Ti frame, rear skewer creak, what would you try

[avalonracing]

Other than a well running drive train and a freewheel clicking I HATE noises on my bikes. My bikes are all but silent and I will not put up with creaks, clicks or rattles.

That said, I have a noise and I know what it is and how to make it stop but I just want to really make it permanently stop.

Under a high-power load (standing climb) the back wheel wheel will make a tick/creak noise toward the bottom of the pedals stroke. The thing is it doesn't do it early in the ride it only starts after I've been riding for a while (after a few decent climbs, or an hour, or whatever). To fix it all I have to do is open the already very tight skewer and move it or tighten it a tiny bit more and the noise stops.
The wheel is fine and works perfectly without sound on my Klein, it is the wheels skewer interface. I would say that maybe the skewer is stretching a tiny bit as I ride and it is enough to make it just loose enough to make the noise but that sucker is really quite tight when I open it.

The frame: Late model Merlin CR 3.25 works
The wheelset: Easton EA90 SLX aluminum clinchers
The skewers: the Easton skewer that came the wheels

I could probably take care of it by putting on a Dura Ace skewer but I don't want to as my current skewers are light, black and match the wheel.

So that said would you?
a) put a tiny bit of grease/anti-seize on the dropouts?
b) but a tiny bit of Ritchey Liquid Torque (carbon prep) on the dropouts?
c) something else that I haven't thought of?

Thoughts?

[dave thompson]

Lightly lube the cam of the skewer too. Plus a).

[Pete Serotta]

Grease and tight is first and then a Salsa skewer tight. I am hard of some hearing but these have worked for friends

[Cat3roadracer]

I have had this happen before. Grease the entire skewer, pivots and threads. Not lube, but a thick synthetic grease. I would also recommend Ti Prep anti sieze on your bottom bracket threads. I had a creak earlier in the season and a bottom bracket service did it.

[ultraman6970]

The problem is that piece of plastic that is in the quick release, gets old and dry and start creaking like crazy, one of the things is are u sure is the rear one??? Usually is the front one that creaks because of the nature of the fork, but in the rear is really rare that happen. Put heavy quick releases in both wheels and see what happens, personally i believe is the front one, not the rear one.

Solutions:

- U could get another quick release
- add grease to the plastic thingy
- and probably the most important of all, stop being a weight weenie :P

[John H.]

Do what everyone else said- but also pitch the skewers.
Run Dura-Ace or Campy skewers and you will never have problems.

[Pete Serotta]

Do what everyone else said- but also pitch the skewers.
Run Dura-Ace or Campy skewers and you will never have problems.


2 good options

[avalonracing]

Definitely not the BB and it's not the front. Again when I retighten the rear it goes away... Usually for the rest of the ride. It's also probably the fact that my bike is nice and cool in the house and then I take it out in 90ºF for a few hours it doesn't like the heat change any more than I do.

[WickedWheels]

Do what everyone else said- but also pitch the skewers.
Run Dura-Ace or Campy skewers and you will never have problems.

Totally agreed. Mavic isn't a bad option either. All of these have a metal on metal cam action head rather than putting pressure on what is essentially a plastic washer.

[dana_e]

dura ace

[irideti]

I gave up ligthweight skewers a long time ago. Campy for my ti road bike, DA for my carbon bike, and XTR for my ti mtb. They all work flawlessly.

[avalonracing]

You know, it wouldn't be too much for Shimano to make some freakin' black skewers.

[oldpotatoe]

Other than a well running drive train and a freewheel clicking I HATE noises on my bikes. My bikes are all but silent and I will not put up with creaks, clicks or rattles.

That said, I have a noise and I know what it is and how to make it stop but I just want to really make it permanently stop.

Under a high-power load (standing climb) the back wheel wheel will make a tick/creak noise toward the bottom of the pedals stroke. The thing is it doesn't do it early in the ride it only starts after I've been riding for a while (after a few decent climbs, or an hour, or whatever). To fix it all I have to do is open the already very tight skewer and move it or tighten it a tiny bit more and the noise stops.
The wheel is fine and works perfectly without sound on my Klein, it is the wheels skewer interface. I would say that maybe the skewer is stretching a tiny bit as I ride and it is enough to make it just loose enough to make the noise but that sucker is really quite tight when I open it.

The frame: Late model Merlin CR 3.25 works
The wheelset: Easton EA90 SLX aluminum clinchers
The skewers: the Easton skewer that came the wheels

I could probably take care of it by putting on a Dura Ace skewer but I don't want to as my current skewers are light, black and match the wheel.

So that said would you?
a) put a tiny bit of grease/anti-seize on the dropouts?
b) but a tiny bit of Ritchey Liquid Torque (carbon prep) on the dropouts?
c) something else that I haven't thought of?

Thoughts?

Get a better black QR and not sweat the added 15 grams or so. Mavic, Campagnolo, DT.