6
That creak in the bottom bracket that turned into a three-hour hunt
Had a customer bring in a vintage steel road bike with a noise they said was coming from the crank. I figured it was a simple bottom bracket adjustment, maybe an hour tops. After cleaning, greasing, and torquing everything to spec, the noise was still there, loud as ever. I started checking everything else, from the chainring bolts to the pedal threads, even the seat post clamp (you know how sounds can travel). Finally, after almost three hours of going nuts, I found it. The front derailleur cable's metal end cap was just barely tapping the crank arm with every rotation, a tiny click that echoed through the whole frame. I felt so dumb, but also kind of amazed. Has anyone else been sent on a wild goose chase by a noise that turned out to be something totally simple but in a weird spot?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
margareto2617d ago
Honestly, that's such a classic. Was the cable housing just a little too short, or did the cap itself work its way loose over time to get into that spot?
10
milesk2717d ago
That "echoed through the whole frame" part gets me. Did the metal end cap look totally normal, or was it bent just a tiny bit?
6
robin62817d ago
Remember when I thought frame noises always meant something serious? This kind of story totally changed how I check things now.
1