Bike maintenance help

[Quentin]

So I'm hearing a lot of creaking from my bike when I stand up to pedal and I'm pretty sure it's the BB (after my last tune-up they told me it would need replacing soon.)

So my options are: take it to a LBS and have them replace it or replace it myself.

If I have a shop do it, who would you recommend?

If I replace it myself am I going to save enough money to make it worth the hassle?
I would think labour for replacing a BB isn't that much, is that a correct assumption?

If I do it myself, which BB do I order?
Written on the BB is: "BC1.37x24 ROAD"; one side says "DB" and other "CL".

[jeremy]

I've had some creeks in my bike, you might wanna check out a few other quick fixes first before you replace your BB. Take out your seat post, clean the post and the post hole, Do the same with your handle bars and the front stem. My bike was making some squeeky sounds and after cleaning those out it was running silent. Also take your pedals off, clean and grease the threads.
Or do like some of our club members do, go buy a new bike

[AlW]

I had creaking problems on my winter bike as well. Replacing the BB did not resolve the problem. Turned out to be the seat post. A bit of grease eliminated the problem.

Note that if either the frame or post is carbon, I believe friction paste is the recommended solution.

[bikehart]

It could also be the chain rings...take them apart, clean and reassemble with loctite.

[Rolf]

If Kreek's on your bike, just ask him to get off; he's an amiable sort.

[JohnT]

Pedals and crank arms also make noises - just ask Alan C. about that.

JT

[Lister Farrar]

If Kreek's on your bike, just ask him to get off; he's an amiable sort.

lol Does the noise sound like an off-key version of O Canada?


re doing it yourself, a lot depends on your time and interest in knowing how to do this stuff. I started as a teenager with no money, so diy still appeals. But stuff can go wrong and delay the job if you're not in a shop. I do my own (and family, friends) bb's, but every now and then with a seized one, I need to take it to the shop for the big tools. Good mechanics also see other stuff that should be done before it gets expensive.

Choose mechanics carefully. One shop replaced a bottom bracket for a creak in my mtb with an expensive one, that turned out to not be the bb at all. (But the same shop did a great job on a warranty suspension fork issue). Then they couldn't fix that problem. Fairfield could, including installing a helicoil (steel thread liner) in the rear suspension pivot, and finding matching bolt, despite full suspension mtb's not being their specialty.

Also depends on the bike. Proprietary BB's are becoming more common, and for eg, you might find a Trek (do they have them?) one only at Procity, or Cannondale at Fort.

Mechanics with good reputations in town include Max at Fairfield (my go-to guy for my older bikes, custom parts (he machined custom bolts for my wife's bike), and an encyclopedic knowledge of parts and dimensions), and weirdo fits for frankenbikes), Troy at Procity, Gerry at Straight Up (especially Campagnolo), Gabor at Fort, and I'm sure there are others.

If you want to learn to do it yourself, Craig Toker at Missing Link School offers mechanics courses from basic adjustment through full tear down with full park tool kits in an immaculate shop.

If I showed you, I'd have to clean up my shop...hmm, maybe that's an idea! Let me know if you'd like that option.

[John D]

If you want to learn to do it yourself, Craig Toker at Missing Link School offers mechanics courses from basic adjustment through full tear down with full park tool kits in an immaculate shop.

I took Craig's 18hr bike tech course with some friends two years ago. We each brought along an older bike and totally overhauled them. I've since been able to do most of my own basic repairs and maintenance. For bigger jobs, even if you can't fix it yourself, Craig teaches you how to diagnose problems before going to you LBS. As an added bonus, he even offers a life-time 20% discount on all parts and tools that you order through him.

I consider it to have been money well spent.

John