Alloy frame, external bearing bottom bracket, about two years old. A dry creak once per pedal stroke, only out of the saddle, only under load. I have already pulled the cranks, cleaned and regreased the BB threads, and replaced the pedals. It came back after two rides. Where else does this hide?
Have somebody else ride it while you walk alongside. Creaks sound like they come from the BB because the whole frame is a sounding board and your ears are three feet above it. From outside you can often hear it is the saddle.
Or hold the bike still, stand on one pedal and rock it. If it creaks while stationary it is not the drivetrain.
Check the thru axle and the dropout faces too. Mine was a dry axle after six months of bottom bracket paranoia.
Two years and never removed the seatpost? That is my bet.
@chain_wear_chase · 7mo ago · 3 replies
Bottom bracket creaks are famous liars. In order of how often I actually find it:
It only happens standing because that is the only time you put a real bending load through the frame. Do the cheap ones first, chainring bolts take five minutes.
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@baseweight_bex · 7mo ago
Chainring bolts had not crossed my mind at all.
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@chain_wear_chase · 7mo ago
They almost never do. One at a time, clean the threads and the mating faces, dab of grease, torque them evenly.
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