Over time you may notice unwanted squeaks, clicking or creaking coming from various places on your bike. The following sections help to stop these annoying noises.
Seat Post Maintenance
Stick a piece of electrical tape around your seat post to mark the height you ride at.
Remove the seat post from the bike
Clean the seat post with a degreaser and making sure you clean inside the frame as well
Remove and clean under the seat clamp
Remove the seat clamp bolt, clean and re-grease with anti seize
On your seat post use the following:
Carbon Fibre = Use fibre Grip
Metal post = Anti Seize
Tighten up using a torque wrench
Check to see if it has cured the noises.
Seat Clamp Maintenance
Make a mark of the position of your saddle with tape or measure from the front of the bars to the tip of the saddle.
Remove the saddle and do the same cleaning procedure for the seat post.
Use a spray lube on the points that your saddle rails meet the saddle itself.
Remove the bike from the bike stand to set the angle of the saddle.
Handlebar & Stem Maintenance
Do you have Carbon Fibre Bars? These can be a source of noise and I would recommend taking your bike to your nearest professional bike shop for them to investigate.
Stem Clamp Bolts
Any dirt or grit between the clamp and bars can be a source of noise.
Remove and clean thoroughly
Apply Fibre Grip even if it is Alloy bars and stem
Apply Anti Seize to the bolts and retighten everything
The face plate must sit evenly so tighten the bolts in stages to achieve this.
Always finish off with your torque wrench
Stem bolts need to be greased and torqued but do not apply Fibre grip to the steerer
Still noises? You need to strip and re-grease the head set
Quick Release
These can dry out and when you are out of the saddle and leaning the bike they can be a source of noise, so remove them and clean and re-grease them.
Bottom Bracket / Cranks Maintenance
Remove your pedals and clean properly
Clean the threads in the crank as well
Re-grease and re assemble to the correct torque
Creaking Cleats
Spray a lube and wipe it off again
Or remove the bolts and clean and re-grease these or lock tight
Check your chain ring bolts are correctly torqued
Take a ride to see if it has solved the noise.
If not:
Remove each chain ring bolt individually and clean, re-grease all contact points
Still noisy? Remove the chain rings and clean and re-grease the contact points
Rear mech hanger remove, clean and lightly grease
Still not worked, then it is time to look at the cranks and bottom bracket.
General Rules
Grease the cranks where the meet the axle, just a thin layer
THREADED BB
Grease the thread of the BB cup
Grease the bearing
PUSH FIT BB
Grease the bearings in the cups
Cups go into the frame dry
Always check with the frame manufacturer before doing this job