Creaking in rear wheel I have a strange creaking that sometimes occurs when I just started to pedal from stop. And strangely, it only happens when I use the smallest front chainring and smallest rear cog. The creak doesn't happen each revolution, only when pedalled hard or from the start. What causes this?
This type of cross gear configuration is frowned upon for normal riding. Mostly likely the creaking is caused by the extra stress caused by the chain putting stress on one side of the gears and chain. Lubing the chain and re-greasing the rear axle (if it is not sealed) could also help, as this creaking may be symptomatic that they are lacking. But the real take-away here is to avoid this type of gearing combination.