Help to identify mystery clicking sound

[CCS]

Today's dumb question:
There is a mystery clicking sound on my road bike. It only happens when I am pedalling; but it is not always there. Seems to vary with cadence.
Nothing to do with the rear wheel (tried a different wheel today); doesn't happen at all on the workstand. Nothing obvious is rubbing or loose.... any suggestions as to where to look next?

[Sir Jibbenstein]

The fact it varies with cadence implies it is something around the crankset.

Sources of clicking I've had:
Shoes. My shimano tri shoes take 2 bolt cleats as well as 3 bolt cleats. The result is that the 2 bolt slider moves back and forth.
Cables. Sometimes the excess cable on my front mech will bend and hit the crank as I pedal.
Bottom bracket. It might be knackered.

Clearly the best solution is to buy a new bike and some new shoes just in case

[CCS]

My shimano tri shoes take 2 bolt cleats as well as 3 bolt cleats. The result is that the 2 bolt slider moves back and forth.

Yes - have also had that trouble in the past - all my shoes ( there may be multiple pairs already) are fitted with a strategic blob of chewing gum (which was the first thing that came to hand) to stop that rattling.

BB is relatively new (March 2012) - though suppose it has been through a hard winter...

You are probably right... new bike would be best (though very attached to this one)

[Worrying Will]

i had the same issues to find it was the front mech cable striking the crank arm.

[Jack Hughes]

It's your knees

[Tritans]

i had the same issues to find it was the front mech cable striking the crank arm.

I've had similar. But I've also gone through a few BB's.

[Seasider71]

Do you have valve extenders, they can knock against the rim when the wheel is turning, at higher cadences it stops but when you slow you get a clicking sound where it rocks against your rim.

The Zipp extenders also make a noise at slower cadence as the valve drops up and down.

[Bopomofo]

I got a similar maddening click a few years ago after a particularly rain sodden race that included cycling through a ford.

In fact, Jody told me the noise my bike was making was 'offensive' when we did a Swashbuckler test ride. (My, that WAS a long time ago)

Turns out it was some grit or water in my pedal bearing. A squirt of magic stuff in there and a good clean sorted it out.

[Max Headroom]

+1 for bopo. I get clicky pedals a lot and a spray of WD40 usually sorts it. Which reminds me. I must do mine.

[Kevy427]

Is it the inside of the zip banging on your HR transmitter...? Done that a few times with the jersey partly open and noticed a tapping, a bit plasticky sounding, began working through what bits of the bike were plastic before it dawned on me