Now this noise does not happen all the time, just every once in a while. But since it's a sealed unit and I can't really service it, I'm putting in a new one. And until I get a new one in, I'm not riding on that bike in a group. Let me tell you why.
I don't know if anyone remembers the Mavic SSC groupset. It was a really fine component set, and super light. I had a Merckx frame built up with it in the mid 90's. Sean Kelly used the same group set, also Greg LeMond.
The SSC bottom bracket was a sealed unit with a hollow, lightweight axle. Well, I put too many miles on this thing. One day in a group training ride we were contesting a "city limits sign sprint" and the bottom bracket sheared in half. Tore like butter. Left me with a fractured collar bone and a friend of mine on the surgery table getting his shoulder repaired.
So now I replace my stuff more frequently. All components have a lifespan - my bottom bracket fatigued and broke. Some components sacrifice weight for longevity. For example, the Pros ride those superlight bikes on mountain stages, but heavier bikes for the cobbled classics. Most recreational cyclists, even some racers, have one, maybe two bikes and might ride one bike all the time. If you have a superlight bike because it's cool to have one, for the sake of yourself and others in the pack, change carbon bars and other vital parts every year. Parts are cheap compared to crashing.
