This happens alot in the MTB world.

The cause is grit built up in the contact surfaces on the bar and stem, and stem and steer tube.

The cure is taking them appart and cleaning the contact surfaces (just whipe them clean wiht a cloth) and re-assemeble the stem to the steer tube and the bars to the stem.

I am gussing that something simalar occurs with a road bike.

Good Luck,

A

 

Happened to me with some no name 2 bolt stem and modolo bars
later I found out that the noise came from the brake + shifter cables routed together, rubbing aainst each other. Or probably not, but the noise disappeared after rebuilding the bar tape wrapping.

Good luck
br

 

I have Ritchey WCS stem and bars (aluminum) on my bike. A few months ago, I began to hear a clicking sound from the front end of the bike. I have narrowed it down to the bolts on the stem. I believe the face plate bolts.

I have torqued the bolts to a little higher than spec, which didn't work. I have taken them off, greased them, and tightened them again. I even took it into a LBS, but still this annoying clicking sound is there whenever I ride.

Anyone else encounter this? Any suggested fixes?

I have 2 Giant TCR's (1 aluminum, 1 carbon) both setup with the same Ritchey WCS handlebar/stem combo. The aluminum TCR's handlebar/stem creaks to high heaven. I've greased all the bolts and cleaned the faces. But it still creaks. I have yet to take the stem off to clean the fork and stem. I am guessing that the sound might be coming from the aluminum spacers. I have carbon spacers on the other bike. I think my carbon bike has a carbon steerer tube, but I don't remember. I know the aluminum bike has an aluminum steerer.

 

I don't think it's the spacers

In my case I don't think it's the spacers, because I can hear/feel the clicking coming from the stem faceplate. But maybe I will take the whole thing apart and lightly lubricate all the surfaces.

I have 2 Giant TCR's (1 aluminum, 1 carbon) both setup with the same Ritchey WCS handlebar/stem combo. The aluminum TCR's handlebar/stem creaks to high heaven. I've greased all the bolts and cleaned the faces. But it still creaks. I have yet to take the stem off to clean the fork and stem. I am guessing that the sound might be coming from the aluminum spacers. I have carbon spacers on the other bike. I think my carbon bike has a carbon steerer tube, but I don't remember. I know the aluminum bike has an aluminum steerer.

________
Nayuha

 

Have you checked to make sure the STI/Ergo levers are tight? If had the clamp on the STI levers make a ticking sound

 

Happened to me with some no name 2 bolt stem and modolo bars
later I found out that the noise came from the brake + shifter cables routed together, rubbing aainst each other. Or probably not, but the noise disappeared after rebuilding the bar tape wrapping.

Good luck
br

same thiing with me, except with WCS stem and bars (26mm). it was the cables rubbing and clicking, especially over rough roads. moved around the cables and taped the bars to about 1/2 inch less so the cables could move a bit more freely(werent touching eachother) and viola, clicking gone.

 

Creaking, Squeeking and maybe clicking...

I had an annoying squeeking sound that I swore up and down that it was coming from my stem. I took it off, regreased the bolts, cleaned any potential grease on the clamp surface of the bar, stem and inner face plate and still no luck. Turns out that the squeek was coming from my front skewer. All I did was remove and grease the length of the skewer and no squeeks and creaks. Don't know if it will address your issue but it sure worked for me. I would've never thought to grease there had it not been for a suggestion from someone on this board.

 

Not to drag up an old thread, but...

I had a similar problem with a stem. It was a Cannondale no-frills 120mm OS threadless 4 bolt stem, much like a Ritchey Comp. Clicking like crazy. I greased the bolts, greased the bar, greased the front plates, no change. Ungreased everything, no change. Overtorqued, undertorqued, nothing. Yesterday I finally had enough and put a different stem on, figuring maybe it caused the bar to malform or something, and a different stem would grip without the clicking.

As I remove the stem and look at the underside, I was horrified to see a split running the entire length of the stem, from steerer clamp to handlebar clamp. Needless to say, the new stem doesn't click, and I can only imagine why.

Brooks K.