I just went through a similar ordeal, as my old road bike was making a horrific knocking/creaking sound during hard pedaling. These sounds appeared to come from the BB. I had already greased the seat post, so the problem seemed to lie elsewhere...stripped the BB, cleaned and regreased bearings, stripped freewheel, stripped front and back wheel hubs, adjusted stem bolts...but alas, the knocking only got worse. I could hardly deal with this creaking on my daily commute, and people could hear the bike long before it appeared. I loved the bike, but frankly, the racket was getting on my nerves, and I couldn't enjoy my riding because of this irritating creak. With nowhere else to turn, I went back to basics. Regreased the seat post (that still had fresh grease on it from the last time). By this time, i had given up hope of riding a relatively silent bicycle again... This morning, I began my commute with a heavy heart, as I knew that as soon as I hit the uphills, the inexplicable creaking would start. However, I made the top of the first hill without so much as a whisper from the BB, or any other part of the bike. Ah, I thought, I didn't pedal hard enough. So the next hill, I gave it stick all the way to the crest, and there was still no creak! I have been creak-free since then! Weeks of knuckle-skinning, cold and greasy nights of toil, all because I just needed more grease on a part I had already greased.
