Creaky BB and Water in the Wheel?

[elf1978]

I ride a Specialized Tarmac S-Works SL2 and own a Mavic R-sys wheelset (post recall). After a very dirty ride yesterday, I washed my entire bike in the shower. Towards the end of my ride today though (after roughly 2.5 hours), I noticed a creaking sound coming from my BB. The sound is only there when I'm exerting force in the small ring, as it seems to disappear when I go big. Any opinions?
Also, as I was trying to discover the cause of this noise, I turned my bike upside down and heard water sloshing about within the front wheel. I can't discern whether it's inside the hub or between the sidewalls. Will it just evaporate, or should I be proactive about removing it?
Thanks in advance.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

I ride a Specialized Tarmac S-Works SL2 and own a Mavic R-sys wheelset (post recall). After a very dirty ride yesterday, I washed my entire bike in the shower. Towards the end of my ride today though (after roughly 2.5 hours), I noticed a creaking sound coming from my BB. The sound is only there when I'm exerting force in the small ring, as it seems to disappear when I go big. Any opinions?
Also, as I was trying to discover the cause of this noise, I turned my bike upside down and heard water sloshing about within the front wheel. I can't discern whether it's inside the hub or between the sidewalls. Will it just evaporate, or should I be proactive about removing it?
Thanks in advance.

In the shower,,, WHAT!!?? First off don't ever wash your bike in the freaking shower! Even if you do it outside with a hose like a semi-normal person you stay away from critical areas like hubs, the bb, headset, wherever there are bearings. Your bike needs to be pretty much taken apart at the bb to inspect and you probably have water in the rims, tires tubes and rim strips off. You of all people need to stay away from water, next time don't even use a drop of h2O, maybe a damp rag for the crusty bits, but for you just furniture polish.

 

[Notso Swift]

LOL, oh dear
Water = bad
When you use grease and lubes on things that spin it if for more than one reason, one is to reduce friction/wear with the lubrication qualities, another is to specifically expel water
Water is what they call an aggressive medium

 

[bc_hills]

After a very dirty ride yesterday, I washed my entire bike in the shower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2Dpe1LkNU

 

[42x16ss]

Take it to the nearest reputable workshop and tell them exactly what you did.

NOW!!!

 

[ozerulz]

dude. dont worry. I've washed my bike in the shower for years and never had a problem. It ain't the shower that caused your problem.

 

[ElChingon]

Geeze, get of hold of yourselves!

I used to live in an apt. complex that didn't allow hosing down the bike out in the nice lawn so much like elf1978 the OP I moved in to the bathroom which was luckily very big and I could place the bike in the shower with no problem. No I didn't run the shower down on it, just bucket washed it. Most would probably have a heart attack if they knew where I cleaned the chain

elf don't worry it all depends how you wash it not where you wash it. So now remove the seat post and turn the bike upside down. I'd also remove the BB and take a peek, if you haven't ridden it too long like that you might just be able to repack the bearing and ride again, if not, good time to upgrade to ceramic

So next time just bucket wash it and its ok to use water it cleans many things including Ferrari's and I don't see them falling apart, not to mention your most delicate of areas on your body. I've used water since forever, again its how you use it, I'm sure if you use way too much pledge it will ruin your frame as well, a controlled amount and where you use it matters.

 

[daveinzambia]

Wow. Never knew this. Thought i was being good by hosing my bike down after every ride. I live in a large apartment block and had been sneaking into the car wash place downstairs to clean off any dirt after a ride.

So should just be wiping it down with a wet cloth? Dammit, definitely sounds more effort that pointing the hose at it for a few seconds.

pledge? really? on the frame. is that how to get rid of those annoying grease marks that never quite disappear.

Have a nasty feeling i should rapidly be learning more about bike maintenance before the whole thing falls apart

 

[Notso Swift]

Lots of Different brands but wax based polish is good stuff, once the bike is clean it actually helps you keep it clean as well... the dirt doesn't stick as well!
BTW you can also use it on cars

 

[oldborn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2Dpe1LkNU

Cool video.

I used to wash my MTB in bathroom, really cool. Not anymore Mrs. found me once

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I ride a Specialized Tarmac S-Works SL2 and own a Mavic R-sys wheelset (post recall). After a very dirty ride yesterday, I washed my entire bike in the shower. Towards the end of my ride today though (after roughly 2.5 hours), I noticed a creaking sound coming from my BB. The sound is only there when I'm exerting force in the small ring, as it seems to disappear when I go big. Any opinions?
Also, as I was trying to discover the cause of this noise, I turned my bike upside down and heard water sloshing about within the front wheel. I can't discern whether it's inside the hub or between the sidewalls. Will it just evaporate, or should I be proactive about removing it?
Thanks in advance.

Go to a bike shop and have your hubs, BB and headset overhauled. Water is in the rim, take tire off and it'll come out. Don't do this and you will be replacing all the bearings in the bike.

 

[bc_hills]

Go to a bike shop and have your hubs, BB and headset overhauled. Water is in the rim, take tire off and it'll come out. Don't do this and you will be replacing all the bearings in the bike.

How is a bike in the shower that much different than getting caught in a heavy downpour? I've never had water get in my hubs or bottom bracket despite riding in some terrible conditions. Especially on the mtb, but maybe the cranks are sealed better? I thought the real problem was using a high pressure hose to clean the bike's sensitive parts, not the light drizzle of a shower or a low pressure hose.

When I come back after a muddy ride and everything is coated with a layer, I can't imagine not taking a low pressure hose to it just to get the main mess out of the way. What do no water purists do about that?

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

How is a bike in the shower that much different than getting caught in a heavy downpour? I've never had water get in my hubs or bottom bracket despite riding in some terrible conditions. Especially on the mtb, but maybe the cranks are sealed better? I thought the real problem was using a high pressure hose to clean the bike's sensitive parts, not the light drizzle of a shower or a low pressure hose.

When I come back after a muddy ride and everything is coated with a layer, I can't imagine not taking a low pressure hose to it just to get the main mess out of the way. What do no water purists do about that?

Team mechanics use high pressure to wash bikes, but also replace bearings in all the critical parts, bb, hubs, headset, throughout the season. I don't know anyone who is willing to replace bearings 5 times in a season. MTB I realize you don't usually have a choice but to hose it, nature of the beast. But road bikes never get as dirty as an MTB unless you're doing gravel centuries in the worst weather every weekend. "Sealed" bearings is a misnomer, covered would be a better term, still susceptible to water contamination. I used to messenger in Minneapolis during the late 90's, horrible weather, and everything I had at the time was open bearing, guarantee that if I didn't repack everything at least once every two weeks I wouldn't still have the parts in perfect working condition.

These discussions about using water or not, or how reminds me of my shop days, we'd get customers coming in to replace virtually new headsets and bb's more than usual, they say "but I keep my bike clean, use hose and soap" we'd just simply suggest furniture polish, especially for road bikes. They'd eventually stop coming in for replacement parts so frequently.

 

[richwagmn]

I agree that you shouldn't hose down your bike if you're not willing to overhaul your bearings regularly (back in my younger days and in the time of non-sealed bearings, I enjoyed repacking my BB, hubs, etc).

Some BB shells are now open too so that helps if any water gets in there (my madone shell is open on the button).

I find a damp cloth works really well and every so often I'll give it a sponge bath (with no hose spraying involved) and wipe it down with a towel.

Creaking noises can mean a lot of things. I've had skewers, seat posts, handlebar stems and more be the cause. Spraying water on a bike or riding in the wet makes them more likely. Creaks drive me mad but many others don't care.

 

[marathon marke]

I find a damp cloth works really well and every so often I'll give it a sponge bath (with no hose spraying involved) and wipe it down with a towel.

That's pretty much the way I clean my bike. Most of the time, I use furniture polish (as I learned from RDV4 awhile back), but when it needs more than that, I get out a bucket of hot water with car wash/wax mixed in. Use a sponge and maybe a soft brush (depending on how crusty the dirt is), taking care not to get the water into vulnerable bearing areas. Then I still always finish it off with a good application of furniture polish.

 

[Cooper]

I use a house plant watering pot to wash the bike and a sponge.

Very low pressure obviously and gets the job done.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

How is a bike in the shower that much different than getting caught in a heavy downpour? I've never had water get in my hubs or bottom bracket despite riding in some terrible conditions. Especially on the mtb, but maybe the cranks are sealed better? I thought the real problem was using a high pressure hose to clean the bike's sensitive parts, not the light drizzle of a shower or a low pressure hose.

When I come back after a muddy ride and everything is coated with a layer, I can't imagine not taking a low pressure hose to it just to get the main mess out of the way. What do no water purists do about that?

I overhaul many hubs, BBs and headsets that are almost single pieces of rust. One yesterday. The steel cups and bearings don't get that way because they are too dry. They get that way from water intrusion, then corrosion.

Many BBs, when opened, have more than a little water in them.

 

[bc_hills]

I overhaul many hubs, BBs and headsets that are almost single pieces of rust. One yesterday. The steel cups and bearings don't get that way because they are too dry. They get that way from water intrusion, then corrosion.

Many BBs, when opened, have more than a little water in them.

Well that's a scary thought, that I could be tearing down some singltrack with a rusty front hub!