Creak in new bike

Hi Michael..

I have a Giant OCR-1 2003 with the to part adjustable neck/stem thing (not
up with the terms just yet either)... that is known to creak.. If this is
the same on your bike, then I have the same issue, but not as bad... As its
a two part device, I'm thinking of putting a thin layer of rubber as some
kind of buffer in the middle of it and trialling that in the next few weeks,
just a thought for now, it might fail dismally...

Keep us updated on your solution when you sort it out...

cheers,
GPL

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I haven't posted here before, so please be nice to a fairly casual
cyclist :-)

I bought a new road bike the other day (a Giant OCR-3), my old
one being on its last (wobbly!) wheels, and it has a different means of
setting handlebar height - a click-stop rotating joint between the stem

and

Quoted message said:

rod attached to it. (I hope that makes sense, because I'm not up with the
jargon.)

Anyway, this joint started creaking loudly during my first ride when
any unbalanced pressure was applied to the handlebars, so I
took it back to the dealer, who greased it up, and it seemed to be
fixed. After another couple of rides it's started doing it again, though.

I'm wondering what I should do about, because it's pretty annoying.
Could it just be faulty? Is there a long-term fix, short of filling the
damn thing with epoxy? Failing this, should I expect the dealer to do
anything more, like swap the parts for something creak-free or exchange
the entire bike?

Any advice appreciated.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo/index.html

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I haven't posted here before, so please be nice to a fairly casual
cyclist :-)

I bought a new road bike the other day (a Giant OCR-3), my old
one being on its last (wobbly!) wheels, and it has a different means of
setting handlebar height - a click-stop rotating joint between the stem

and

Quoted message said:

rod attached to it. (I hope that makes sense, because I'm not up with the
jargon.)

Anyway, this joint started creaking loudly during my first ride when
any unbalanced pressure was applied to the handlebars, so I
took it back to the dealer, who greased it up, and it seemed to be
fixed. After another couple of rides it's started doing it again, though.

Liar! Giants DO NOT creak! ;-)

"mnh" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:405e386c@news1...

Quoted message said:

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I haven't posted here before, so please be nice to a fairly casual
cyclist :-)

I bought a new road bike the other day (a Giant OCR-3), my old
one being on its last (wobbly!) wheels, and it has a different means of
setting handlebar height - a click-stop rotating joint between the stem

and

Quoted message said:

rod attached to it. (I hope that makes sense, because I'm not up with

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

jargon.)

Anyway, this joint started creaking loudly during my first ride when
any unbalanced pressure was applied to the handlebars, so I
took it back to the dealer, who greased it up, and it seemed to be
fixed. After another couple of rides it's started doing it again,

though.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Liar! Giants DO NOT creak! ;-)

Yeah! They ROAR.

;-)

I have a a Giant OCR-3 as well
There is a small creaking sound when pressure applied to handlebars, I
figured this was caused by the 'electrical insulation tape' (thats what it
looks like) wraped around the bars which holds the grip material at the stem
ends, This is also where the brake cable exist from under the grip.

Andrew

"Michael Warner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I haven't posted here before, so please be nice to a fairly casual
cyclist :-)

I bought a new road bike the other day (a Giant OCR-3), my old
one being on its last (wobbly!) wheels, and it has a different means of
setting handlebar height - a click-stop rotating joint between the stem

and

Quoted message said:

rod attached to it. (I hope that makes sense, because I'm not up with the
jargon.)

Anyway, this joint started creaking loudly during my first ride when
any unbalanced pressure was applied to the handlebars, so I
took it back to the dealer, who greased it up, and it seemed to be
fixed. After another couple of rides it's started doing it again, though.

I'm wondering what I should do about, because it's pretty annoying.
Could it just be faulty? Is there a long-term fix, short of filling the
damn thing with epoxy? Failing this, should I expect the dealer to do
anything more, like swap the parts for something creak-free or exchange
the entire bike?

Any advice appreciated.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo/index.html

Michael Warner said:

I bought a new road bike the other day (a Giant OCR-3), my old
one being on its last (wobbly!) wheels, and it has a different
means of setting handlebar height - a click-stop rotating joint
between the stem and rod attached to it. (I hope that makes
sense, because I'm not up with the jargon.)

Anyway, this joint started creaking loudly during my first ride
when any unbalanced pressure was applied to the handlebars, so
I took it back to the dealer, who greased it up, and it seemed
to be fixed. After another couple of rides it's started doing
it again, though.

I'm wondering what I should do about, because it's pretty
annoying. Could it just be faulty? Is there a long-term fix,
short of filling the damn thing with epoxy? Failing this,
should I expect the dealer to do anything more, like swap the
parts for something creak-free or exchange the entire bike?

I had the same problem with the same part on my Avanti Hybrid
soon after buying it. As with yours, my LBS (local bike shop)
seemed unable to fix it for more than a short time.

Because it's a safety-critical component, I took matters into my
own hands, and I bought and fitted a replacement stem (with a
fixed angle, and much lighter). No problems in that area now
(with 12,000 km up).

Maybe I should have persevered with my LBS, but I didn't want to
take the risk of them weakening something.

John

Michael Warner said:

I'm wondering what I should do about, because it's pretty annoying.
Could it just be faulty? Is there a long-term fix, short of filling the
damn thing with epoxy? Failing this, should I expect the dealer to do
anything more, like swap the parts for something creak-free or exchange
the entire bike?

I had a very similar problem that occured after building up th
tourer in January, a $%&!ing annoying creak on the lefthand side o
the head stem

The "Hello Kitty" tourer has a adjustable Zoom head stem, combined wit
a touring bars (via Christies, via Abbotsford Cycles

The creak was literally driving me nuts, was it a rubbing cable housing
was it a conflict btw components or something worse? A liberal soakin
of the head stem with race day lube has stopped the noise, for now

-

Quoted message said:

Originally posted by cfsmtb I had a very similar problem that occure
after building up the tourer in January, a $%&!ing annoying creak o
the lefthand side of the head stem

I also had an annoying "eerk eerk eerk" creak going on with the Ritche
stem on my trials bike

Stems are something you DO NOT want to have snap, become loose or mov
around whilst riding. Not _too_ bad for trials bike at <5kph, but thin
of the consequences of a 70kph downhill with your stem letting go o
your bars! (Okay, so it's unlikely most people will be reefing on thei
bars going downhill, but I often do when sprinting downhill...

My track bike also starting making a "possible stem-related noise
tonight which I have to check out - the bars did take a hard hit when
stacked - could've loosened themselves

Anyway, to reduce the chance of noise, undo your stem and shift the bar
so you can see where it is clamping. Inspect for damage. Clean the bar
and the stem clamp! Refit the bars and tighten the stem. I don't kno
what the required torque is - I just clamp them down tight withou
stripping any threads. Rock the bars to check for noise or movement
They should be all good

About these adjustable stems - does anyone have a picture? I don't se
much need for them other than in the early stages of bike fitting whe
it allows you to mess with different riding positions. I'd remove the
asap and fit a nice, preferably non-welded, non-superlight stem o
fixed length..

hipp
- injecting stem-paranoia into a forum near you

-

hippy said:

About these adjustable stems - does anyone have a picture?

Mine was similar to (but not exactly the same as)
http://www.sjscycles.com/store/quillstem5578.jpg

John

Originally posted by hipp

Quoted message said:

My track bike also starting making a "possible stem-related noise
tonight which I have to check out - the bars did take a hard hit whe
I stacked - could've loosened themselves

I saw an A grader at Heffron snap his handlebar clean in half once in
sprint. Wasn't pretty

Perhaps new bars would be a good idea

Regards

Suz

-

My Trek was making a weird 'crack'ing kind of creak in the top of th
head tube not long after I bought it. It only happened when I was on th
hoods on rougher patches of road-or when I tugged at the bars trying t
find out where the hell it was coming from. Back at LBS (always) w
pulled the fork out and found a little bit of water and a little bit o
flaky blue paint, thank me for the moisture, thank the lads in Taiwa
for the paint. So we cleans it up, checks for more loose paint, adds
bit of grease and now I can only hear the tyres

(apart from the headwind, magpies, flies, trucks and abuse that is.

-

GPLama said:

I have a Giant OCR-1 2003 with the to part adjustable neck/stem thing (not
up with the terms just yet either)... that is known to creak.. If this is
the same on your bike, then I have the same issue, but not as bad... As its
a two part device, I'm thinking of putting a thin layer of rubber as some
kind of buffer in the middle of it and trialling that in the next few weeks,
just a thought for now, it might fail dismally...

Yes, I was thinking of something like this, although I haven't pulled the
joint apart yet to see what's rubbing against what. I have some latex
surgical gloves (the thin disposable kind), so I might try a piece of that
stuff.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo/index.html

andrew said:

I have a a Giant OCR-3 as well
There is a small creaking sound when pressure applied to handlebars, I
figured this was caused by the 'electrical insulation tape' (thats what it
looks like) wraped around the bars which holds the grip material at the stem
ends, This is also where the brake cable exist from under the grip.

That seems unlikely to me. I'm sure it's the joint, because loosening it up
(to the point where the handlebars move a little) stops it.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo/index.html

John Henderson said:

Because it's a safety-critical component, I took matters into my
own hands, and I bought and fitted a replacement stem (with a
fixed angle, and much lighter). No problems in that area now
(with 12,000 km up).

That sounds pretty sensible, once you've settled on the best angle.
When my bike fund recovers I'll have a look at this :-)

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo/index.html

hippy said:

I also had an annoying "eerk eerk eerk" creak going on with the Ritchey
stem on my trials bike.

Have you checked for green tree frogs in the head tube? :-)

Hey, you're not going to tell us you ride trials as well as
road/track/MTB/tri!? Is there no end to this man's versatility (or his
hair)? Got any pics of yourself trialling?

&roo

Andrew Swan said:

hippy said:

I also had an annoying "eerk eerk eerk" creak going on with the
Ritchey stem on my trials bike.

Have you checked for green tree frogs in the head tube? :-)
Hey, you're not going to tell us you ride trials as well as
road/track/MTB/tri!? Is there no end to this man's versatility (or his
hair)? Got any pics of yourself trialling?
&roo

😄 Hehe... so true. Quite intimidating, hearing him talk about his bik
collection. ;

And whats this I hear about a crash on the track, Stu? :eek: Didn't se
you at training on Thursday, are you racing at METEC now

-

hippy said:

hehe yeah.. 1st race = 1st crash. Just continuing the trend. 🙂

How did ya do it? Your fault

*strokes chin* The trials bike is still for sale, is it? How much ar
you asking? :

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