This article will assist in identifying potential sources for abnormal drivetrain creaks, clicks and noises. 

Drivetrain creaks can be frustrating to deal with and tricky to diagnose due to the sheer number of places they might originate from. In some cases, the culprit can be identified quickly from a usual suspects list while in other cases require a process of elimination approach to isolate where the noise is originating from and zone in on the potential source.  

Here is a list of usual suspects e*thirteen recommends inspecting and verifying first: 

• Pedals are tightened to torque spec. 31-34NM is our recommendation. Pedal bearings feel good. 
• Direct mount chainring interface is greased and lockring is tightened to torque spec - 30Nm. 
• Crank spindle and polygon interface is lightly greased and torqued to spec. Reference your crank manual for this info. 
• Bottom bracket bearings are confirmed good and BB is torqued to specification (if threaded) or integrity of press fit interface confirmed and lubed (if press-fit). 

If the above points don't address the issue, it's time to dive in a bit deeper:

• Verify that frame pivots and bearings are torqued to spec and have no play.
• Rule out noise coming from your rear wheel:
  • Verify cassette is installed correctly and greased.
  • Verify rear hub bearings and freehub assembly are greased and in good condition. 
• Verify that your rear wheel thru axle is greased and torqued to spec along with any pieces which attach to the frame in the axle assembly (there is often a nut on the drive side of many bikes which the axle threads into). 
• Verify derailleur hanger is tight and interface with frame is greased. 

If all of the above points have been exhausted, it's unfortunatly time to start strategically swapping out parts to see if the culprit can be identified that way. Reach out to us on our support page and we can provide guidance based on your specific case.