How to sort creaks
Friday 6th February 2009
The mbr spannerman shows you how to hunt down and fix those annoying and potentially dangerous creaks.
A creaking bike can be incredibly infuriating, and it may also be an early warning sign that there is something very wrong and potentially dangerous afoot. The first thing you should do upon discovering a creak is to give your bike a good clean and inspect it for cracks. Pay particular attention to the bars, stem and any welds, especially around the headtube and bottom bracket shell. Although this may seem like a laborious process there is no point taking further steps if there are cracks present. If you do find a suspect crack it is worth getting a second opinion from your local bike shop.
If all seems to be in order, then resolving a creak can require a bit of trial and error. Some creaks can be easily traced, but sometimes the noise is transferred away from its source. Some creaks can be very hard to find, and I have come across new bikes that have suffered from creaking problems which I have failed to resolve through conventional means. In one case it transpired after speaking to the manufacturer that the miters of the frametubes were misaligned and this was causing the noise! Full-suspension bikes make the whole process even more complicated. The vast majority of creaking issues, however, can be resolved by following the steps laid out here.
It is well worth investing in some good quality 'anti-seize' and applying it to the bolt threads and beneath the head. Clean all the parts you dismantle thoroughly as this will give you the chance to carefully inspect parts for damage.
