Bottom Bracket issue?

Depending on the derailleur which is on your bike (e.g., 105-or-equivalent-or-less), the resoluton could be as simple as oiling the bushings of your pulley wheels ...

try a drop of 3-in-1 oil, or equivalent.

The rear derailleur is a Dura Ace 7900 (also with around 900 miles on it). It doesn't sound like it's coming from the rear, it more sounds like it's coming from the crank. I could be wrong, though - it's hard to tell. I do know that it stops when I stop pedaling. I thought about re-oiling the chain but it doesn't seem like it's that either. I use chain-L, and that usually just starts getting noisier when it needs oil. When it's not making the "squealing" noise the drive train is pretty quiet overall.

Another thing I should mention - the crank still seems pretty smooth, I don't notice anything gritty or any other strange sensations. It doesn't seem to make the noise when on the stand, either, although I didn't turn the crank a whole lot when it was on there.

Is your crank properly tightened?

I tried to wiggle the crank arms back and forth, up and down, and in-and-out when it started out on the road and again just now - I don't feel any play.

I don't know if this makes any difference at all, but the BB is a "Shimano Press in bearing system". The owner of the shop that rebuilt the bike implied that these weren't that common, and there really weren't any other alternatives (like a Chris King, etc).

HMMmmm ...

Well, since [B] the squeaky wheel gets the grease/(oil) ...[/B]

[*][LIST] grease is often better than oil, BTW, but adding oil will be a quicker-and-easier ...


So, BEFORE you replace-or-reseat your BB's bearings, I would try adding a couple of drops of oil between the crankarms & BB cups because there is always a SMALL possibility that the "squealing" is being caused when the crankarms rub against the plastic seals which shroud the bearings ...

Or, not!?!

Well, I took the bike out for a 40 mile ride, and I didn't have the problem once. I didn't try oiling the BB before I went. The only thing that changed is I washed and waxed the bike yesterday and changed the brakes. I don't get it - I'm stumped. I'm extremely glad not to be having the issue (the sound was bad enough that I had been worried something was getting damaged), but I really wish I knew what caused it.

Sorry to have cried wolf and thank you to the folks that made suggestions.

Last year, I did the Apple Cider Century (total of 105 miles). The first 75 miles were in the rain. About mile 95, I developed a nasty squeak that drove me nuts the rest of the way. It turned out to be a bit of grit between the crank arm and the plastic dust cover washer on the bearing. Washing/lubing the bike solved the problem.

A bottom bracket problem will keep time with the cranks regardless of the gear. If this is happening look at the bottom bracket. Disassemble, clean, and reassemble, being careful not to over-torque the crank bolt. Shimano and FSA sealed bottom brackets are designed to work with very little side load. Finger tight is plenty, just enough to stop wobble when you yank on the crank arms.

Usually its hard to locate squeaks and where they are coming from exactly, because they can reverb through the frame hollow. Just remove the crank and bottom bracket, and clean it up, then re install. You can always replace the bottom bracket too if you think there is a bearing problem