Can a frame creak?

[Pete Biggs]

...Not something on or in the frame but the actual frame itself?

I'm having trouble eliminating a loud creaking with my welded titanium Raleigh RSP Timet road bike.
It happens when pedalling or moving on the saddle. Cranks or BB can't be to blame because still
happens when I take feet off the pedals and bounce up and down on the saddle. I can't reproduce it
when standing up or when off the bike.

Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?

thanks ~PB

 

[Sorni]

"Pete Biggs" <pbiggmellon{remove_fruit}[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ...Not something on or in the frame but the actual frame itself?
>
> I'm having trouble eliminating a loud creaking with my welded titanium Raleigh RSP Timet road
> bike. It happens when pedalling or moving on the saddle. Cranks or BB can't be to blame because
> still happens when I take feet off the pedals and bounce up and down on the saddle. I can't
> reproduce it when standing up or when off the bike.
>
> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?

Try removing, cleaning and lubing the seat post binder (clamp and bolt). Also check welds in
vicinity very closely.

Bill "hates creaks with a passion" S.

 

[Brian Ray]

"Pete Biggs" <pbiggmellon{remove_fruit}[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?

My mountain bike had a persistent creak from the saddle area. I greased everything suspect, tried a
few different seat posts, and then took it to my bike shop in defeat.

They reported that the seat tube inner diameter was slightly greater than the nominal 27.2mm and
that the seat post's outer diameters were coincidentally slightly smaller than the nominal 27.2mm.
They had a post floating around with an OD that was closer to the ID of the seat post, and the
creak is gone.

If the other suggestions don't yield a fix, try taking the above measurements.

Good luck,

Brian Ray

 

[Jim & Meg]

The saddle that I had was doing the creaking. I replace it and all noise went away. "Pete Biggs"
<pbiggmellon{remove_fruit}[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> ...Not something on or in the frame but the actual frame itself?
>
> I'm having trouble eliminating a loud creaking with my welded titanium Raleigh RSP Timet road
> bike. It happens when pedalling or moving on the saddle. Cranks or BB can't be to blame because
> still happens when I take feet off the pedals and bounce up and down on the saddle. I can't
> reproduce it when standing up or when off the bike.
>
> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?
>
> thanks ~PB

 

[Don Pickett]

I had a persistent creaking/squeaking coming from somewhere in my saddle/seatpost for a while. It
went away when one of the bolts holding the saddle to the seatpost failed spectacularly in the
middle of the woods.

Check them bolts.

In article <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
<pbiggmellon{remove_fruit}[email protected]> wrote:

> ...Not something on or in the frame but the actual frame itself?
>
> I'm having trouble eliminating a loud creaking with my welded titanium Raleigh RSP Timet road
> bike. It happens when pedalling or moving on the saddle. Cranks or BB can't be to blame because
> still happens when I take feet off the pedals and bounce up and down on the saddle. I can't
> reproduce it when standing up or when off the bike.
>
> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?
>
> thanks ~PB

 

[Pete Biggs]

Brian Ray wrote:

>> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
>> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
>> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
>> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?
>
> My mountain bike had a persistent creak from the saddle area. I greased everything suspect, tried
> a few different seat posts, and then took it to my bike shop in defeat.
>
> They reported that the seat tube inner diameter was slightly greater than the nominal 27.2mm and
> that the seat post's outer diameters were coincidentally slightly smaller than the nominal 27.2mm.
> They had a post floating around with an OD that was closer to the ID of the seat post, and the
> creak is gone.
>
> If the other suggestions don't yield a fix, try taking the above measurements.

Thank you very much for the unusual tip. It worked! Well, it or one of the other tips did
(Thanks to all the other respondees as well).

I refitted my 25.0 post with a 27.2 shim instead of the "correct" 27.0 shim, with a third saddle
and, although tight to make adjustments, NO CREAKS! So I'm not sure if it's the saddle,
regreasing or the shim that's done the trick but at least I know the frame is not about to fall
apart and the bolts themselves are probably ok. Shame this saddle is uncomfortable so still more
combinations to try.

cheers ~PB

 

[Anonymous]

Pete Biggs wrote:

> ...Not something on or in the frame but the actual frame itself?
>
> I'm having trouble eliminating a loud creaking with my welded titanium Raleigh RSP Timet road
> bike. It happens when pedalling or moving on the saddle. Cranks or BB can't be to blame because
> still happens when I take feet off the pedals and bounce up and down on the saddle. I can't
> reproduce it when standing up or when off the bike.
>
> Sounds like it's coming from the seatpost or saddle so I swap them both for others. Same problem
> even though both saddles and posts never used to creak (nor did anything else like this on the
> bike)! Could be a coincidence (I will try more grease/saddles/adjustments, etc but don't have any
> more posts of right size) but is there anything else I should suspect or try?
>
> thanks ~PB

I had a creaking sound using Colnago Chic and Campag Record Carbon 27,2mm. After spending a long
time looking for a broken TIG weld, I eventually stuck a thin bit of rag down the seat tube, which
pushed the seat post over to one of the walls of the seat tube and stabilised it all. Apparently,
the bottom end of this flexy seat post was shifting and pushing small bits of grit around, causing
that "ticking" sound.

With my little fix, that problem should be gone forever. But that rag will probably rot quite nicely
after a few sessions in rain ;-)

/Robert