Mountain Bike Crank Noise

99 of bike creaks and clicks are caused by two components that have either gone dry and or have some dirt in there where their surfaces meet or in the threads.

Mountain bike crank noise. If yours are held on by nuts in the sides of the crank arms you can also remove the crank arms by riding the bike but you must do this very carefully to avoid damaging the crank arms. It sounds like it s coming from low on the bike down around the crank maybe back at the derailleur. If you have a newer bike that has a direct mount chainring i ve found that it may be under torqued from factory causing a tiny bit of play and noise too. This will make the noise when you pedal.

It may be slightly loose or inadequately lubed. You re hammering down the causeway not a care in the world wind at your back all is well in your realm. Tighten the bolts to the manufacturer recommended torque. The kickstand the front derailer a cable or anything else attached to the frame.

A creaking developed when pedaling hard up hills in the saddle and went away when out of the saddle. That one was tricky to spot but is a good reminder that proper tightening of components to spec but not overtightening is important. So when you do locate the source of the creak it ll almost certainly just be a case of cleaning it and then applying the appropriate substance before reassembling. You can t quite place it though and.

Problem resolved when grease applied to carbon seatpost. Turning the crank arms by hand particularly with the chain removed from the chainrings can often show whether there is an issue with the bottom bracket. Remove the crank bolts lubricate the threads and under the bolt head and reinstall. If you feel play or friction when turning the crank arms or of course hear a creaking or grinding noise then it s a pretty safe bet that the bottom bracket bearing needs attention.

Tighten or if that doesn t work remove the crank arm lightly grease the axle and reinstall. The most common cause of creaking is the crank being loose on the spindle.