Click in pedals are clicking

[JT]

Calling all cyclists!

My click in shoes/pedals are making a clicking noise each time my foot comes down from the top whilst riding.

I've experimented with it and there's no noise if I don't put any "work" into the foot ie just spin it lazily around letting the other foot do all the work!

It seems the shoe and pedal may not be fitting snuggly.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

[Russ]

Could be a zillion different things, even if you think it's your pedals. The easiest thing to do first is double-check the tightness  of all the bolts in the front half of your drivetrain, including your shoes (clicking once per pedal rev at least narrows it down to here). What kind of pedals do you have?

[Sparafusile]

I had the same exact problem when I got on my bike for the first time. The fix for me was just spraying WD-40 into the bearing. I spun the pedal around a few times to work the stuff that is not a lube, but has lubricating qualities and is actually a cleaner/solvent in deep and the click went away.

[Russ]

WD-40 is not a lubricant.

Edit: and has no lasting lubricating properties, and will break down the grease that's already in your bearings causing more problems down the road (literally)

[twa2w]

Try the following
1) check the screws where the plate is attached to your shoe- could be loose enough to click - or it may have twisted slightly out of alignment.
2) lubricate the pedal where you clip in
3) check the plate on your shoe for wear.  If worn, it can sometimes click - new plates are cheap.
Let us know what type of pedals you have and I may be able to be more specific - ie Look, SPD, Eggbeaters etc.

[kaeldra]

I'm having a 'noise from the clip-in pedal' issue too - but mine are creaking, not clicking. Bolts on the shoes are tight. It doesn't happen constantly, but briefly every time time I ride. Think maybe I need to up the tension? Other ideas?

My pedals are shimano if it makes a difference.

[Russ]

creaking is usually a lubrication problem where metal touches metal. Try putting a drop of oil on the pedal springs and a drop where the cleat connects to the pedal. If that doesn't fix it, next thing I'd do is check your threaded connections and make sure they're greased. cleat-to-shoe, chainring bolts, pedal-to-crank, and crank-to-bb are the big ones, in order of easiness.

[JT]

Thanks so much for your replies.

The pedals are SPDs.

I shall check out the plates and screws tonight, with tool in hand.

Hopefully, this will fix the clicking!

(Have already lubricated the pedals and the shoes but the clicking continued ...)

Will update you all tomorrow.

[kaeldra]

creaking is usually a lubrication problem where metal touches metal. Try putting a drop of oil on the pedal springs and a drop where the cleat connects to the pedal. If that doesn't fix it, next thing I'd do is check your threaded connections and make sure they're greased. cleat-to-shoe, chainring bolts, pedal-to-crank, and crank-to-bb are the big ones, in order of easiness.

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

[Tom Reingold]

The most common cause of this is pedals whose threads are not lubricated. It is sometimes combined with pedals that are not screwed in tightly enough, which is a dangerous thing, because it will ruin your cranks, which are expensiver than your pedals.

Screw your pedals out completely. The left pedal (that you put your left foot on) is REVERSE-THREADED so you turn it clockwise to remove it. Apply grease to the threads. Screw your pedals back in tightly.

If that doesn't help, read http://sheldonbrown.com/creaks.html on bicycle creaks, clicks, and thumps.

[JT]

Thanks so much for the link Tom - I'll check it out.