The last several weeks have involved troubleshooting and disappointments. Until yesterday, I had done the following:
- Replaced my first suspect, the cleats, to no avail
- Had the bottom bracket bearings re-greased by the terrific folks at Swan cyclery
- Degreased and re-lubed the drivetrain several times
- Removed the pedals, cleaned out the threads, re-greased and tightened up the pedals
Yesterday was bike bath day, and I recruited my friend Keith, a talented bike mechanic and photographer, to use his Park chain checker to measure my chain wear. This is something I've been meaning to do for a while, ever since Keith told me about the importance of checking this yearly. Sure enough, the tool indicated significant wear on my original Ultegra chain, so I bought a SRAM 1050 chain, and Keith kindly installed it for me. What a nifty system, with the powerlock link. SRAM is the only way to go, it seems.
So here's the kicker: I got on the bike and noticed that the noise was gone! All this time I thought that the problem was emanating from the pedals or cleats or the bottom bracket, when it really was coming from the chain. A 40 minute maintenance ride confirmed the new noiseless status. This was a great lesson in checking your assumptions and being persistent.
Thanks so much, Keith! I owe you big time.
So here's the kicker: I got on the bike and noticed that the noise was gone! All this time I thought that the problem was emanating from the pedals or cleats or the bottom bracket, when it really was coming from the chain. A 40 minute maintenance ride confirmed the new noiseless status. This was a great lesson in checking your assumptions and being persistent.
Thanks so much, Keith! I owe you big time.
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