coming from the crank region(shut up; you know who you are) of the BICYCLE. And starting feeling a 'tic' when put a lot of pressure on the pedals. Not good. This was a bicycle I'd been given a while back, so hadn't really done anything to it other than move the handlebars and such from the other to it(this being the New Model OKCPV), so maintenance was called for.
Yeah, I should've checked this before I used it.
Pulling one pedal required use of a punch to drive it off the shaft, then loosen the outer nut, then the inner so could move the crank to get to the bearings, and lo!, the damn things are dry. Not 'a trace left' but DRY of any lubricant. Happily I have a tube of grease in the garage, and popsicle sticks, so got both thoroughly greased and buttoned it back up; MUCH quieter and smoother.
Oddly, the wheel bearings were greased; why them and not the crank, I don't know.
Yeah, rides a lot more smoothly now. I should have remembered that when I checked on the previous ride, its crank AND wheel bearings showed no trace of grease(and it was new), and checked this one before rode it.