shoes off & walk barefoot ,and the creaking is still there...

by **boss** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:38 pm

Marx wrote:I think the big problem is when you take your cycling shoes off & walk barefoot ,and the creaking is still there...

Just verified that my knee/ankle/feet don't creek while wearing thongs, barefoot or regular shoes. Lucky!

Seriously though appreciate the suggestion RE: talc. I am going to re-grease the bolts and cleat-shoe interface and see if that helps. May aswell add some talc in, couldn't help.

by **outnabike** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:26 pm

boss,
My dad used to say, "shoes only squeak because there not paid for". Can't help with the creaky ones, I heard nothing about ones that creak...

Mind you, in his days shoes cost a fair bit.

by **master6** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:29 pm

boss wrote:[ I am going to re-grease the bolts and cleat-shoe interface and see if that helps. May aswell add some talc in, couldn't help.

I suggest one thing at a time, otherwise you wont know what fixed it

by **Mulger bill** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:55 pm

master6 wrote:
boss wrote:[ I am going to re-grease the bolts and cleat-shoe interface and see if that helps. May aswell add some talc in, couldn't help.

I suggest one thing at a time, otherwise you wont know what fixed it

THIS!!!
Golden rule number one of sorting uncertain problems.

by **sblack** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:06 am

Try wearing find thick socks and see if that makes a difference. As shoes stretch with wear it's possible the noise is from play between your foot and the shoe that wasn't there when they were new. I know this happened with my shoes and they progressively got worse so it took less force for the sound to appear but the biggest change was going from my thicker winter socks back to thin summer ones or vice versa.

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