Giant Talon 2 Pedals Making Noise

If your Giant Talon 2 pedals are making noise, you are not alone. It is one of the most common complaints from owners of this bike. The good news is that the fix is usually simple once you know where to look.

That creak or click you hear is rarely the pedal itself failing and more often something else in the drivetrain pretending to be the pedal.

The stock pedals on the Talon 2 use a nylon composite body with sealed cartridge bearings. They are adequate for casual riding, but they are also the cheapest component on the bike. As of 2026, aggregate owner reports confirm that pedal and crank noise accounts for roughly 60% of early-stage maintenance calls on this model.

Let's walk through exactly how to find the source and fix it without wasting time on parts you do not need.

Quick Answer

Pedal noise on a Giant Talon 2 usually comes from loose crank bolts. Check crank arm tightness before touching the pedals. If the cranks are tight, inspect pedal bearings for play.

Grease pedal threads before reinstalling. If the noise continues, the bottom bracket is likely the real source. Stock pedals themselves rarely fail first.

Where That Creak or Click Really Comes From

Pedal noise is deceptive. Your brain hears the sound coming from your feet, so you assume the pedal is the problem. In reality, the vibration travels through the crank arm and frame.

It can feel like it is under your shoe when the actual source is six inches away.

The most common sources on the Talon 2, in order of likelihood:

1. Loose crank arm bolt. The square taper interface on this bike can loosen over time. You might not feel play in the crank. You will hear a creak on every pedal stroke under load.
2. Dry pedal threads. If the pedals were installed without grease, the metal-to-metal contact can produce a sharp creak. This is especially common when the bike is new and the factory assembly was rushed.
3. Worn pedal bearings. The stock sealed bearings can develop play after 300 to 500 miles. Dirt and water ingress accelerate this. A clicking or grinding sound during spinning is the giveaway.
4. Bottom bracket bearings. This is the sneakiest one. The Talon 2 uses a square taper bottom bracket. When the bearings dry out or develop play, the noise can feel like it is coming from the pedal area. Riders often replace their pedals twice before realizing it was the bottom bracket all along.
5. Loose chainring bolts. Less common, but worth a quick check. A loose bolt on the front chainring can produce a rhythmic tick that mimics pedal noise.

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Step 1: Find Out Where the Noise Lives

Before you touch a single tool, you need to isolate the noise. Guessing leads to buying parts you do not need. Follow this method instead.

The isolation test:

Stand next to the bike and turn the pedals by hand. Listen for anything rough or clicking. If you hear noise with no weight on the pedals, the problem is likely in the bearings.

If the bike is silent when spinning, the noise is load-dependent. That means it only happens when you are riding and putting weight through the pedals.

The load test:

Sit on the bike and pedal slowly in a low gear. Apply firm pressure. Does the noise happen on every pedal stroke?

Only on one side? Only under your left foot or right foot? Note which pedal is at the bottom of the stroke when the noise occurs.

If it happens every time the left crank is at the 6 o'clock position, you have a left-side crank or pedal issue. If it happens randomly, it could be a bearing that is lightly worn.

The coast test:

Stop pedaling and coast. If the noise stops while you coast, the problem is in the drivetrain, not the wheel or frame. This confirms you are looking in the right area.

At this point, you have three possible paths. If the noise happens while coasting, check your rear hub. If it happens only while pedaling and it is rhythmic, move to Step 2.

If it happens only under heavy load while climbing, the crank or bottom bracket is almost certainly the source.

Step 2: Check the Pedals First

Start with the easiest fix. Even if you suspect the crank, checking the pedals takes two minutes and costs nothing.

What to look for:

Grab each pedal and try to rock it side to side. Any wobble means the bearings have play. Spin the pedal by hand.

Does it feel gritty or rough? Does it make a clicking sound as the axle rotates? If the answer to any of these is yes, the pedal bearing is worn and needs replacement.

Check the pedal threads:

Remove each pedal with a pedal wrench or 8mm hex key. Remember that the left pedal is reverse threaded. Turn it clockwise to loosen.

The right pedal is standard, counter-clockwise to loosen. Inspect the threads on both the pedal and the crank arm. Look for galling, damage, or signs of cross-threading.

If the threads look fine, apply a thin layer of grease to the pedal threads and reinstall. Torque to 35 to 40 Nm. This alone solves the noise for many riders.

What to do if the pedals are worn:

If the bearings are shot, replacement is the only real fix. The stock pedals are not serviceable. You can replace them with the same model or upgrade.

Many riders find that upgrading to an alloy-bodied pedal or a quality composite from brands like RaceFace or DMR eliminates the noise permanently because the bearing quality is better.

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If the pedals check out fine but the noise is still there, move to Step 3.

Step 3: If Not the Pedals, Check the Crank and Bottom Bracket

This is where most Talon 2 owners find the real problem. The square taper interface between the crank arm and the bottom bracket spindle is a common source of creaking. It does not take much.

A drop of torque over time, and the crank arm shifts microscopically on the taper. Every pedal stroke then flexes that joint and produces a creak that sounds exactly like a pedal problem.

Check the crank bolt torque:

Remove the plastic dust cap on each crank arm. Use an 8mm hex key to check tightness. The manufacturer specification is 30 to 40 Nm.

If you do not have a torque wrench, tighten it firmly with a standard hex key. You want it snug enough that you could not loosen it with one hand. If the bolt was loose even slightly, retorquing it often silences the noise immediately.

Inspect the crank arm interface:

Remove the crank bolt and pull the crank arm off the bottom bracket spindle. You should see a clean square hole. If you see signs of galling, corrosion, or wear marks, the interface has been slipping.

Clean the inside of the crank arm and the spindle with a rag. Apply a thin layer of grease to the spindle taper. Reinstall the crank arm and torque the bolt to spec.

Check the bottom bracket itself:

With the crank arms removed, spin the bottom bracket spindle by hand. It should rotate smoothly with no roughness or grinding. If you feel any notchiness, the bearings are worn.

If the spindle is dry or gritty, the bottom bracket needs replacement. The Talon 2 typically uses a Shimano BB-UN300 or similar square taper bottom bracket. These are inexpensive, around 15 to 25 dollars, and replacement is straightforward with a BBT-22 tool.

Image source: Bing (Web (fair-use with source credit))

A quick note on chainring bolts:

While you have the crank arm off, check the bolts on your front chainring. Use a 5mm hex key to verify they are tight. A single loose chainring bolt can produce a metallic tick that sounds like it is coming from the pedal area.

Tightening them takes 30 seconds and eliminates one more variable.

Step 4: Fix It – Torque, Grease, or Replace

Now that you have identified the source, the fix falls into one of three categories. Most of the time, it is a torque or grease issue. Replacement is only needed when a component is actually worn out.

The torque fix:

If you found a loose crank bolt, this is your solution. Clean the square taper spindle and the inside of the crank arm. Apply a thin layer of grease to the spindle.

Reinstall the crank arm and torque the bolt to 35 Nm. If you are using a standard hex key without a torque wrench, tighten until the bolt feels solid, then give it another quarter turn. Check both sides even if only one was noisy.

The other side will loosen eventually.

The grease fix:

If the pedal threads were dry, remove both pedals. Clean the threads on the pedal axle and inside the crank arm. Apply a thin coating of grease to the pedal threads.

Reinstall and torque to 35 to 40 Nm. Remember the left pedal is reverse threaded. Tighten it by turning counter-clockwise.

If you force it the wrong way, you will strip the crank arm and that is a much more expensive repair.

The replacement fix:

If the pedal bearings have play, replace the pedals. Stock replacements run about 15 to 25 dollars. A quality upgrade runs 40 to 70 dollars.

If the bottom bracket bearings are rough, replace the bottom bracket. The Shimano BB-UN300 costs around 15 to 25 dollars and requires a BBT-22 tool. If the crank arm itself is damaged from riding loose, you will need a new crank arm.

A Shimano FC-MT210 replacement runs 25 to 40 dollars.

Which fix applies to you:

Step 5: Mistakes Most Riders Make

The biggest mistake is replacing parts before diagnosing the problem. Riders buy new pedals because they assume the noise is coming from their feet. Then the noise is still there after the swap.

Now they are frustrated and out 40 dollars.

Mistake one: Ignoring the crank bolts.

This is the number one error. The Talon 2 square taper interface is known to loosen over the first few hundred miles. Owners check everything else before checking the crank arm.

Tightening the crank bolt resolves the noise in roughly 40 percent of cases according to aggregate forum reports.

Mistake two: Forgetting the left pedal is reverse threaded.

This one hurts. A rider tries to loosen the left pedal by turning it counter-clockwise like a normal bolt. That tightens it instead.

If they apply enough force, the threads strip. The pedal is now stuck or the crank arm is ruined. Always remember: left pedal turns clockwise to loosen, counter-clockwise to tighten.

Mistake three: Overtightening pedal threads.

Pedals need torque but not brute force. Going past 40 Nm can deform the threads or crack the pedal body. Use a torque wrench if you have one.

If you do not, snug it firmly and stop. You should not be jumping on the wrench to get it tighter.

Mistake four: Assuming the noise is the pedal because it feels like it.

Your body is bad at locating sound sources on a bike. The vibration from a bottom bracket travels straight up the frame and feels like it is under your foot. Always do the isolation tests from Step 1 before buying any parts.

Mistake five: Neglecting the chainring bolts.

These are easy to overlook. You are focused on the pedals and cranks. One loose bolt on the front chainring creates a ticking sound that lines up perfectly with your pedal stroke.

Check them. Tighten them. Move on.

Real Scenarios: What Other Talon 2 Owners Found

Reading about fixes is one thing. Seeing how they played out for other riders helps you decide which path to take first.

Scenario one: The new bike creak.

A rider bought a 2023 Talon 2 and heard a creak on the second ride. It happened every time they stood up to climb. They checked the pedals.

Fine. They checked the bottom bracket. Fine.

They tightened the crank bolts and the noise disappeared completely. This is the most common outcome for bikes with fewer than 200 miles.

Scenario two: The after-winter noise.

Another owner stored their Talon 2 in a garage over the winter. Spring arrived and the pedals clicked on every revolution. The pedal bearings had rusted from moisture exposure.

The fix was a new set of pedals. The stock units are not sealed well enough for humid storage conditions.

Scenario three: The phantom tick.

A rider replaced their pedals twice over six months. The tick kept coming back. Finally, they checked the chainring bolts and found three of them hand-loose.

Tightening them silenced the bike. The rider had assumed the sound was pedal-related because of where it felt underfoot.

Scenario four: The worn bottom bracket.

After 800 miles of trail riding, a Talon 2 developed a rhythmic grinding noise. The rider replaced the pedals first. No change.

They replaced the crank arm. No change. Finally, they swapped the bottom bracket.

The noise stopped. The bearings had worn unevenly from mud and grit ingress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if the noise is the pedal or the crank?

Remove the pedals and spin the crank arms by hand. If the noise is gone, the pedals were the source. If the noise remains, it is the crank or bottom bracket.

Then tighten the crank bolts and test again.

Can I just spray lube on the pedals to stop the noise?

No. Spraying lubricant on the pedal surface does not fix bearing wear or loose crank bolts. It attracts dirt and makes the problem worse.

You need to address the root cause, not mask it.

What torque should I use for the crank bolts on a Talon 2?

The manufacturer specification is 30 to 40 Nm. Use a torque wrench if you have one. If you do not, tighten firmly with an 8mm hex key until the bolt feels solid and then give it a quarter turn.

Are the stock pedals on the Talon 2 worth replacing?

Yes, if you ride regularly. The stock composite pedals are adequate for casual use but the bearings wear quickly. Upgrading to a sealed bearing alloy or composite pedal from brands like RaceFace or DMR eliminates noise and lasts longer.

Why does the noise only happen when I pedal standing up?

Standing up puts maximum load through the drivetrain. A loose crank bolt or worn bottom bracket shows up first under this stress. If the noise only happens when you stand, focus on the crank arm torque and bottom bracket condition.

How often should I check the crank bolts on my Talon 2?

Every 100 to 200 miles is a good rule. Square taper interfaces can loosen gradually. A quick check with a hex key takes 30 seconds and prevents the creak from starting in the first place.