

What to do: Use some deductive reasoning and diagnose what you’re hearing, says Caivano. “That’s kind of a dramatic example, but it can ruin the frame.”

“You might hear a creaking you can’t trace, and it can be anything from overtightened stem bolts to a press-fit bottom bracket that’s backing out of the frame,” she says.

Lots of bikes have occasional creaks and squeaks, but if your machine is making a persistent racket, that’s a sign of a bigger problem, says Marty Caivano, mechanic for the Boulder-based Smart Cycling Service and board member for the Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association.
