Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Handlebar Creaking?

3K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Captain Crash 
#1 ·
Does anyone else have this problem on their singlespeed?
I notice that when I am climbing and I am really "torqing" and placing pressure on the handlebars, I hear a creaking sound coming from my stock handlebar--Truvativ AL-6061.
I have checked it and it seems to be totally tight so I am not sure if this is just normal for a singlespeed or something of concern.
Has anyone else experienced this creaking sound?
Is this the prelude to it breaking or am I just being paranoid? :confused:
 
#2 ·
yes....I have heard what I think might be from the bar. the problem is that it may or may not come from the bar....I completely tore the front end apart.....then put it back together and the creak had lessened but was and is still there. i think the logical thing (for us) to do is put on another bar and try it out to see if it is in fact the bar. All my other bars are oversized but I just bought a new 25.4 bar and will try it out or just put the stem and bar from another bike on if that in case it is the stem and the creaking continues. problem is it could be something as trivial as something in the headset creaking etc....
 
#3 ·
i hear yuh.....when I did it last I pretty much greased up all the bolts which helped, but still a creak but I am confident it is nothing to worry about. perhaps the problem is that once you single speed you crave complete silence. i found it amazing when i rode my FS the other day (first time since October) that what definitely used to be taken for granted was just so obivous.
 
#5 ·
check stem

pinkdirt said:
Does anyone else have this problem on their singlespeed?
I notice that when I am climbing and I am really "torqing" and placing pressure on the handlebars, I hear a creaking sound coming from my stock handlebar--Truvativ AL-6061.
I have checked it and it seems to be totally tight so I am not sure if this is just normal for a singlespeed or something of concern.
Has anyone else experienced this creaking sound?
Is this the prelude to it breaking or am I just being paranoid? :confused:
I had a creakey handle bar, I was running a ti-teck helbent riser bar and a short 80mm RF prodigy stem. I tried the bike out at a bmx track, and could see the stem flexing as I was waiting on the starting gate, scarry. I replaced with a 90mm thomson and a awnser protaper 2in riser bar and no more squeak and much stiffer, I changed the bar cause the titec was older and heavy. I still don't think it would squeak if I had only changed the stem, but found a good deal on a lighter better bar. no more visible flex on the starting gate either, lighter and stiffer and stronger, not really cheap though.
 
#6 ·
Okay, thanks I will test out some of your advice.
I have a stronger bar that I can swap out and see if the creaking stops.
I don't see any flex, it's just a little unnerving on the ride when I start envisioning the "creak" leading to a snapped bar and a face endo.
:eek:
 
#8 ·
Yea I just fixed my creaking after 1 1/2 years too. I just sprayed some prolong silicone lube in the threads and bolted it in, no more creaking. I think I was able to tighten the bolts more because there was less friction so the handle bar clamp was tighter.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Grease...

pinkdirt said:
Okay, thanks I will test out some of your advice.
I have a stronger bar that I can swap out and see if the creaking stops.
I don't see any flex, it's just a little unnerving on the ride when I start envisioning the "creak" leading to a snapped bar and a face endo.
:eek:
Obi's version of a T.S.B.(Technical Service Bulletin)-Follow these Steps:

FYI: Be sure to read specific notes denoted by a "*".

1.Grease Everything! Bearings, Race, Cups to Frame, spacers(excludes carbon-wet sand them to get rid of imperfections or use some Chris King plastic shims), steerer tube, stem bolts(both face and clamp), deburr the stem face surfaces, grease the face surfaces(excluding carbon bar use). Torque all to spec, and it should cure your woes.
*note 1: Watch your torque specs when playing with carbon.

*note 1.5~subnote: DO NOT USE GREASE WITH CARBON.
IF GREASING BOLTS, DO NOT ALLOW GREASE TO CONTACT IT.

*note 2:Advise as far as a Thomson Stem and seatpost: Grease as much as possible, they're notorious for those small creaks too.

*note 3: With some Stem/Headset combinations a Chris King plastic headset shim will remedy the creak from the stem/spacer/headset surface junctions.

3. Check to be sure that your steerer tube isn't contacting the top cap. Stems should never be raised so that the steerer tube drops below the midpoint of your uppermost stem clamp bolt. This will not only cause creaking, but a dangerous situation as not enough steerer tube is contacted by the clamp services.

4. Smile that you've solved your problem. If not see 5.

5. Bang your head on a wall, seek the help of your wonderful LBS Guru(s), or pm Obi for advice(or sympathy).
 
#11 ·
Also.....

Check the race on your steer-tube for tightness. Clean it, re-grease it, and the lower headset cup/bearing while you're at it.
If creaking persists after doing this and the other procedures mentioned above in other posts, your next thing to check would be the front quick-release. Clean & grease it.
Lastly, if that doesn't remedy the problem, it's your forks steer-tube/crown/stanchion junctions that are giving you problems.
 
#12 ·
Me 2

pinkdirt said:
Does anyone else have this problem on their singlespeed?
I had the exact same problem with my 2 bolt (120mm) bonty stem. I replaced it with a much stouter (and shorter, 80mm) 4 bold freeride stem (from weyless for $10). Problem solved for good. No lube needed, ever.

HTH
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top