Clicking noise when pedaling

[dcbriggo]

I have a Specialized Sequoia. Everytime I'm pedaling, there is a light 'click' that i hear which seems to come from the front sprocket or right pedal. I hear the click once per pedal revolution and it seems more prevalent when I have to apply pressure on the pedal, such as when I'm going up a hill. I checked, but can't find any loose connections. Any suggestions on the cause?

[jwcutler]

I've been tracking down the same thing on my Cannondale Synapse. It clicks at roughly the 5:30-6:00 position on the right side. If I put more pressure on the left pedal that gets rid of the click for a couple revolutions.
I have tried a new chain (needed one anyway), new bottom bracket (the plastic left side retainer was cracked), tightened the chainring bolts, tightened the cassette, and found one of the pedals needs replacing (can't rebuild.)
I have taken the bike for a short ride after each fix - will do the pedals today, and although the noise still pops up it is mostly gone, but I will wait until a good ride on a trail rather than our kidney busting local roads.
I've heard everything from these solutions to seat posts, headsets, and maybe sunspots. I would start by tightening up the above listed components, taking care to well grease everything.
Good luck!

[dcbriggo]

(05-27-2011, 08:02 AM)jwcutler Wrote:  I've been tracking down the same thing on my Cannondale Synapse. It clicks at roughly the 5:30-6:00 position on the right side. If I put more pressure on the left pedal that gets rid of the click for a couple revolutions.
I have tried a new chain (needed one anyway), new bottom bracket (the plastic left side retainer was cracked), tightened the chainring bolts, tightened the cassette, and found one of the pedals needs replacing (can't rebuild.)
I have taken the bike for a short ride after each fix - will do the pedals today, and although the noise still pops up it is mostly gone, but I will wait until a good ride on a trail rather than our kidney busting local roads.
I've heard everything from these solutions to seat posts, headsets, and maybe sunspots. I would start by tightening up the above listed components, taking care to well grease everything.
Good luck!

Yes, that is the exact same location where I hear the click. I'll try tightening things up and hope the sun spots don't play havoc on the components. Thanks!

[jwcutler]

As a follow-up, I put new pedals on and went for a short neighborhood ride - raining of course...
The bike was virtually silent. The old pedals, Shimano XTs, had some play so I'm chalking it up
to that at this point. Hope you get yours taken care of ASAP!

[mmetz105]

My opinion is that you have a bad or worn bearing in the pedal. If you lift your foot off that side the 'clicking' should stop if it is in the pedal. Some pedals you can replace the bearings and other pedals are sealed so you have to purchase new. Hope this helps

[JohnV]

Glad to see this thread as I posted in another thread that I was having the same problem.

[dcbriggo]

OK, I'm slowly going insane since I have not been able to get rid of the clicking noise. I'll try lifting my foot off the pedal and see if that identifies the problem. Thanks for the advice.

[jwcutler]

(06-17-2011, 06:34 AM)dcbriggo Wrote:  OK, I'm slowly going insane since I have not been able to get rid of the clicking noise. I'll try lifting my foot off the pedal and see if that identifies the problem. Thanks for the advice.

You might try swapping out pedals if you have an old set laying around. My problem was in the pedals and the new set took care of it right away. I wish I had tried swapping out a set before I went through all the rest

[SCoates]

I've had the same problem on two newly built Surly LHT's. The pedals were not tight enough. I tightened them very hard with an approx 6 inch spanner, this fixed the problem, that was 15000km back, still no clicking.

[dcbriggo]

mmetz105 is a genius! By removing my right foot and then my left foot, I found the clicking stopped when I clicked out of the left pedal. A little lubricating oil on said pedal and then a 62-miler without a sound. Thank you!

[BikeCrazyAgain]

I'll have to try these suggestions, too. I just bought a Specialized Tricross, which is a blast to ride, but that little click is making me nuts. It stops when I don't pedal and it changes (temporarily) when I shift gears, so I thought it might be a drivetrain adjustment on a new bike. But it could be the pedal, I suppose. They're new, too, of course.

[berchca]

I found this thread googling for the solution for my own clicking noise, and wanted to chime in and say that changing the pedals fixed it.

Thanks all!

[Dustin Honour]

Thank you so much! It was driving me crazy.

[cny-man]

Many of you who fixed the problem by replacing pedals may have jumped the gun. Yes, the pedals themselves sometimes cause clicking problems, but in my experience that accounts for maybe 5% or less of clicking problems. Usually it is because the pedal cage is no longer solid, *rarely* is it a bearing problem - there's nothing in the operation of a bearing that would often cause a clicking sound. Often people replace the pedals and in the process both pedals are tightened more than before. Sometimes a shop will replace them on a customer's request and tighten the crank arms as well. Before someone reads this thread and jumps to a conclusion, investigate the more common causes. An excellent guide to clicks, etc. can be found at: http://sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html

It also helps to use some logical thinking. The chain, rear cogs, wheel/hub and derailleur pulleys do not rotate at the same rate as the cranks, so cannot generally be the cause of clicking. One exception would be at the interface of the hub flats and q/r skewer with the dropout, where the leaning back and forth under heavy pedaling may cause a click if there is not a solid connection.