For most of the summer, I had a really annoying creak while riding my bike.  While this noise never appeared to impact the performance of the bike, it was just so frustrating to constantly hear it.

Nailing down the source of creaks on a bike can be quite a challenge.  The creak sounded like a bottom bracket creak, but it didn’t come from my bottom bracket (which I had replaced earlier in the year).  I greased my pedals and chainring bolts, which are also common sources of creaks, but that didn’t stop it.

I eventually traced the creak to the back of my bike.  I cleaned and greased my dropouts, but that didn’t solve anything. I cleaned and greased my derailleur hanger and again the noise remained.  I changed out my wheel skewer to a different one. This didn’t work either.  Then I tried switching the rear wheel.  I removed my HED racing wheel, and put on the stock wheel that originally came with my bike.  The creaking stopped!!!

So now I know that the creaking is coming from the wheel, but I don’t know, where on the wheel.  That is going to be my job this weekend… I will try to figure out what needs adjusting or changing on the wheel.  It could be the free hub, the bearings or even the spokes.  Hopefully, I can figure it out and that the solution is a straightforward one.  Wish me luck, it might be a long process…