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I just purchased a Fuji ACR 2.0 road bike from a guy who bought it three months back but didn't ride it at all. I brought it home and found that it is making a clicking sound when I pedal. The sound is coming from the bottom bracket. Please check the video for more details:

Should I worry much about it? I'm from Bangladesh and there isn't any specialized shop where I can take it to be inspected. I have to do the fix myself. So before I jump in to open up the bottom bracket, I wanted to get advice whether I should ignore it and ride it for few days hoping that noise will go away...

Video including full drive train:

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    First, that noise will not go away. It needs attention. Second, it could be in the Bottom Bracket, the chain, or rear derailleur. Can you re-post a video that includes a view point which show the derailleur areas, and possibly a front view? It sounds as if it might be the chain hanging up on something, which can happen if the chain is too short. It could also be side load on the BB bearings, for the same reason. But do not ride the bike until you sort it out. This is not a minor issue to be ignored.
    – zenbike
    Commented May 15, 2012 at 7:03
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    With respect, you may be certain of where the noise is coming from, but that doesn't mean the cause is in that area. It only means that is where the stressed system is being released. I think it's possible that the chain is too short, which would require replacing the chain with a longer one. With the angle of your video, it is impossible to be certain. Please take a video which shows the action of the whole drive train, including rear derailleur, chain, front derailleur and crank set.
    – zenbike
    Commented May 15, 2012 at 10:25
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    Yeah, that sound could be due to the chain. As a first test, remove the chain and see if the noise is still there. Also, without the chain noise you'll also be able to hear where the sound is coming from better. If it's from the bottom bracket it's probably due to a loose ball, or a seriously overtightened cup. Do you feel anything when it clicks?
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented May 15, 2012 at 11:23
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    Like others, I'd like to hear it with and without chain, pedaling forward. Sound in frames is REALLY strange at times and what absolutely sounds like it's coming from one place often is caused somewhere else.
    – Ken Hiatt
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 21:49
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    I've removed the chain and the sound reduces sharply... i can barely hear it or feel it when there is no chain pressure, but sound is still there. Interesting thing is when I lube the drive train well, the sound sometimes disappear but it comes back again. I'll try cleaning the drive train through and lube it. The problem with opening BB is we don't have the tools to open a press fit BB here in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thanks all for your suggestions, hope to get it fixed soon.
    – Mozammel
    Commented May 17, 2012 at 7:40

4 Answers 4

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Is it happening only when you pedal backwards or forwards too?

I note you have a small spoke guard on the back wheel. Take a close look at that. It might be cracked and when you back pedal the freewheel teeth might be catching on it. It seems way to loud and plastic like to be a crank issue but then again I'm not there. All my crank issues have had a much more solid clunk sound and were not nearly as loud.

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It is hard to identify the sound from the video. In person it may sound different.

I have a similar FSA crank on my bike and after some miles it was making a creaking/clicking sound. It was different that what I hear in your video. My crankset made a noise when it was under load, i.e., when I was pedaling.

My friend tried three things to fix this: 1) tighten the chainring bolts; 2) lube/grease the crankshaft on the non-drive side; 3) remove the crank, and coat the threaded bearing holders/cups with anti-seize lubricant.

Collectively, these worked. No more creak/click.

Please note, some models of FSA cranks require a "wavy" washer to be installed on the non-drive side between the crank arm and the bearing shield. I don't know if this could be at the root of your issue or not.

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I dont think thats IN the bottom bracket. Its too sharp and hollow sounding. Like something plastic.

IF you remove the chain, and examine the cables and crank arms, i suspect you will find something else. Broken plastic bushing, some sort of guard, etc.

The second thing would be to remove the cranks. These are new cranks, and will be a single bolt on the non drive side. Non drive side will come off, and the drive side will slide out with the crank spline / shaft. Now you can inspect both sides of the sealed bearings.

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Kinda reminds of a RJ the Bike guy video, where one of the deraileur pulleys were not catching the chain correctly and kept jumping, causing a very similar noise. You can check if this is the case by looking closely at the deraileur pulleys (I think in that video it was the tension (lower) pulley). Let me try to locate the video in the meantime.

Edit: Found the video -

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