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Cannondale supersix:

  • Tried to replace the crankset
  • Replaced the bottom bracket with a new one
  • replaced the pedals
  • overhauled the headset

The noise only manifests when a relatively higher torque is applied and it doesn't matter if seated or standing. Moving the weight around the bike while pedaling doesn't have any significant effect on it either.

Thinking about replacing the wheels and QRs and the derailer as soon as I can get my hands on spares. I thought that the noise is so specific and strong that maybe it is a recognizable one so I can ask for a shortcut.

Update: tracked down to the wheels for now. Spare wheels make the creaking go away.

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  • 1
    It's your knees!
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 11:49
  • Crossed that out right away by making my son pedal it for a minute.
    – Michael Tabolsky
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 15:04
  • Maybe he inherited you knees?
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 16:46
  • If he has my knees then how can the noise be caused by my knees when he is not around? Try to be logical. Also, I didn't put the knees in my will. I will donate them knees to science.
    – Michael Tabolsky
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 20:04

2 Answers 2

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Spare wheels make the creaking go away.

Given that, check the wheels that creak thoroughly.

Look for loose spokes and cracks in the rims, especially for cracks around the spoke holes.

Several years ago I had exactly the same problem - creaks while riding on a specific front wheel that I couldn't locate. The creaks finally stopped when the rim cracked badly enough at a spoke hole for the wheel to go badly out of true. The crack was almost certainly the source of the creaks.

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  • Yep, and on new wheels you can get a "pinging" sound as the spokes rub against each other.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 27, 2019 at 11:51
  • Had to give the bike back to the owner and didn't have a feedback for a long time. Forgot I've asked here. And yes, these where spokes. Tightened and put some grease on the cross points. No more noise.
    – Michael Tabolsky
    Commented Apr 6, 2021 at 13:11
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If the noise appears when you create more torque it's almost certainly bottom bracket or crank related. You can get creaks in the rear wheel but they tend to manifest in lower gears because that's when the torque on the rear hub is highest.

Cannondales are fairly notorious for creaking in the bottom bracket. The problem is that the bearing cups are slightly oversize which allows the outer bearing races to move. Bottom bracket bearing replacement would not necessarily fix the problem as the cups remain oversize.

Chainring bolts can also creak so remove, grease and re-torque those to rule that out as the cause before purchasing more expensive parts.

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