Weird clicking sound

[Tuckervill]

My bike has developed a weird clicking sound, and I just can't figure it out.

It seems to be in the front deraileur, but it doesn't start until well after I've been riding (2-3 miles), and I can't duplicate it with the bike on the rack. So, to me it seems to be only when there is weight on the cranks, and it's always when my right foot goes from 12:00 to 1:00. Sometimes it is faint and sometimes it is loud.

Nothing else about the bike seems out of whack. It rides fine and the click doesn't seem to affect speed or shifting. Oh, except I do have a shimmy in the front wheel at about 15 mph, which I think I caused by not putting the wheel back on just right. I haven't bothered to correct it, yet, but the clicking sound happened before that.

My LBS is not local--30 miles away in another city. It's a small shop so I have to make an appointment to bring it in. The bike is still under 90 day warranty, and has had its first adjustment. I'd just like to have an idea of what it might be before I call/drive that far.

Any clues?

Karen

[Shimpie]

If it's just in your right foot, could it possibly be your cleat or pedal? I've had squeaky clicking pedals before. Try oiling both and see if the noise goes away.

-W

[Tuckervill]

Nah, I use platform pedals. It's not that, but good catch. I should have included that in my post.

Karen

[brok]

Still could be the pedal. I had a platform pedal that had a click in it. Also had a cable end hitting on the crank that caused a weird clicking noise.

[snapdragen]

Check your spokes - I had a mystery clicking I could not find until I discovered I had a loose spoke.

[Tuckervill]

Okay, I'll check the pedal and the spokes, since the deraileur seems to be okay. I don't understand why it doesn't happen until I'm good and warmed up, though.

Thanks!

Karen

[DebW]

Check your bottom bracket. Is it well lubricated? Is it adjusted properly? Make sure there is no play in the crank arms, between arms or between the arms and the frame. You could pull the arms off and check the feel of the bearings. It's possible, though not very likely, that one of the cups could have loosened. Or maybe some foreign matter got into it.

[bikerz]

I'm sure you've ruled this out... but sometimes my pump, which is strapped to the down tube, rotates around a little bit as I ride, and my shoe hits it as I go around, between the 12 and 1 position, exactly you describe... I usually just have to get off and cinch it up a little tighter.