resolvedSo now I know the cause of the clicking / creaking sound that has provided rhythmic accompaniment to my ride into work and home the past couple of days.
Took tourer (Cannondale T800) into Alpine Bikes for a bit of a service and as I describe all the things that could be improved about its performance (braking / gear indexing / new cables etc) I mention the creak, look down and see that where there has been a small ding in the frame for a few years, there is now also a ragged line running from each side, halfway round the frame.
"That'll be the cause of the creaking then" says the man. "Oh, that's a crack says his pal". No point servicing that. "And I'd strongly advise walking it back" man adds.
I haven't noticed any signs of cracking and check periodically, knowing that this dent is a weak spot. Haven't bashed it recently. Maybe a coincidence but might the recent cold snap have made the frame more brittle? Does that make sense?
Still, every tragedy is an opportunity thinks I. But what to do?
Buy a new frame? Planet X Kaffenback looks good at £250 for the frame and forks and then transfer as much componentry as possible across.
Buy a bike just for commuting - Revolution Cross or similar
Change my plan for the Cycle2Work bike from a roadie and splash it all on a new tourer / commuter?
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