E Sommet clicking noise

[ceejays88]

Hi all
I got my e sommet few weeks ago and it's been ridden sparingly mainly on roads and cycle paths whilst everywhere is shut.
It's done just over 200miles and it's started giving a clicking noise, engine on and off (video is engine off)
Doesn't do it when pedals are spun, only seems to do it when they're under pressure.
I don't really want to send it back to CRC as their current turn around is 4 weeks ?‍

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[STATO]

Hard to tell the timing as cant see your feet all the time.

Sometimes stuff isnt greased properly or grease is washed out when you clean the bike. Some easy things to check.

First thing to check is re-fit your pedals and make sure you grease the threads.
Second, check the chainring bolts, sometimes not assembled with grease/threadlock.
Crank arms are simple to remove on a Shimano so you could also remove those to clean and check bolt tightness.
Then you can try things you may think are not near the sound but can sometimes be the cause, like saddle rails.

 

[R120]

Is it the same as this?


I get this noise from time to time on the bike still after 2 plus years, it goes when the drive train is freshly lubed/cleaned, but its still bit of a mystery. One other thing to look for is that the chain device isn't rotated too far back and hits the swing arm.

 

[ceejays88]

It sounds very similar to that! does yours do it all the time though, even if you spin the pedals gently?
Mine only seems to do it under pressure, quite annoying. but I have only recently cleaned and reoiled it and it didnt go away.

Is it the same as this?


I get this noise from time to time on the bike still after 2 plus years, it goes when the drive train is freshly lubed/cleaned, but its still bit of a mystery. One other thing to look for is that the chain device isn't rotated too far back and hits the swing arm.

 

[ceejays88]

I will get a better video over next few days.
Already checked pedals and even used a spare set (just incase)
I will double check the chain ring bolts
Crank arms have already been removed for a clean.

I have a suspicion it might be something to do with the chain stay, so I am going to loosen that right off out the way and see if it does it again.

Thanks for the reply though

Hard to tell the timing as cant see your feet all the time.

Sometimes stuff isnt greased properly or grease is washed out when you clean the bike. Some easy things to check.

First thing to check is re-fit your pedals and make sure you grease the threads.
Second, check the chainring bolts, sometimes not assembled with grease/threadlock.
Crank arms are simple to remove on a Shimano so you could also remove those to clean and check bolt tightness.
Then you can try things you may think are not near the sound but can sometimes be the cause, like saddle rails.

 

[R120]

It sounds very similar to that! does yours do it all the time though, even if you spin the pedals gently?
Mine only seems to do it under pressure, quite annoying. but I have only recently cleaned and reoiled it and it didnt go away.

Only under pressure, i.e it only when putting load through the drivetrain, so if peddling gently no, if peddling hard yes. Originally the noise was coming from the chain device being set badly, and the back of it hitting the chianstay. Now I have a different chain device but I think it might be tapping the frame when under load because the back of the bolt for the top is almost touching the seat tube.

 

[RocketMagnet]

Even with our own bikes in the flesh it can be difficult to narrow down the reason for a noise as there are so many possibilities and they sometimes are really good at sounding like they are coming from somewhere they are not.

Some more possibilities listening to the "type" of noise is something on the dive train. I'd check the chain and make VERY sure there are no buckled plates or stiff links as it surprising how much damage and costly this can end up being as it rips off your rear derailleur . The B Screw, the thing that sets how far away the derailleur jockey wheel is from the cassette could be set wrong (too close) or you could have bashed and damaged a tooth on the front cog and the chain is hanging up on it each revolution.

Question: Is shifting smooth, crisp and accurate with no ghosting?

It doesn't sound like linkage as IME that's usually a cracking like sound as a failed bearing doesn't rotate and binds on an axel pin as it spins inside the bearing instead.

I'll admit over the years to being fooled as to the source of a noise a fair few times and it's been something silly like a loose saddle etc

Generally little scuffing or squeaking sounds on a pedal stroke IME arise in dry dusty conditions and a good clean, grease and bolt check (Re Torque with a Torque wrench) can sort it out... in fact just had this the other day and that sorted it.

 

[ceejays88]

Sooooo.... Touch wood I think I have found my issue. only done 35miles but it hasnt happened since.

I took the pedals and the crank arms off, regreased blah blah... (you know the script) and it was still happening but now I could feel it through the pedal, I knew it couldnt be the pedal as I had tried a completely different set of pedals, But I thought I would try another pedal and still the same.
Ive also got another bike with the same style crank arms, so I swapped them over and it stopped...

So after careful (with a wrench and vice grip) I managed to replicate the issue, It looks like when the pedals were first installed (I am pretty sure it was CRC and not me) they were cross threaded and a little ridge of metal was "tipping" back and forth under pressure causing the click.

I was going to order new shorter crank arms anyway as the BB on this bike seems really low anyway and I keep striking when pedaling on corners!

 

[Nichneven]

Thanks for the update. What crank arms you going for?

 

[RocketMagnet]

Glad you found the issue.. I'm really surprised your bike shipped with the pedals on... ATBH who actually uses the pedals they supply .. great emergency set for the van if someone needs but to use as your daily driver?
The damage could have been a manufacturing defect?

I don't find the BB particularly low on my E Sommet but I did get some initial pedal strikes due to me not putting my pedals in the right place due to the power assist. Depending what pedals your using you can gain even more clearance by using thin pedals.. something like the oneup components alloy versions are pretty thin.

Just checked my Non Ebike and the pedal clearance is 5mm less than my E Sommet.. so yeah not that low really. I always thought the reason for shorter cranks was you have the power assist so the loss of leverage is compensated for. Then seeing as your pedal technique up tech climbing is effectively spinning to use speed to "flatten" out the trail then clearance helps.

Not sure about cornering though... that doesn't make sense unless your simply putting your pedals at 6 /12 when taking fast corners irrespective of the terrain. If your suspension is set up too soft it could be blowing through the travel due to compression through the corner and you've suddenly got less clearance than expected??

 

[ceejays88]

Thanks for the update. What crank arms you going for?

Not sure yet, but probably 160mm like my non ebike,
170mm seems too long for me

Glad you found the issue.. I'm really surprised your bike shipped with the pedals on... ATBH who actually uses the pedals they supply .. great emergency set for the van if someone needs but to use as your daily driver?
The damage could have been a manufacturing defect?

I don't find the BB particularly low on my E Sommet but I did get some initial pedal strikes due to me not putting my pedals in the right place due to the power assist. Depending what pedals your using you can gain even more clearance by using thin pedals.. something like the oneup components alloy versions are pretty thin.

Just checked my Non Ebike and the pedal clearance is 5mm less than my E Sommet.. so yeah not that low really. I always thought the reason for shorter cranks was you have the power assist so the loss of leverage is compensated for. Then seeing as your pedal technique up tech climbing is effectively spinning to use speed to "flatten" out the trail then clearance helps.

Not sure about cornering though... that doesn't make sense unless your simply putting your pedals at 6 /12 when taking fast corners irrespective of the terrain. If your suspension is set up too soft it could be blowing through the travel due to compression through the corner and you've suddenly got less clearance than expected??

They didnt ship with the pedals on, but they had screwed some pedals in when it was built as they said they test rode it to make sure it was working.

I have these pedals and theyve been fantastic, the plastic ones were cracked (not that i'd use them) and CRC sent me these as replacements and ive just ordered more for my other bikes.

the suspension originally hadnt been pumped AT ALL so yeah that didnt help at first.
The clearance difference between this and my other bikes is 10mm, the crank arms on mine are 170mm which seems long as my friends 2 bikes come with 165mm and another with 160mm.

My main issue is the cornering, when I go out I have to go round a roundabout near my home before the bike paths and I cannot pedal when cornering due to how low it is, ive just got to roll it even when going slow

 

[PsyMan2000]

I had the same clicking appear on my 2019 E-Sommet VR a couple of months ago and after mistakedly replacing the bearings on my Nukeproof Evo pedals to no avail I eventually found that the bolts on the crank arm were not very tight, tightening them got rid of the noise until a couple of days ago when it returned.

I had to drop the motor to push the dreaded one way dropper cable back through a day before it returned so based on the above advice I think I may have either left a motor bolt too loose/ungreased, the chainring bolts or the guide adjustment setting. I will take all of the advise above and methodically work my way back through everything I have touched now and apply blue threadlock and torque. Of course I will never be sure which one it was if it goes away again but who cares;-)

Cheers for the above tips all, it is really annoying when these noises appear. (I have also developed a mild creak on the rear shock but thats another adventure altogether)

 

[ceejays88]

so, little update for everyone. new 160mm crank arms are so much better for my riding!
I am getting less strikes and easier to pedal when cornering.

but.... the click came back... the bike was strippeddown pretty much completely and put back together bit by bit and it was still happening, at this point I was about to send the bike back as I couldn't carry on with it when I read a post on a facebook group about the dropper post causing the click when the seatpost clamp had been tightened too much and slightly damaged the dropper post tube, so I took it out and inspected it and yep..there was an indent all the way round where it had been tightened too much. I found a cheap rockshox reverb post on facebook and so far 150miles in and no clicks. CRC wanted the whole bike back to replace just the dropper post, and I can't be without my bike for that long just for a dropper post.

Will keep you updated if I find anything else

 

[dean-williams]

i also have the clicking noise, started after 300 miles so back in june time, mine sounds like its coming from the point where the top and bottom tubes meet the head tube, if i lay the bike on its side and push down , and pull up on the motor i can make it click and the loudest point is by the head tube, i know sound can travel , so does not mean its coming from that point, but it does sound like 2 bits of metal clicking past each other. like a crack being flexed
i have also had the motor out and put it all back in with medium locktite to make sure no bolts work there way out.

i did contact CRC, and " they have never heard of the problem" and wanted me to return the bike, being its was in lock down and heard horror stories of 2 months wait, i did not send it,
now i have forgotten about it, to be honest i am not sure its still doing it, its down over 1000 miles now, taken it down alot of forest trails , jumping parks etc, and not seen it get worse, maybe its worn in?

still never got to the cause of the problem , but glad its not just me that had the problem

Dean