Clunk?

Clunks are bad. Whether on a bike, ski bindings, fly reels, or a gun. A clunk means something's assembled wrong, doesn't fit right, or has worn significantly. In some cases it's a sign of imminent catastrophic failure. In other premature wear.


But, they're often hard to track down. I've been chasing one on my mountain bike since the start. When I shift my weight side-to-side, there's a distinct "clunk" in the drivetrain. As a somewhat obsessive gearhead, this has been driving me bats. I've had the crank arms off, cleaned, greased and tightened them; had a look at the bottom bracket, and more. No sign of anything fitting less-than-perfectly. I put on my best super-sleuth act, but can't find anything that's less than jake. Grrrrr...


As I'm headed down the trail on a ride on Saturday it occurs to me though I tightened the pedals in the crank arms, I've never checked out the pedals themselves. BINGO! Right pedal clunks nicely when you tug on it!


So, new better quality pedals are on order. Glad it was something cheap. I was starting to look into a Profile crankset (and spindle, and sprocket, and bottom bracket .... $$$). Thirty bucks for a pair of new pedals is MUCH better!


Great ride on the yellow trail at Island Lake yesterday. At about 6 miles, it's a little shorter than the blue trail I rode a couple of weeks back. That's such a great area to ride, and close to home. But, I am SORE today!


-Sean-