tracking down creaks

I have a 2009 Specialized Tarmac Elite Double that I bought this year. It has about 2300km on it.

After the first couple hundred km, it started to have this creaking noise. It happens mostly when there is tension like pedaling
into a stiff head wind. It doesn't happen when I'm not pedaling. It's not the
cleats because I can un cleat and pedal, it still makes the noise. Under normal conditions the bike is very
quiet.

Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. I thought that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. It almost seems to be coming from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no noise.

Any thoughts?

"Duane Hebert" writes:

I have a 2009 Specialized Tarmac Elite Double that I bought this year. It has about 2300km on it.

After the first couple hundred km, it started to have this creaking noise. It happens mostly when there is tension like pedaling
into a stiff head wind. It doesn't happen when I'm not pedaling. It's not the
cleats because I can un cleat and pedal, it still makes the noise. Under normal conditions the bike is very
quiet.

Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. I thought that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. It almost seems to be coming from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no noise.

Any thoughts?

Saddle frame?

Happened to me. Sat differently when exerting more pressure on the crank
arms.

"Simon Lewis" wrote in message ...
Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. I thought that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. It almost seems to be coming from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no noise.

Any thoughts?

Saddle frame?

Happened to me. Sat differently when exerting more pressure on the crank
arms.

Hmm. Didn't think of that. The seat post seems fine but I do have that Toupé. I'll look at that
this evening.

On Sep 1, 9:28*am, "Duane Hebert" wrote:
I have a 2009 Specialized Tarmac Elite Double that I bought this year. *It has about 2300km on it.

After the first couple hundred km, it started to have this creaking noise.. It happens mostly when there is tension like pedaling
into a stiff head wind. *It doesn't happen when I'm not pedaling. *It's not the
cleats because I can un cleat and pedal, it still makes the noise. *Under normal conditions the bike is very
quiet.

Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. * I thought that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. * It almost seems to be coming from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no noise.

Any thoughts?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html

Work through the list.

"landotter" wrote in message ...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html

Work through the list.

I didn't see the link to the handle bars.
That's another possibility.

Guys at the LBS checked most of the other points in his list - pedals, BB, crank bolts etc.

On Sep 1, 3:28*pm, "Duane Hebert" wrote:
I have a 2009 Specialized Tarmac Elite Double that I bought this year. *It has about 2300km on it.

After the first couple hundred km, it started to have this creaking noise.. It happens mostly when there is tension like pedaling
into a stiff head wind. *It doesn't happen when I'm not pedaling. *It's not the
cleats because I can un cleat and pedal, it still makes the noise. *Under normal conditions the bike is very
quiet.

Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. * I thought that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. * It almost seems to be coming from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no noise.

Any thoughts?

Just my personal experience in the last few years when I did my own
wrenching. In my last six bikes, and any bikes the pedal pals had a
creak on, all creaks except one were solved by tightening the crank
bolts hard -- foot on the lever and lift your other foot while holding
on to a pole. The only bike I've ever owned where the cranks seem
happy with the spec torque is my Kranich, which is anyway torqued over
30Nm, steel crank, axle and crank bolt.

The one exception was a creak in the pedals of a Peugeot mountain
bike, where one of the pedals had to be tightened to about twice spec
to stop it unwinding, creaking for a good long while, then coming out,
a rather nasty event.

Andre Jute
You can ride only one bike at a time

"Andre Jute" wrote in message ...
On Sep 1, 3:28 pm, "Duane Hebert" wrote:

Just my personal experience in the last few years when I did my own
wrenching. In my last six bikes, and any bikes the pedal pals had a
creak on, all creaks except one were solved by tightening the crank
bolts hard -- foot on the lever and lift your other foot while holding
on to a pole. The only bike I've ever owned where the cranks seem
happy with the spec torque is my Kranich, which is anyway torqued over
30Nm, steel crank, axle and crank bolt.

The one exception was a creak in the pedals of a Peugeot mountain
bike, where one of the pedals had to be tightened to about twice spec
to stop it unwinding, creaking for a good long while, then coming out,
a rather nasty event.

Thanks but I'm a bit shy about over tightening anything on this bike as it's
my first carbon frame and there are warnings everywhere about that.
Anyway the guys at the LBS looked at the pedals, crank and bottom bracket.

On Sep 1, 11:41*am, "Duane Hebert" wrote:
"Andre Jute" wrote in ...
On Sep 1, 3:28 pm, "Duane Hebert" wrote:
Just my personal experience in the last few years when I did my own
wrenching. In my last six bikes, and any bikes the pedal pals had a
creak on, all creaks except one were solved by tightening the crank
bolts hard -- foot on the lever and lift your other foot while holding
on to a pole. The only bike I've ever owned where the cranks seem
happy with the spec torque is my Kranich, which is anyway torqued over
30Nm, steel crank, axle and crank bolt.

The one exception was a creak in the pedals of a Peugeot mountain
bike, where one of the pedals had to be tightened to about twice spec
to stop it unwinding, creaking for a good long while, then coming out,
a rather nasty event.

Thanks but I'm a bit shy about over tightening anything on this bike as it's
my first carbon frame and there are warnings everywhere about that.
Anyway the guys at the LBS looked at the pedals, crank and bottom bracket.. *

Use a torque wrench. Ask the LBS to see theirs. If they don't have
one, find a new LBS.

"landotter" wrote in message ...

Use a torque wrench. Ask the LBS to see theirs. If they don't have
one, find a new LBS.

They've already checked that. I was in the shop with the tech when he went over everything.

Andre was suggesting to tighten it more than the required torque (I think)

"Duane Hebert" wrote in message
...
I have a 2009 Specialized Tarmac Elite Double that I bought this year. It
has about 2300km on it.

After the first couple hundred km, it started to have this creaking noise.
It happens mostly when there is tension like pedaling into a stiff head
wind. It doesn't happen when I'm not pedaling. It's not the
cleats because I can un cleat and pedal, it still makes the noise. Under
normal conditions the bike is very
quiet.

Brought it to the LBS and they couldn't duplicate the noise. I thought
that it was coming
from the bottom bracket but I'm not sure. It almost seems to be coming
from the front wheel
but like I say, when I'm coasting or there's no head wind, there is no
noise.

Any thoughts?
Hi Duane,

Just a thought here. I have gone through my bike for the same reason. I ran
it down to the bottom seal on my head set. How I came to this conclusion was
a long and troublesome process of listening and replacing parts. After
replaceing everything that moves (almost everything) I was thinking -what if
it is the carbon fork and it breaks while on a downhill. I removed the front
fork and looked at it with a magnifying glass and it looked good and then
cleaned and relubed the headset bearings and the squeak/creak was solved.
The bearings however were full of grease anyway, so why the squeak. I figure
the dust seal on the bottom headset bearing went dry from washing my bike,
and it was squeaking. It sounded like a creak at first then began to squeak,
and it was only doing it when out of the saddle uphill. Sounded like
something was about to break or like it was a dry bearing. I don't know what
your bike is experiencing, but I add my story as a helpful idea.
gregory