My bike makes a strange tapping sound when I pedal forward?

When I pedal forward on my bike, there is a strange tapping sound. I can also feel it on the left pedal. No, no foreign object is simply brushing up against the pedal. It changes in intensity when I shift gears, and it always ocurrs at the same point in the rotation. What could be wrong?
It's a brand new bike, so I don't think anything could be "shot". And what are bearings?
 
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