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Weird Rear End Feeling

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Weird Rear End Feeling

Old 06-19-19, 07:13 PM
  #1  
EGBigelo
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Weird Rear End Feeling

Lately I've been feeling unstable on my bike (105 equipped Marin Argenta Elite, aluminum), not just on the downhills but on the flats. It's the same bike I've had for the last 3 seasons, and second year on those tires (28mm Gatorskins, 90-100 psi). It feels real squirrelly, kind of like it would feel if you were riding on a flat tire. And it's making me timid to go any faster.

I've checked everything and it's nice and tight. I have been taking new routes to mix things up so maybe the roads are causing it, I don't know. I haven't checked the spokes or anything like that yet, just checked to make sure the wheel was seated correctly and the quick release tight.

Just looking for ideas of what else I can check.

Last edited by EGBigelo; 06-19-19 at 07:18 PM.
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Old 06-20-19, 03:10 AM
  #2  
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Spoke tension,
wheel trueness
cracks in the frame
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Old 06-22-19, 08:02 PM
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Broken axle
Cracked dropout
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Old 06-23-19, 08:38 AM
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You might cut back on the spicy foods a bit. They have been known to cause weird rear end feelings as well as blowouts.
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Old 06-23-19, 08:44 AM
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Loose pre-load on rear hub?
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Old 06-23-19, 10:40 AM
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Turn the bike upside down and give the wheels a good spin to see if they spin true, for a start. Otherwise I'd start examining everything closely back there with a flashlight looking for any cracks, etc.

Last edited by puma1552; 06-23-19 at 12:24 PM.
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Old 06-23-19, 02:08 PM
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Now that the pavement is heated up to the summer temps, when I ride over some of those cracks running the same direction as me the tire will sink into the rubbery sealant they filled them with. The back tire having more weight on it is the one sinking and will follow the crack underneath the sealant. It's not bad, but just enough to make me take notice.
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Old 06-23-19, 02:29 PM
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did you just install aero wheels? windy days my bike gets squirrely.
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Old 06-23-19, 07:04 PM
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Lots of possibilities but be sure rear wheel evenly centered between chainstays.
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Old 06-23-19, 07:51 PM
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Pressure gauge on your pump maybe? Mine just went wonky a few weeks ago, then failed completely.
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Old 06-23-19, 08:42 PM
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Broken saddle or saddle rail?
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Old 06-23-19, 09:22 PM
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Sometimes I get a vague feeling from the rear of my aluminum bicycle too. I attribute the feeling to the aluminum frame, and possibly heat entering the tire, changing the pressure.
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Old 06-23-19, 09:48 PM
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I get the same feeling on a couple of bikes. The one thing that both have in common: The feeling started when I went to wider rims and lower tire pressures. On my fast commuter I changed the rear rim to a DT Swiss R460 due to cracking of the spoke eyelets on the old A319s. First ride with the R460s I stopped 3 times to check that the rear tire was still inflated. Same tire, same tube, but different rim and lower tire pressure. On the Ritchey I noticed it the first ride with when I put a 28mm Conti GP4000 SII on the rear Belgium+ and dropped the pressure. I think the lower tire pressure allows the tire to squirm more. I've tried the Ritchey with much higher pressures and not noticed it, but the ride was too harsh to keep using the higher pressure.

Originally Posted by jimincalif
Pressure gauge on your pump maybe? Mine just went wonky a few weeks ago, then failed completely.
This might be a winner.
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Old 08-30-19, 07:45 AM
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To the OP: Did you ever figure this out? My guess, all else being the same, might be that the hub has loosened/worn down, causing some play back there.
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Old 08-30-19, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by seypat
You might cut back on the spicy foods a bit. They have been known to cause weird rear end feelings as well as blowouts.
You beat me to the cheesy joke, congratulations!
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Old 08-30-19, 08:29 AM
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wow lots of possibilities. fwiw - when my rear wheel doesn't feel right, a spoke is usually the root cause. which I have a habit of ignoring until I can't ignore it anymore
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Old 08-30-19, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by EGBigelo
Lately I've been feeling unstable on my bike (105 equipped Marin Argenta Elite, aluminum), not just on the downhills but on the flats. It's the same bike I've had for the last 3 seasons, and second year on those tires (28mm Gatorskins, 90-100 psi). It feels real squirrelly, kind of like it would feel if you were riding on a flat tire. And it's making me timid to go any faster.

I've checked everything and it's nice and tight. I have been taking new routes to mix things up so maybe the roads are causing it, I don't know. I haven't checked the spokes or anything like that yet, just checked to make sure the wheel was seated correctly and the quick release tight.

Just looking for ideas of what else I can check.
Loose spokes? Wheel not straight? Did you hit a pothole recently or a big bump? Obviously, something happened recently.

I'd bring it to your local bicycle shop and have it checked. A 40$ tuneup is worth it (perhaps more if there's something wrong with one of the components).
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