I get more questions about bicycle noises than just about anything else. Understandably, noises drive people nuts. To help, I’ve put together the following guide organized by noise category. Please keep in mind, however, that one person’s click is the next person’s creak, so I recommend perusing the entire list to find your problem and a solution.

Ideally, this guide would be short and easy to follow, yet there are lots of noises you might encounter and to keep this comprehensive, I keep adding to it. To make it a little easier to find things, noise causers and problems are underlined and the recommended solutions are in red bold.

TIP: Most browsers have a Find function. For example, in Internet Explorer, click Edit and then Find (on this page), type the word or phrase that defines your bicycle noise, then press Enter, and Explorer will find it on this page. You can also search for the bicycle component you think is making the noise, for example, bottom bracket, pedals, wheels, etc.

Also, please let me know if you’ve discovered a new noise or solution, too, and I’ll use them to improve this page (jump to readers' noises and solutions). Many thanks to my regular readers, the readers of RoadBikeRider, and ace mechanic Anthony Alsberg who have offered many excellent noises and cures, and helped ensure that every ride is a quiet ride!

Before jumping into the noises and solutions, a good starting point with all bike noises is isolating where it’s coming from by substituting different parts. For example, if you think the noise is coming from a wheel, install a different one (ask to borrow a friend’s if you don’t have a spare) and see if the noise goes away. If so, you know your noise is wheel related, which will make it much easier to find it. You can use the same technique with any part that can be replaced, such as your pedals, shoes, seat and post, handlebars and stem (a tough one, but possible), and so on.

                              use these quick links to jump to the section that sounds right
       rattles | squeaks | clunks | skipping | clicks | ticks | squeals | creaks | other

Rattles
The most common cause is a loose headset. Play in the headset bearings allows the fork to rattle when you ride over bumps.
Solution: Adjust the headset to remove the play and tighten the headset so it can’t loosen again.

Almost as common are loose Presta valve nuts, the little octagonal or knurled round rings that thread onto Presta valves.
Solution: Snug them, but don’t overtighten or you’ll have trouble getting them off when you need to repair a flat tire. You can also remove them. The tires and tubes will work fine without them. And reader Dan Butler (thanks, Dan!) suggests placing O-rings on beneath the valve nuts to silence them and prevent water entering the rims.

Another common cause is loose cassette cogs, which create a drivetrain rattle, sometimes accompanied by poor shifting.
Solution: Feel for play by trying to move the cogs laterally with your fingers. Use a cassette tool and a large adjustable wrench to tighten Shimano cassettes by tightening the lockring. This also works for Campy cogs. To tighten SunTour and older Shimano models, remove the wheel, place a chain whip on the smallest cog, and turn it clockwise.
Other rattle solutions: Tighten loose bottle cages, bend cages to grip bottles more firmly, make sure seat bag tools can’t hit each other and/or strike the seatpost, and stuff foam helmet pads into the handle of a frame-fit pump to silence the rebound spring.

Squeaks
One common constant squeaker is a poorly lubricated chain.
Solution: Inspect yours. If the rollers are dry and shiny, apply drip or spray lube. On extra dry ones it may take a while for the substance to penetrate and silence the noise. Then keep the chain quiet by lubing it every 2 weeks. Always wipe off the excess to minimize sludgy build-up.

Derailleur pulleys can squeak often sounding like a bird chirping, and you usually know it’s the pulley because the faster you pedal, the louder and faster the pulley squeaks (although models that say sealed on the side don’t).
Solution: Rest your bike on its side and apply a few drops of oil between the pulleys and sideplates to silence them. Wait a few minutes for the lube to penetrate, then wipe off any excess. Still squeaking? You’ll need to remove them, take them apart and grease each part before reassembling. TIP: Do one at a time since they are often dedicated to the top or bottom position and you don’t want to get them mixed up.

Brakes can squeak and squeal, too. This is caused by the brake pads vibrating against the rims.
Solution: For quiet operation, pads must be in good condition and “toed-in,” which means that the front of the pads contacts the rim before the rear. If the pads are several years old, replace them. If they’re striking the rim flat, carefully adjust them so that the front touches before the rear. Most brake pads feature a mechanism for making this adjustment. TIP: If your brake pads are in good shape and toed in and still squeaking, it may be because residue has built up on the rims. Clean them with a solvent, such as lighter fluid and then lightly sand them with medium emery cloth to scuff up the surface of the rims and break up any rubber deposits on the rim.

If there’s a front reflector on your bike, the brake or gear cable housing may rub when you turn causing a squeak.
Solution: Try lightly greasing the reflector’s edge, wrapping the offending section of housing with cloth tape or zip-tieing the housing to the bracket loosely so you can turn without restricting the housing.

Reader Joey Korkames from Phoenix writes: “I had new wheel quick-releases that were the exposed-cam style and the delrin cam-washer would squeak against the quick-release lever surface when rolling over rougher roads (pedaling or not, sitting or not). I tightened the thing far beyond pratical but the brittle plastic and polished-aluminum interface would just always make squeaks with enough vibration applied to it. Solution: I didn’t think to try greasing the washer instead of oiling it at the time, but just outright replaced it with a conventional two-piece quick-release and the squeaking was gone!”

Clunks
If you hear or feel a clunk when pedaling, it’s probably caused by a loose bottom bracket or pedal.
Solution: Check the latter with a pedal wrench, tightening both pedals. The right one is turned clockwise to tighten, the left is turned counterclockwise. To adjust the bottom bracket, remove the crankarms and, with the appropriate tools for your type of bottom bracket, make sure it’s held fast in the frame by tightening the cups and/or adjusting the bearings (as required for your set-up).

Another funny clunk when pedaling is caused by a pump that’s brushing the crankarm on each pedal stroke (usually it’s the head of the pump because it protrudes a bit). Pumps are often made of plastic so you might not think it can cause a noise, but it can.
Solution: Simply reposition the pump so there’s more clearance.

Skipping
Skipping is what happens where your drivetrain has a problem and under hard pedaling, you experience a sudden jerk forward at the pedals as if the chain “skipped” up over the cog and then settled down again. This usually is accompanied by a sort of “crack” or “bang” sound as the chain or cog lets go, and it can surprise you and even cause a crash if you’re not careful.
Solution: First stand next to the bike and pedal backwards looking for a stiff link because stiff links can cause this problem and they’re relatively easy to fix. TIP: If you have a stiff link, you’ll experience skipping in all the gear combinations. You will be able to spot a stiff link as you pedal backwards with your hand and watch the chain pass through the rear derailleur pulleys. A stiff link won’t be able to curve to follow the contours of the pulleys so you’ll see it trip as it goes through. If you spot the stiff link, move the chain so the bad link is in the middle of the chainstay (the lower frame tube between the crank and rear wheel) and then flex the chain sideways at the link to free it.
Sometimes stiff links are caused by corrosion. If you see lots of rust, flexing the link usually won’t free the stiff links.
Solution: You can try applying a penetrating lube and waiting a while to see if it does the trick, but if that doesn't work, you will probably need a new chain.
Skipping is also caused by worn-out chains and cassettes/freewheels. If this is the case, your bike will only skip in one or a few cogs, not all of them.
Solution: You should replace the cassette/freewheel and chain. Besides stopping the skipping and noise, your bike will start shifting well again, too. TIP: Though rarer than skipping caused by worn cassette cogs and chains, skipping can occur when chainrings are worn out, too.
Solution: Replace the chainring.

Clicks/Clicking
Over time wheels can make a clicking noise.
Solution: This happens because where the spokes cross each other, they touch. Over time, the spokes wear slightly, get very dry and start to click as you roll down the road and weigh the spokes making them move slightly and click, click, click. To stop the noise, apply a drop of oil at each spoke intersection. Then go around and squeeze pairs of spokes with your hands, which will let the oil work between the spokes. Finish by wiping off any excess lube. TIP: You may need to do this once a year or so to keep the clicking at bay.

Over time wheels can make a clicking noise #2.
Reader Simon Westlake, reports, “I recently had a clicking problem on a pro lite como wheelset that I could not solve. Initially, I thought it was where the bladed spokes cross over each other. I've had this problem before, but not for a while, as my recent wheels have been spoked radially. So I lubricated each crossover point and was amazed that the clicking persisted. I then gave each nipple, both where the nipple enters the rim and where the spoke enters the nipple, a good spray with Inox. This didn't solve the problem either. As the clicking got worse, I was able to rule out possible causes other than the suspected rear wheel. For instance, Initially it just occurred under load in any gear out of the saddle. Then it started clicking when I was in the saddle. I even considered that it could be the headset as I have had similar clicking from there if there is slight play caused by insufficient tension in the threadless setup—but this stops if you let go of the bars while pedaling, which I did but it had no effect on the clicking.

Bottom bracket creaking is a slightly different noise and I've had this before, but I had installed this one myself and used ridiculous quantities of grease on the threads at the time, so I thought I could safely rule it out as a cause.
Another common one for me and I haven't heard too many other people reporting it, is clicking caused by dry contact between the rear dropout surfaces and the axle/quick-release surfaces. I regularly put a small film of oil on the dropout contact areas to keep this at bay, but I applied more and the clicking persisted.

It wasn't until the clicking got so bad that it was occurring even when I WAS NOT EVEN PEDALING, that I realized it had to be the rear wheel. So, the only parts that I had not lubricated was where the spokes join the hub. I felt this was a remote chance to say the least, but I did it anyway and the clicking continued. There were only two other things that I thought I could do. One was to slide small pieces of paper between the crossover points of the spokes. Even though I had lubricated these points, the paper would rule it out for sure. I didn't get to try this though because my next trick was to solve the problem.

Solution: As said previously, I had flooded the spoke nipples with lube. The nipples are slightly smaller than the rim holes and I had made sure that lube got into this gap as well...... but maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe it needed more. So, I removed the tire, tube and rim tape and sprayed inox directly onto the back of the nipples inside the rim cavity. BINGO, I had a silent bike again. For an obsessive compulsive perfectionist, this is a very important thing. Simply riding along ignoring clicks and creaks is not an option.

If it weren't for the fact that the wheel started to click when I wasn't pedaling, which enabled me to know for sure that it was the rear wheel, I would have had the whole bike in bits - Literally. You see, I'd already lubed the spoke nipples. I'd had the same problem with Mavic MA33's years ago and a quick spray had solved the problem. So, I could have been confident in ruling that area out and moved on to other areas of the bike. It didn't come to this, but it could have. I guess the message here is that it doesn't hurt to pursue one area and redo lube/tightening etc. rather than randomly skip from one area to another without fully exploring the possibilities.”
Thanks to reader Simon Westlake from Perth, Western Australia for this tip.

A crankarm that's slightly loose or inadequately lubed will make a click when you push on that pedal.
Solution: Tighten/or, if that doesn’t work, remove the crankarm, lightly grease the axle and reinstall. TIP: Most crankarms require special tools for removal. If yours are held on by nuts in the sides of the crankarms (usually hidden beneath dustcaps), you can also remove the crankarms by riding the bike, BUT you must do this very carefully to avoid damaging the crankarms. To do it, loosen the bolts, but don't remove them. Then ride a loop on flat ground around your neighborhood so you stay close to home. Pedal with regular pressure. After a few laps the arms should loosen up and you should be able to remove them by hand. What you DON’T want to do is damage the crankarms by pedaling on them when they're loose. So keep checking when you’re riding to see if they are loose enough and don’t ride too far and damage the crankarms because they’re expensive to replace.

Chainring bolts may loosen or be inadequately lubed and click intermittently.
Solution: Check to make sure they’re tight. Still clicking? Try removing, greasing and reinstalling the chainring bolts.

If you hear a longer metallic click when pushing on the right pedal only the chainrings may be flexing allowing the chain, for just a moment to brush against the front derailleur cage making a metallic clicking sound.
Solution: This rubbing noise is essentially rider error. If you pedal in a hard gear (on the large front chainring) at a slow speed, you can easily put too much force on the chainrings causing them to flex and causing the chain to rub against the derailleur cage. Instead, you should shift into an easier gear so that you can spin rather than powering in too high a gear. This is safer for your knees and legs and is a more efficient and effective way to ride your bicycle that will prevent the chain rub/noise.*

*A reader named Anthony, adds, “I had this problem and it turned out my bottom bracket was loose. I only got the rubbing when I was on the large chainring. Solution: After I adjusted the play out of the bottom bracket, the rubbing noise went away.”

If the clicking is constant, it’s probably because you’re riding in an extremely angled gear, such as being on the small chainring and the smallest cog, which puts the chain at an extreme angle as it goes from the inside on the front to the outside on the back. At this extreme angle the chain can brush against the side of the front derailleur cage causing a constant clicking as the metal pins and links bump against the metal derailleur cage.
Solution: Slightly move the shift lever to move the derailleur to clear the chain. This derailleur fine-tuning is called “trimming the front derailleur” and is required when you’ve shifted into extreme gears, sometimes called “crossover gears.” Ideally, you’ll avoid these extreme gears because they can accelerate chain and sprocket wear.

If your titanium frame clicks when you’re pedaling hard or climbing, check your bottom bracket.
Solution: Usually, this click is caused by either a loose or inadequately lubed bottom bracket. Remove the crankarms and with the appropriate tools for your type of bottom bracket, remove the bottom bracket, lube the surfaces in contact with the frame and reinstall the BB making sure it’s tight. If lube doesn't stop the click, try using Teflon tape instead (plumber’s tape). Simply wrap it around the cups and reinstall them.

A loose replaceable derailleur hanger on the frame can cause clicking.
Solution: A lot of new bicycles have pieces bolted on the rear dropout that make it possible to replace the derailleur hanger if it gets bent (the part that the rear derailleur is attached to). These are usually held on with bolts. If the bolts loosen, the hanger can move and make a click noise. To fix this, loosen the bolts, grease the bolts, threads and hanger (where it contacts the frame) and tighten everything securely.

Loose pedals and ones with dry threads can click.
Solution: Make sure the pedal threads (the part that threads into the crankarm) are lubricated and that the pedals are securely tightened. TIP: Use a long wrench and remember that right pedals are turned to the right to tighten; lefts are turned to the left (because they are left-hand threads).
Thanks to RoadBikeRider reader, Alan Medcalf for this tip.

Clicks can be caused by grit, dirt or debris in a pedal bearing.
Solution: To determine for sure if a click is coming from a pedal, temporarily replace the pedal in question with a different one. If that makes the click go away, you know your noise is coming from the pedal. In most cases, you can apply lube to a pedal simply by removing the dustcap on the end of the pedal and squirting in some automobile-weight oil. Rest the bike on its side to let the lube travel throughout the pedal. After that, the click should be better and possibly go away. If not, you may need to overhaul the pedal (disassembly, cleaning, relubing and reassembly) or replace it.

Handlebars and stems can click, too.
Solution: To quiet handlebars, loosen the stem binder bolt, slide the bar’s clamped portion sideways, sand it lightly with emery cloth, apply grease to the bar and bolt(s), reassemble, tighten and wipe everything clean.

Brake levers can click.
Solution: Tighten the levers.

Pedal and wheel reflectors can cause clicks.
Solution: Tighten the reflectors, if possible, or reposition them, or lubricated the fasteners or contact points.

Quick releases may click.
Solution: Tighten the quick release (this will make it harder to close the lever). You may also need to lubricate the parts of the quick release and then tighten it, because if the small parts have become dry, that can cause clicks, too.

Front derailleurs can click. “The clamp-on front derailleur on my titanium Merlin Extralight was causing an irregular clicking sound like a hot car engine cooling.”
Solution: “Turns out that the force of pedaling deforms one side of the seat tube (and/or pulling on the shifter cable) just enough to cause friction between the clamp and seat tube, and a little anti-seize took care of the problem.”
Thanks to reader Ben Gustafson for this tip!

Hubs can make a clicking sound as well. “The bearing preloads on some hubs are affected by how tight the quick release is tightened. When they’re not tight enough they click (American Classic front hubs are notorious for this).”
Solution: You need to tighten the QR until it becomes very difficult to open it later on; but it does stop the noise. Also, it’s really hard to determine if it’s the hub or the bottom bracket, so tighten one and if it’s still a problem, tighten the other — use a torque wrench with the BB however.
Thanks to RoadBikeRider reader, Andy Meyer of Tucson, Arizona for this tip.

Cable housing sections can click as you turn the handlebars to steer.
Solution: Lubricate the point where the housing ends enter the frame stops. Often, the end of the cable housing has a metal or plastic cap (called a "ferrule"). This can move when you turn the bars and make clicking noises. The end of the housing can also move inside the ferrule and make noise. Usually, applying a few drops of medium-weight oil to the ferrule, the housing and the frame stop will stop the clicking.

For Clicking that goes away when you stand.
Solution: This is probably seat related. Spray a little lube where the rails connect to the seatpost. Also, tighten the seatpost bolt that tightens the saddle. TIP: If it’s loose, you may need to level your seat first because it may have moved.

And, be sure to check the seatpost binder bolt, too, the one that passes through the frame to tighten the seatpost in the frame.
Solution: Remove the seatpost binder bolt, grease the threads and outside surface where it contacts the frame, and reinstall it.

Another source if you ride a dual-suspension or folding bike is the pivot points.
Solution: Check that all pivot bolts are snug and if the pivots do not contain bearings apply a few drops of lube (if there are bearings they should be sealed and not require lube), work the suspension or hinge (on folding bikes), and wipe off any excess lube.

Water bottle screws and bosses (the part in the frame) can click.
This click is less likely on steel frames because the water-bottle bosses are welded into, and part of the frame, however, on many aluminum and composite frames, the bosses are glued and/or mechanically fastened, which means they might move (a full small water bottle weighs about 1.5 pounds, so the bolts and bosses are working, not just sitting there). Also, even if the bosses are tight, and even on steel frames, loose or dry water-bottle-cage bolts may click.
Solution: Try lubricating the boss and bolts and tightening the bolts. Still click? Try removing the bolts, applying Teflon tape to them and reinstalling. If the click remains, you may need to repair the frame bosses. You can try to epoxy loose bosses to hold them in place, but this is usually a temporary solution at best. Most manufacturers offer the tools and parts to repair and replace bosses, however, it’s a little tricky and it’s best to let your bike shop do the work so you don’t accidentally damage your frame.

Clicks can also be caused by cracks in the frameset.
Solution: Listen carefully to try to determine what part of the frame the noise is coming from and then inspect that area for cracks (it’s best to clean the frame first so that debris can’t hide the defect). Common failure points include tube intersections, especially at the bottom bracket and fork crown, and also the dropouts. If you think you see a crack but aren’t sure, try pushing sideways on the frame with your foot, which will usually open the crack making it more visible. If you find a crack or think you’ve found one, stop riding the bike and visit your bike shop for an expert opinion. Some framesets will be replaced under warranty, though the shop will charge labor to switch the parts over in most cases.

Ticks
You hear a tick with each pedal revolution.
Solution: Is the front derailleur cable protruding and striking the crankarm with every pedal stroke? If so, bend the cable so it can’t touch the crankarm.

With each pedal revolution you hear a tick.
Solution: Is the front derailleur adjusted wrong and slightly too far out so that it strikes the crankarm with each pedal revolution? Take a close look at the back of the crankarm. If the derailleur cage has been brushing against the arm, the cage will scrape a little line in the back of the crankarm (if this gets deep enough it can cause the crankarm to break). Fix the noise by fine-tuning the front derailleur high-gear limit screw to limit the derailleur cage so it can’t touch the crankarm.

With each pedal revolution you hear a loud click.
Solution: If you have a kickstand, check to make sure that the crankarm isn’t striking it on each revolution.
Solution: If necessary, loosen the kickstand, adjust it so that it misses the crankarm and tighten it. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN or you may (depending on how your kickstand is mounted) crush the frame tubes.

On your new bike you hear a soft tick, tick, tick, tick and the faster you go, the faster it gets.
Solution: Look on the side of the tires to see if there are tiny, long rubber fingers protruding. These sometimes remain after the tire manufacturing process and if they’re long enough, they may strike the chainguard or frame. While this won’t cause any damage, it can drive you batty trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. Simply cut them off with a pair of scissors.

Squeals
The most common source of squealing or squeaking is the brakes. This is caused by the brake pads vibrating against the rims.
Solution: For quiet operation, pads must be in good condition and “toed-in,” which means that the front of the pads contacts the rim before the rear. If the pads are several years old, replace them. If they’re striking the rim flat, carefully adjust them so that the front touches before the rear. Most brake pads feature a mechanism for making this adjustment. TIP: If your brake pads are in good shape and toed in and still squeaking, it may be because residue has built up on the rims. Clean them with a solvent, such as lighter fluid and then lightly sand them with medium emery cloth to scuff up the surface of the rims and break up any rubber deposits on the rim.

Creaks
The common culprit here is clipless pedals and cleats.
Solution: Make sure the cleats are tight and lubricate the cleat mating surfaces with wax, spray lube, Armor All or some other friction reducer. You may need to experiment to determine what works best for your particular brand and model of clipless pedals. TIP: Just be sure not to walk into your living room with your freshly lubed cleats and track grease across your carpets!

Another source if you ride a dual-suspension or folding bike is the pivot points.
Solution: Check that all pivot bolts are snug and if the pivots do not contain bearings apply a few drops of lube (if there are bearings they should be sealed and not require lube), work the suspension or hinge (on folding bikes), and wipe off any excess lube.

Water bottle screws and bosses (the part in the frame) can creak.
This creak is less likely on steel frames because the water-bottle bosses are welded into, and part of the frame, however on many aluminum and composite frames, the bosses are glued and/or mechanically fastened, which means they might move (a full small water bottle weighs 1 pound 7 ounces, so the bolts and bosses are working, not just sitting there). Also, even if the bosses are tight, and even on steel frames, loose or dry water-bottle-cage bolts may creak.
Solution: Try lubricating the boss and bolts and tightening the bolts. Still creak? Try removing the bolts, applying Teflon tape to them and reinstalling. If the noise remains, you may need to repair the frame bosses. You can try to epoxy loose bosses to hold them in place, but this is usually a temporary solution at best. Most manufacturers offer the tools and parts to repair and replace bosses, however, it’s a little tricky and it’s best to let your bike shop do the work so you don’t accidentally damage your frame.

“I had a mystery creak on my carbon bike that would appear on each hard pedal revolution.”
Solution: It turned out that it was caused by the front fork dropouts, which were covered in a kind of “plastic chrome” that was flaking off, making an uneven surface. Sanding it off solved the problem.
Thanks to RoadBikeRider reader, Joseph M. VanLeuven of Glasgow, Scotland for this tip.

“My bicycle is an 2007 Raleigh Competition, which is equipped with an Easton EA70 carbon fork. The bike came with a stack of 5 5mm headset spacers beneath the stem. I replaced them with a single 25mm spacer from Chris King. My creaking noise came when I would get out of the saddle on steep climbs. I went through many potential causes and fixes with no change. Then one evening the old light bulb went off. Surely, I thought, there must be some amount of deflection in the fork steerer tube when I stand and climb a steep grade. Could this deflection be causing the noise? Solution: I removed the stem and spacer and lightly lubed the steerer, and each contact surface as I reassembled. I also snugged the assembly down a bit more than I had in the past, being careful not to preload the bearings too much. And YES, the noise has gone away!”
Thanks to reader Dave Elkow from Corbin, Kentucky for this super tip.

Other
“I developed a strange noise, neither a tick nor a click, more like a course rubbing. It was worse over rough surfaces, and much worse when I stood to climb and the bike rocked side-to-side. It became a joke with my riding buddies. They made a fuss about staying clear saying my bike might fall to pieces at any moment.”
Solution: I tried everything even rebuilding the wheels, yet the noise persisted. Finally I looked at my speedo magnet. It is a small metal case with a round magnet inside. The case had obviously been hit by a stone as the magnet was loose. I removed it, crimped the metal casing down onto the magnet with pliers and refitted it to the wheel. Silence!”
Thanks to RoadBikeRider reader, Phil Sheard of New Zealand for this tip.

“Noise 1. A few years ago I had a custom made Bruce Gordon Steel frame bike that started making a click whenever I pushed pretty hard while riding in the sitting position. The noise or click happened on nearly every down stroke of the right pedal, near the bottom of the stroke. This about made me go mad. I had looked at everything, chainring bolts, crank bolts, bottom bracket, seat to seat post connection, stem to bars, stem to steer tube connection, all to no avail. One ride I stopped with a friend and I was determined that I would either solve the noise, or at least be able to find a way to recreate it, so I could study it further in my shop. While standing beside the road, we discovered that if you "loaded" it by pushing down on the left crankarm real hard (with the crankarm horizontal and forward) with your hand, then backpedaled 180 degrees, the noise would usually appear. This was good enough for me. Later, back in my shop, I retested the loading procedure and it still worked. I got down my handy dandy auto stethoscope that used to find noisy bearings in your car, and inserted them in my ears.
Solution: After several attempts, I homed down the noise to the middle of the seatpost. Not the top or bottom, the middle. I tightened the seat binder bolt, and it did nothing. It was already tight, anyway. I then loosened and removed the seatpost, and noted that it had grease on it, but not overly wet with grease. I then made sure it was clean, regreased and installed it back in the seat tube and Voila, problem absolutely solved. I have had to do this every couple of years, every time the noise reappears. Evidently the light-gauge tubing will torque just enough that it twists against the more rigid seatpost, and when the grease wears thin, it will make a faint click. Who’d a thought?

Noise 2. I have a Orbea Orca that is about two years old now. I run wheels that have DT 240 hubs, 10-speed Shimano Dura-Ace. I was getting a noise that I swore was coming from the bottom bracket area. I used a stethoscope with an aluminum probe that you can buy from the Auto Supply that is used to isolate bearing noises like you might find under the hood of your engine.
Solution: To make a long story short, using the stethoscope, I found that it was coming from somewhere near the rear dropouts. I checked the bolt on the rear derailleur hanger thingy and it was tight. I put a thin coat of Phil Wood grease on all four faces of the rear dropouts and the noise was gone. I did it last year and had to do it again one time this year.

Noise 3. Drivetrain noise after installing a new chain. I have an Orbea Orca with wheels that have DT 240 hubs, 10-speed Shimano Dura-Ace transmission. First I just changed the chain with a new Shimano Dura-Ace 10-speed chain just like the one I had. The noise appeared. I had a new (expensive) cassette, just like my old worn one, but was hoping I could squeak another year out of the old one. But since I hated the noise, I went ahead and put the new cassette on. Keep in mind, the old one did not skip, like they will usually do if they are worn bad. Well the noise was still there. It was a kinda normal noise, only it was quite a bit too loud. Kinda like running a clean dry chain.
I used a stethoscope with an aluminum probe that you can buy from the Auto Supply that is used to isolate bearing noises like you might find under the hood of your engine.
Solution: When I touched the stethoscope to the bottom idler wheel of the rear derailleur, it screamed in my ear. It wasn’t the bearings making the noise, it was the chain slapping the wheel, only in a manner that made a lot of noise. Nothing was out of line at all. Scratching my head, I removed the guilty idler wheel and examined it, and it looked unworn and almost pristine. I decided to install it backwards, and let it rotate the other direction, figuring it might at least change the noise. It made the drivetrain almost silent again!”
Thanks to Steve Bales for these 3 tips!

“I could not find the solution to a loud and irritating clicking that was happening whenever I turned the pedals on my bike. (Probably because the cause of the clicking would have been obvious to most riders!) The clicking itself was loud, distinct and would increase in speed and intensity the harder I pedaled.
Solution: Having gone over the rear derailleur and taken apart the rear wheel hub I realized that after recently removing the chain to clean it, I had put it back so that it ran over (and not under, if that makes any sense) a small metal guard situated between the pulleys of the rear derailleur. Of course I laughed at my stupidity (I had cut short a training ride because the noise was irritating me so much) and I’m not sure that such a basic error deserves a mention on your list — I thought however that I would share it with you in case anyone else manages to do the same thing.”
Thanks to Edward Hollingsworth!

“I had a creak used to come from my alloy handlebar/stem area when pulling on the handlebars. Tightening the stem on the handlebars made no difference to the creak. Some time later the left handlebar snapped off whilst I was commuting home at night in Edinburgh traffic. I was lucky — only bruises, grazes and a cracked rib.
Solution: I should have checked the handlebars for any signs of cracking at the stem interface and replaced the handlebars if I found any cracks or other signs of metal fatigue.”
Thanks to Julian Kettle for this excellent piece of safety advice related to bike noises!

“I own a Litespeed Siena (titanium) with Dura-Ace 20 groupset. My bike started making a clicking/creaking sound that I thought was coming from the bottom bracket area. It only manifested when pushing hard into the pedals especially when standing. I read all the tips on your site and followed them all to the letter, but to no avail the noise still persisted. I then changed the bottom bracket, chain, rear block, pedals and rebuilt the hub on my rear wheel with new axle and cartridge bearings, but still with no success!! I tried swapping all the components one by one, wheels, pedals, chainset etc... but still the noise remained. At this point I was at a loss and contacted several bike shops and spoke to their mechanics, and explained my problem to them and what I'd done to try and rectify it. They all came to the same conclusion as myself at this point, as I'd tried every possibility systematically and the problem still remained, the only possibility that remained was a cracked frameset, (rare on high-end titanium, and very expensive to replace). At this point I was glum to say the least!! So I sat and had a long think about the noise, when it started, had I replaced or added any parts to the bike, etc... ”
Solution: “It was then I remembered/realised I'd fitted a new composite (carbon) bottle cage, surely that couldn't be the cause of the noise?!! After all I'd taken out the bolts copperslip greased them and reinstalled them tightly as recommended on your website. So I reinstalled the old aluminium cage and hey, presto, no more noise!! I even put the composite cage back on to be sure and the noise returned. The composite cage must have been making contact with the frame when the frame was flexing under load when pushing hard into the pedals, a very expensive and frustrating lesson for me to say the least. Maybe my story will help others realise that noises coming from their bike may just be down to a composite bottle cage, especially if their frame is titanium.”
Thanks to Gavin Wood, Hartlepool, the UK!

“I recently installed a new pair of ZiPP 404 tubular wheels on my Guru Geneo carbon bicycle. The first time I took the bike out with the new wheels was on a century ride. Immediately, I knew something was strange. A loud clicking noise was clearly evident with each rotation of the wheels, but only under load. Spinning the wheels while I was not on the bike would not reproduce the noise. Every time I passed someone on the ride or someone would pass me, I would get, 'Dude, your crank is hitting your cadence sensor.' I stopped and examined the crank sensor proximity and all was well.”
Solution: “Once I got home, I had the time to check things out. It turns out that the valve stem on the tubular tires was loose and moving under pressure and striking the rim making the noise. To fix it, I cut a 1-inch length of black electrician's tape, folded it in half (backwards so the adhesive would not stick) and cut a small slit centered in the tape width. I then slid the tape over the valve stem and secured it to the wheels and the stem to keep the stem from moving. Silence is golden.”
Thanks to reader Michael Kravit for this tip!

“I’ve recently had a situation that was driving me and my riding companions a little crazy. My bike developed a loud click on each pedal revolution. I was told this might be related to my cranks and/or pedals. Both were inspected by me and found not to be a problem. Various adjustments were made to the rear derailleur too, to no avail. The local bike shop only managed to suggest that I was cross-gearing... which I was certain I was not, having been warned not to do that previously. So, I thought I may simply have to put up with this.”
Solution: “I then noticed that when I took off my Nike shoes that they rattled (and they hadn’t always done this). The shoes are equipped with several attachment points for cleats, one set of which wasn’t being used by my Look cleats – and the bracket/plate for the unused attachments was moving backwards and forwards through the pedalling motion. So, some modelling clay stuffed into the bottom of the shoe to hold the spare plate fixed the problem... there was no other way to tighten or remove the unused plate. Hope this is of some interest!”
Thanks to reader Peter from Perth, Western Australia for this tip!

“My issue was a ticking noise once per crank revolution.”
Solution: “I’ve now learned to tuck in the laces on my new SPD shoes (embarrassed).”
Thanks to reader John Mallard from Bournville, UK for this tip!

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