I used to have a Tuscany, though quite a few years older than yours (1999) and I always had some BB creak (which I attributed to flexing) when out of the saddle, and I'm not even that bike. It was the only thing that bugged me about the bike.

What BB and crankset are you using?

 

Ultegra 10 speed so the BB is Ultegra cartridge and the cranks are stock Ultegra.

 

are you sure it's not the rear spokes creaking?

ultegra 10 speed cranks/bb are reported to be extremely stiff. i have a creaking issue on one of my bikes and it ended up being the spokes in the back. what would happen is that the spoke perpendicular to the ground would de-tension, and then snap back into tension once it passes the perpendicular point...everytime it snapped back into place, it would make a clicking sound. so it could be wheel flex (this only happened to me when i was out of the saddle and putting down good power).

 

Could be. The easy solution is to take it in to the LBS for some TLC. It sure sounds like it's coming from the BB but your suggestion is noteworthy. Thanks

 

I'd also suggest...

checking your pedals. Most of the guys who bring their bikes in with this problem turn out to be pedals that need a little lube and/or need to be tightened up.

 

If it was pedals wouldn't they squeak/creak at other times too, not just when I get after it?

 

Based on the percentage of Ti bikes around here (and there are a lot of them--more Ti bikes than fast riders by a good margin) that creak like crazy, I just assumed that creaking was an integral part of the Ti mystique.

 

Bikeboy are you trying to tell me it's "rainin"? I'm the first to admit I own a more expensive bike than my form justifies, but the rationale was to get a bike that was durable and would last many years, so I expect that the bike shouldn't be popping.

 

Based on the percentage of Ti bikes around here (and there are a lot of them--more Ti bikes than fast riders by a good margin) that creak like crazy, I just assumed that creaking was an integral part of the Ti mystique.

A love it: "more Ti bikes than fast riders...." What a stupid statement. It's groovy that we can judge people solely on the bike type they have and how fast they go. Can we say, "snotty?"

It's equally stupid that Ti bikes are inherently creaky bikes. A well prepped frame doesn't make any more noise than any other frame.

Perhaps bikeboy389 can educate the masses with his overwhelming knowledge and awe inspiring experience. And while he's at it, maybe he can wow everyone with tales about his lightning speed.

 

If it was pedals wouldn't they squeak/creak at other times too, not just when I get after it?

It's not the pedals that squeak, its the pedal assembly creaking against the crank arm. They typically do not squeak/creak unless you get after it.

Worth a try before taking everything apart.

 

I have (and have had)

many a Ti bike, from higher end Vortex to lower end Hiwasee and have never had a creak/squeak from one.

These noises are the result of poor prep or simply in need of a little time in the shop to tighten everything up.

 

If you decide to pull the bb and have the tools, pull the bb out, make sure it is ok, clean the threads on the cups and in the shell, and reassemble with a bronze based anti-seize. I had the same issue years ago when I had a Litespeed Classic and tightening the bb solved the problem. A friend of mine let me know about the anti seize so I went ahead and removed the bb and cups and coated it before reinstalling. It took care of the creak and years later when I took the parts off to sell the frame, the bb came out easily. That same bb is in my commuter right now until my PW one comes back from a overhaul.

 

OK. It appears that people need to take a pill. I never thought that the smiley face emoticon was THAT necessary, but apparently it was.

Here's the deal. I've seen a lot of creaky Ti bikes in the last couple of years. And as I understand it, it takes a bit of care to get a BB properly installed in a Ti frame so that it doesn't work loose and creak, and it wants more regular looking after--like more so than aluminum or steel, which also want looking after. Not a bad thing, just a thing. I've seen more creaky ones than not, so...blah blah blah.

As to more Ti bikes than fast guys, I wasn't trying to impugn the honor of anybody here. I'm not even sure what I meant anymore, but I can assure you it wasn't a dig on any of the posters in this thread.

It's all a joke. Maybe not a good one, but not exactly something to wad panties over, either. I would think Alienator, as one of the most frequent receivers known to me of the "lighten up, it's a joke" treatment, would have figured that out. Guess not. Of course, he didn't figure out anything helpful for 96gators' problem either, I noticed. And 96gators? You probably shouldn't be taking your reaction cues from Alienator. It'll make you seem, um, let's say "over-sensitive." And now it definitely ain't rain you're feelin'.

You want helpful? Here: Check the torque on the BB installation, as well as the torque on whatever retainer your cranks use. If they're OK, you might consider teflon tape on the BB threads. I've heard that's helpful in Ti BB installations--though I could be wrong. You should also take seriously the suggestion that it's some other part of your drivetrain that's gone loose, including but not limited to your cassette lockring and your spokes. Normal frame flex does not typically result in creaking, and it seems unlikely that you've already so fatigued the frame that you've lost appreciable stiffness (unless you're a big guy and a major masher) so you can probably concern yourself with flex last.

 

I use teflon plumbers tape AND anti-seize on my Ti frame's BB. No creaks. It has creaked with just the anti-seize. Check that your back wheel's spokes aren't loose (I get a lot of noise from rear wheels), the skewers are tight, and look for anything else that might rub when the frame is flexing. I recently found that the mini pump on the seat tube would slowly slip down in the clips until the head touched the frame, then it would make a horrible noise whenever I stood on climbs.