Drive chain 'click' question

Dave Hallsworth said:

Hi - I'm sure you get hundreds of these requests, but I'd be extremely
grateful for any help!

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I mean
it will happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of time;
this could be a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite,
short 'click', not a grind or anything like that. I seem to notice
it more going uphill. It happens at the same stage of the pedal
cycle (with the left crank at 10 o'clock). It doesn't happen if I
peddle with my right foot only (i.e. left foot unclipped), but does
happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my left foot only. It
happens on both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce it pedalling
backwards, or with the bike on the stand. I've tried tightening /
loosening the SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I ride
with normal shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test
it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout, Ultegra
hubs handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs,
and I ride them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and
Shimano cleats. The gears are set up pretty much perfectly, and as
far as I'm aware (the bike is second hand from a careful owner), it's
never been crashed.

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal /
cleat, but I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop
would be very much appreciated.

Wear ear plugs. ;-)

Seriously, I *was* going to guess your FD cable tip was hitting your right
foot, pedal or crank arm, but then you mentioned... hey wait, that could
still be it! Is the cabe end moving to a position allowing this when FD
shifts to small ring?

Bill "if it were me, I'd guess it's my KNEE clicking" S.

"Dave Hallsworth" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi - I'm sure you get hundreds of these requests, but I'd be extremely
grateful for any help!

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I mean it
will happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of time; this
could be a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite, short 'click',
not a grind or anything like that. I seem to notice it more going uphill.
It happens at the same stage of the pedal cycle (with the left crank at 10
o'clock). It doesn't happen if I peddle with my right foot only (i.e.
left foot unclipped), but does happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my
left foot only. It happens on both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce
it pedalling backwards, or with the bike on the stand. I've tried
tightening / loosening the SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I
ride with normal shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test
it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout, Ultegra hubs
handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs, and I ride
them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and Shimano cleats.
The gears are set up pretty much perfectly, and as far as I'm aware (the
bike is second hand from a careful owner), it's never been crashed.

I had the same problem with a mountain bike I had, but I only noticed the
problem while riding it on roads. I thought for the longest time it was the
pedals but it turned out to be the intersection of the seat and seatpost. I
have no idea if this is common or not, but my main point is if you can't
find the problem in your pedals you should check the rest of the frame
because sound travels so well through it.

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

"Dave Hallsworth" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hi - I'm sure you get hundreds of these requests, but I'd be

extremely

Quoted message said:

grateful for any help!

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I

mean

Quoted message said:

it will happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of

time;

Quoted message said:

this could be a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite,

short

Quoted message said:

'click', not a grind or anything like that. I seem to notice it

more

Quoted message said:

going uphill. It happens at the same stage of the pedal cycle

(with

Quoted message said:

the left crank at 10 o'clock). It doesn't happen if I peddle with

my

Quoted message said:

right foot only (i.e. left foot unclipped), but does happen
(intermittently) if I peddle with my left foot only. It happens on
both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce it pedalling backwards,

or

Quoted message said:

with the bike on the stand. I've tried tightening / loosening the
SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I ride with normal
shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout,

Ultegra

Quoted message said:

hubs handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs,
and I ride them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and
Shimano cleats. The gears are set up pretty much perfectly, and as

far

Quoted message said:

as I'm aware (the bike is second hand from a careful owner), it's
never been crashed.

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal /
cleat, but I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop
would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
David

I also had an intermittant click. I solved the problem by
tightening the lock ring. You need a special lock ring wrench to do
this, but your LBS will probably lend you theirs.

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:13:56 GMT, "Dave Hallsworth" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop would be
very much appreciated.

Cheers,
David

Pull the bottom bracket and grease all surfaces and reassemble. Make
sure crank arm is tight. Grease the seat post. Tighten the seat clamp.
Check pedal bearings for play. Check your clothing for any loose
change or keys in a pocket.

When I had an SPD cleat/pedal problem, I could *feel* it, not hear it.

Dave Hallsworth said:

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I mean it
will happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of time; this
could be a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite, short 'click',
not a grind or anything like that. I seem to notice it more going uphill.
It happens at the same stage of the pedal cycle (with the left crank at 10
o'clock). It doesn't happen if I peddle with my right foot only (i.e.
left foot unclipped), but does happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my
left foot only. It happens on both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce
it pedalling backwards, or with the bike on the stand. I've tried
tightening / loosening the SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I
ride with normal shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test
it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout, Ultegra hubs
handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs, and I ride
them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and Shimano cleats.

Quoted message said:

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal / cleat,
but I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Mavic tick has to do with Mavic rims. That would not occur only at a
particular pedal position or left foot pedaling only.

At the 10 o'clock position you would be putting close to max power on the
left crank (if I'm visualizing this right), especially when climbing.
Anything from a handlebar stem to a seatpost/saddle could cause a click, but
in your case, I'd suspect either the pedal, the crank attachment to the BB,
or the BB itself.

Check that the pedal is screwed in tight. Borrow a different pedal if
possible to isolate. Check that the crank bolt is tight. Check chainring
bolts for tightness. Add grease or teflon tape to the BB threads.

First make sure it's not something silly like the right crank intermitently
hitting the Front der. If the click isn't getting worse or driving you mad,
learn to live with it.
;->

Art Harris

Dave Hallsworth said:

Hi - I'm sure you get hundreds of these requests, but I'd be extremely
grateful for any help!

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I mean it will
happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of time; this could be
a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite, short 'click', not a
grind or anything like that. I seem to notice it more going uphill. It
happens at the same stage of the pedal cycle (with the left crank at 10
o'clock). It doesn't happen if I peddle with my right foot only (i.e. left
foot unclipped), but does happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my left
foot only. It happens on both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce it
pedalling backwards, or with the bike on the stand. I've tried tightening /
loosening the SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I ride with
normal shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout, Ultegra hubs
handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs, and I ride
them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and Shimano cleats.
The gears are set up pretty much perfectly, and as far as I'm aware (the
bike is second hand from a careful owner), it's never been crashed.

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal / cleat, but
I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop would be
very much appreciated.

Cheers,
David

I had something similar & it turned out to be one of the pins/rollers
on the chain had broken. I had convinced myself it didnt happen when I
pedalled one footed too.

Stan Cox

Stan Cox

Quoted message said:

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal / cleat, but
I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop would be
very much appreciated.

Cheers,
David

To eliminate the possibility of it being the crank/bb connection or
pedal/crank thread you could use some copper anti-seize type grease.
This can eliminate noise/clicking especially where steel and aluminium
are connected together or aluminium to aluminium.

Dave Hallsworth said:

Hi - I'm sure you get hundreds of these requests, but I'd be extremely
grateful for any help!

My bike has developed a intermittent click - by intermittent, I mean it will
happen for a few minute, then disappear for a period of time; this could be
a few minutes, could be an hour. It's a definite, short 'click', not a
grind or anything like that. I seem to notice it more going uphill. It
happens at the same stage of the pedal cycle (with the left crank at 10
o'clock). It doesn't happen if I peddle with my right foot only (i.e. left
foot unclipped), but does happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my left
foot only. It happens on both sides of the SPD. I can't reproduce it
pedalling backwards, or with the bike on the stand. I've tried tightening /
loosening the SPDs with no effect. I haven't noticed it if I ride with
normal shoes, but then again I didn't ride it for long to test it.

The bike is a Raleigh steel frame road bike, Sora throughout, Ultegra hubs
handbuild with Mavic CXP22s. The peddles are Wellgo MTB SPDs, and I ride
them with a relatively cheep pair of Luck road shoes and Shimano cleats.
The gears are set up pretty much perfectly, and as far as I'm aware (the
bike is second hand from a careful owner), it's never been crashed.

My intuition says it's something to do with the left SPD pedal / cleat, but
I've heard something about a 'mavic tick'?

Any suggestions of things I can try before taking it into the shop would be
very much appreciated.

Cheers,
David

It can be almost ANYTHING. Check all the easy things first: spray WD40
on the SPD pedal claws, check the cranks are tight on their spindle,
remove and replace the saddle after cleaning and greasing the rails (the
saddle can be the source of more "pedalling" clicks than you'd credit)
and grease the bar/stem interface. Check everything for cracks while
you're at it.

Finally, remove the bottom bracket, check it spins smoothly and refit it
in the frame with copious amounts of anti-seize. Sod's Law dictated that
this, being the most annoying and time consuming job, was the cure for
my click.

It won't be a stiff link in the chain; this would not happen at the same
point in every crank revolution, or at least only in one gear.

dave-<< but does happen (intermittently) if I peddle with my left
foot only. >><BR><BR>

Overhaul the pedals.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"