Graphic courtesy of Laurie Niestrath at lsniestrath.wordpress.com
It started as an occasional click. Coming from, it seemed, the bottom bracket. Unhelpfully, all unwelcome noises on a bicycle seem to emanate from the bottom bracket. I hoped that the noise would go away by itself. After all, my bike was clicking intermittently, and only when I pedalled.
But that click didn’t go away. Instead it soon become a constant staccato tick / creak. Impossible to ignore. And very irritating. Especially as I was riding my new bike. New bikes are not supposed to tick / creak!
I worked through the possible causes as I ticked / creaked my way through the ride. Failing bearings in the press fit bottom bracket? I hoped not. Notoriously difficult to fix, and likely to be expensive.
A problem with the rear hub? A broken pawl perhaps? I wondered if the hub was easily user-serviceable.
Maybe the spokes were to blame? Rubbing where they crossed from rear hub to rim? A drop of oil needed in the hub flange spoke holes?
Loose chainring bolts perhaps? I don’t think it could be the crank bolts.
Could it be my pedals that were ticking / creaking? Didn’t I just clean and relube them?
Or was the source of the noise something else entirely?
“Yes honey. I definitely need that Magic 8 Ball.”
Old Roots, New Routes 