# Knocking noise when peddling



## buffon (Jun 16, 2009)

Sorry if this is a stupid question but im still only a newbie on the road bikes,bought a Giant defy 3 about a month ago and Ive only cycled 180 miles on it..I was out earlier and noticed a slight knocking noise coming in just before my left peddle hit bottom of the rotation.About 20 miles later the knocking noise was getting louder and louder...Definitely not from the pedal and I could feel it through the frame as a went further..Any ideas and am I better off not riding it at all til its looked at???Planned cycling it to work tomorrow???Just thought it strange being a brand new bike..


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## mmoose (Apr 2, 2004)

Pedal with one leg, is it left crank at the bottom or the right at the top
Check your cleats, loose cleats cause a lot of funny noises like this
wiggle the cranks left right to see if there is any play
Check the main crank bolt to see if there is any loosening
check your chain ring bolts to make sure they are still tight
Check your cleats again.

(just had my ride into the shop for the same thing...nothing found, but a general tightening and greasing was performed and no strange noises now)

And, 200 miles is a good time to get the bike back into the shop for the "breakin tune up"...cables stretch and sometimes need to be adjusted, should be built into the price of a new bike from an LBS nowadays.


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## sandiegosteve (Mar 29, 2004)

Had somethign similar once. A bearing in the bottom bracket. You replace that part in whole, so if that is it, then you may not be doing "more" damage.

That said, check it out and when you figure it out, get it fixed. Creaks and squeaks can be very hard to figure out.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

Take it to the shop where you bought the bike and tell them about it.


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## Puchnuts (Oct 9, 2008)

I recently got a Puch 3-speed with an Ashtabula cranks. It too has suddenly developed a knocking with each pedal revolution. 

Any suggestions for this noise from a one-piece crank?


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## fireplug (Nov 19, 2008)

Check to see if both bolts on the left crank arm are tight. My made the same sound...a few rides later the whole crank arm fell off during a ride.


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## everyman (Oct 28, 2007)

Coincidentally...I had a similar prob today -- but on a stationary bike (I also have bikes that actually go places ). It (the sound) had been going on for weeks if not months, until finally it got so bad to the point where I turned the machine upside down and did some serious examination -- the problem was that the chain was too loose and hitting the chain guard. I just tightened the chain by moving the axle back. Now the thing is so quiet, it feels a little strange.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

Puchnuts said:


> I recently got a Puch 3-speed with an Ashtabula cranks. It too has suddenly developed a knocking with each pedal revolution.
> 
> Any suggestions for this noise from a one-piece crank?


Check the bearing cups to be sure they're just snug--tight enough that you can't wiggle the crank side to side, but loose enough that they turn freely. while you're down there, might as well pull everything out (easier than it looks), clean, regrease (or even better, install new bearings, cheap at any bike shop), then reassemble as above. When you get the thing just right, hold the bearing cup with one wrench and tighten the locknut with another, so the cup doesn't turn.
For the OP, before you ride another inch, try pedaling with one foot, then the other, as somebody else described, to see if you can spot the trouble. Before you ride another inch, you could try tightening the crank fixing bolts (the ones that hold the crankarms on). A torque wrench is helpful, but better to do it by feel than to ride 50 miles to the hardware store for the tool.


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## StephenCycle (Jul 17, 2009)

It may be a cracked or damaged bearing - A friend got a cracked bearing on a ride we were doing - I'd get it replaced or at least checked by your LBS. 

I've had a funny experience, 1st time using my step dads cannondale carbon synapse.. there was a clicking coming from it, I was like "Oh no! I've stuffed the BB!" turns out I was just knocking the pedal on his speedo cadence measure 

S


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## Puchnuts (Oct 9, 2008)

I found the Ashtabula-clone had been tightened down so much as to break one of the bearing retainers. Solution - bought a new crankset. Regards the fixed-cups, I'll be putting new ones in with my trusty Park Tool HHP2:

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=51&item=HHP-2

See as no one has added this to the discussion:

http://sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html


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## buffon (Jun 16, 2009)

My lbs said that new bikes often aren't greased enough especially the bottom crank so I left it in to be greased properly,picked it up today and it was slightly better but still knocking.had to take it cause I was on my way to work and didn't have time to go home for the car.Ill bring it back again and let him try again...Very annoying being new at this game cause Im totally clueless.Ill let you know what it was if he sorts the problem


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## seanyboy501 (Jun 28, 2009)

buffon said:


> My lbs said that new bikes often aren't greased enough especially the bottom crank so I left it in to be greased properly,picked it up today and it was slightly better but still knocking.had to take it cause I was on my way to work and didn't have time to go home for the car.Ill bring it back again and let him try again...Very annoying being new at this game cause Im totally clueless.Ill let you know what it was if he sorts the problem


 The experts among us will probably tut at this (I'm pretty clueless with bike mechanics also), but I had the same problem, so my mate took the pedals and cogs off so that I could access the bearings withought having to take them out. I bought some teflon based grease from my LBS (well Halfords). I chucked alot in there so the bearings were surrounded, after a few metres cycling the noise has gone, about 1000 miles later it's still silent. OF course it could be hindering my riding by making it harder to turn the pedals! But at the moment I am unawares and it's been all good so far.


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## g-dawg (Jan 30, 2009)

Check your seat. I had the same problem turns out I adjusted the seat angle and didn't tighten it up enough. I could have swore the noise was coming from the crank or bottom bracket.


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## asciibaron (Aug 11, 2006)

my front derailluer would hit the right crank arm when in the big ring. this sounds like something in the BB though. def. take it to the shop and give them the puzzled n00b look and they will scratch their heads and then give you that same look. demand they look at it.


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## Mr. Bill (Oct 3, 2007)

I experienced something very similar on my last ride - a slight "clunk" just as my right foot passed through the bottom of the stroke. I noticed that it only happened on climbs, and only when in the small ring. I pulled over, got out my multi-tool, and found that three of the bolts holding the small ring to the spider were loose. Tightening them did the trick; no more clunk.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Seriously, RBR has needed a “Creaking and/or Knocking bike sounds” forum thread sticky in *BOLD* letters for quite some time. Yes, people, please start with the pedals before you decide to throw away your nice perfectly good carbon-unobtanium frame bike because of a mysterious clunk that is “obviously” coming from the frame.:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:


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## Lighthouse Cycles (Apr 22, 2009)

This is going to sound odd. But a seatpost shrugging in the seat tube when the frame flexes under peddling pressure can make a noise that seems to be coming from the BB especially when riding out of the saddle. With a metal frame simply grease the seat post. With carbon use that red gritty stuff that's carbon compatible. 
Tim


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

Try wearing a jock strap...


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

See if someone is at the door.


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