High speed wobble
09-15-17, 02:51 PM
#26
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I have read just the opposite, that play in the headset can quench the shimmy by preventing it from moving through the bike. There is little agreement about this stuff.
09-15-17, 02:55 PM
#27
Erik the Inveigler
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Many years back when the carbon Giant TCR came out, many criticized the bike for being dangerous when descending due to speed wobble. Giant resolved this with subsequent redesigns.
Motorcycles are particularly sensitive to high speed wobble due to wind buffeting. Can be complicated to resolve....referred to as a tank slapper....very scary at high speed.
Motorcycles are particularly sensitive to high speed wobble due to wind buffeting. Can be complicated to resolve....referred to as a tank slapper....very scary at high speed.
I've only had this happen to me on a bicycle once; and in that case I believe it was actually due to a misaligned (i.e., damaged) front fork on a bike I'd bought used and fixed up.
09-16-17, 07:34 PM
#28
Blast from the Past
I've struggled with this a bit, only on steep downhills. Braking seemed to exaggerate it or make it start at slower speeds. Does not happen at any speed on level ground or slight downhills. Goes away if I slide well back on the seat. So I think in my case it is some interaction between me and the bike when there is more weight on my hands or more weight on the front wheel.
09-16-17, 08:16 PM
#29
Erik the Inveigler
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I've struggled with this a bit, only on steep downhills. Braking seemed to exaggerate it or make it start at slower speeds. Does not happen at any speed on level ground or slight downhills. Goes away if I slide well back on the seat. So I think in my case it is some interaction between me and the bike when there is more weight on my hands or more weight on the front wheel.
09-16-17, 08:47 PM
#30
Senior Member
I had this recently.
A 4 year old bike that I'd ridden at 50 mph several times suddenly started a speed wobble every time I went over 33 mph.
LBS looked it over and found that my spokes needed retensioning.
Problem solved.
A 4 year old bike that I'd ridden at 50 mph several times suddenly started a speed wobble every time I went over 33 mph.
LBS looked it over and found that my spokes needed retensioning.
Problem solved.
09-21-17, 10:15 AM
#32
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I am the original OP and would like to thank all who contributed to the thread. I have been riding the bike for 4 years and have logged approximately 20,000kms. This was the first time I ever experienced a wobble. Since then I have logged about 500 km without a reoccurrence. After reading all the posts and thinking about my experience I assume that because of the cool temperature on the descent so early in the am that I probably induced the wobble by shivering; I also have a hand tremor from time to time so that might have also triggered it.
Scary but now I know what to do should it happen again.
Scary but now I know what to do should it happen again.
