Cornering Problems

That Petrol Emotion

Hi folks,

I wonder if any of you kind people could please give me some advice as to a problem I currently have with cornering?

I have been riding for about 30 years (not continually ) and never had a problem with cornering until recently when riding my new Focus Cross Disc.

I am quite large (6ft 4 and about 17.5 stone) and wear a backpack, although not heavily loaded. The tyres (knobbly Racing Ralph) are kept at the maximum 85 PSI, the back wheel is true and the bike rides fantastically until I hit a right-turn (to add to the problem, left-turns cause no issues whatsoever)!!

On right-turns, as soon as I begin to lean-in, it feels as though the back wheel is about to buckle and I can then feel it begin to slip away from under me. After I straighten-up, if I haven't come off, the back wheel still feels as though it is out-of-true until I begin to pick-up speed again. It happens in both wet and dry conditions, when I'm on the drops or upright and I keep off the brakes.

Has anybody any ideas? It really is beginning to hamper my enjoyment of the commute/ride, not to mention coming to the point where my right leg now looks like it needs a skin graft plus the added anxiety I get of not wanting to crash my shiny new bike each time I set off.

Thanks for your time and any tips you might be able to offer.

TPE

linsen

keep outside foot down as you corner - this should keep you upright. Better to go slower and stay on than take it too fast - my OH fractured his hip in two places taking a corner a little too speedily

BUICK

If you aren't confident doing it yourself I'd take the bike into the LBS and check that the cones aren't loose in the back wheel (is there any obvious play?) and that nothing is broken back there that you haven't yet detected. Doesn't sound right at all.

Greg T

Nice bike..

Purely guess work but the right hand side is where the cassette is.... The inbalance in the spoke length and tensions may be off.

Whilst your wheel may be in true it could be badly set up and this is why when you drop it right it starts to go wrong on you

This is purely guess work....

nicklouse

as above get the spoke tensions checked.

the tensions should be different left and right but if they are too low things can feel odd.

also for sme reason the disc side do tend to release their tension faster on a poor wheel build.

That Petrol Emotion

Thanks guys. Honestly didn't think of the spokes being the problem but it makes real sense now you mention it.

Back wheel booked into LBS for inspection and possible spoke tightening tomorrow.

Having now done a Google search on Alex Rims, (key result is something like 'Are Alex Rims just plain Garbage?)

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 75199.html

it would appear that they have a history of breaking on the right-hand side of the rear wheel especially when a..'ahem'..heavier rider is involved (in one case specifically when leaning into corners!) Looks like they can go out of true pretty easily as well and relatively early on in use.

It is such a nice bike. It will be a real shame if these are letting it down.

TPE

Greg T

That Petrol Emotion wrote:

It is such a nice bike. It will be a real shame if these are letting it down.

TPE

TPE - easily solved, if a bit expensively by just getting a good set of Mavics....

You'll thank me for it later, they will transform your bike.......

Or get your current wheels fettled and then buy your Mavics in six months time and wishing you'd bit the bullet now......

.http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Mavic_Aksium_Wheelset/5360032717/

Feltup

Having read other forums it seems that some wheels are fine for the whippets out there but under bigger loads they can flex a lot. If the tensions are found to be OK you might just be too heavy for the wheel and might need to get a beefier set up.

R25 Flyer

Greg T - will the Mavics take disc brakes? I also have Alex rims with no probs but you never know what a Friday ride home could throw at me...

nicklouse

R25 Flyer
the ones linked will not.

But any good bike shop will be able to provide a suitable wheel set, even if they build it for you.

biondino

Mavics? Nah. What you want are Fulcrums:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Fulcr ... 360026717/

Greg T

nicklouse wrote:

R25 Flyer
the ones linked will not.

But any good bike shop will be able to provide a suitable wheel set, even if they build it for you.

Ah!

Sorry - delete my posts etc etc....

I don't know how disc brakes attach to the hub but presume it will complicate matters....

As Nick says a good bike shop will source you decent stiff wheels, they are worth spending money on.

nicklouse

biondino wrote:

Mavics? Nah. What you want are Fulcrums:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Fulcr ... 360026717/

again will not work or even fit.

passout

Assuming that your frame isn't bent then I guess it's something to do with flexy wheels.

Littigator

That's hilarious...I was going to suggest either aksiums or fulcrum 5s but lo and behold Greg T and Biondino had beaten me to it.

Hang on siwft double take :shock: are you two sitting in my head again huh huh?

itboffin

Littigator wrote:

That's hilarious...I was going to suggest either aksiums or fulcrum 5s but lo and behold Greg T and Biondino had beaten me to it.

Hang on siwft double take :shock: are you two sitting in my head again huh huh?

They are you..... :shock: :shock: :shock:

Greg T

TPE - Did you get a new set of wheels?

Greg T

TPE - Did you get a new set of wheels?

That Petrol Emotion

Thanks for asking, Greg

Sadly not...bit disillusioned with all things cycling at the mo' to be honest.

Took wheel to LBS
LBS said it was fine and nothing they could do would improve it
LBS hint that 'I'm on the large size' for the wheel
Got back on bike (doubly depressed)
Came to 2nd Roundabout and fell off (again!) :x

So now:

One (not so shiny anymore ) £800 Focus Cross Disc sat locked in shed.

Me on the bus (as I refuse to use the car to commute and waiting for my leg to heal) trying to think up excuses to justify to wife why I need to spend another small fortune on 'bits' :roll: for a new bike simply so i can ride it.

Back on the Specialized Crossroads for the Winter to try and lose the weight so I can get back on the Focus (if that's actually the problem?).

Ho hum. Going to the Cycle Show on Saturday to try and cheer myself up, get the 'bug' back and look at some wheels. If you see a grown man crying near the entrance, it didn't work.

TPE

always_tyred

What tyres are on the focus? Perhaps they are better to be run at higher pressures than you are used to with your other bike?

No one corners with the same confidence in both directions. Most people throw like a girl with at least one arm, for example (unless you are a girl, in which case often the "like a girl" arm is the only arm which can be used to throw at all). If the property of the tyres/wheels are taking you closer to your comfort zone, it'll show up on your crap side first.


(Note - I just put these comments in to test if anyone is actually reading any more)

Greg T

That's not right.

Is the LBS who said there's nothing wrong with your wheels the same place as you bought the bike?

There may be nothing they can do to improve it - if it's a crap wheel but they were quick enough to take your money off you in the first place and I presume you weren't ten stone then.....

AT it's a well known fact that when girls throw with their non "throwing like a girl" arm they just keep hold of the ball and moan about not being listened to and crap like that

Feltup

Don't be disallusioned, you'll get your cycling mojo back.

I am sure there must be stronger rims and spokes than those fitted, you could always take the hubs in and get them relaced onto something else. I would think that would work out cheaper than buying a full wheel.

I would definitely get a second opinion though from another LBS.

That Petrol Emotion

No Greg. As far as I am aware you can only get Focus Bikes mail order from Wiggle. My LBS have been really good in the past and I always trust their judgement.

Don't know how I would prove to Wiggle that i don't think it is fit for purpose as they will probably test ride it with a 'ten stoner' as you say.

Having said that it might be worth sending it off to them while it is only sat in the shed doing nothing.

Thinking about it I'm pretty sure they're at the cycle show too. Will go and have a word...

TPE

Greg T

Ah!

Right then Wiggle it is.....

They must have a customer service dept - see if they take the wheels back and swap them for a stiffer set - made for the chunkier gentlemen rider.....

It's only the wheels that need changing - presume you like the rest of the bike (when it's not dumping you on the rough stuff)

itboffin

Don't get too down, Greg T is totally right about buying new wheels now rather than later, it's been my experience that a new set of cheap hand built wheels make the world of difference not only to the strength but also the ride and you could always sell your current wheels to help fund a new set.

Hopefully i'm going to the show tomorrow as well, my credit cards will be staying at home

Surf-Matt

Is the bike still under warranty?

I had a hybrid with hub gears - took two months to realise it was utter cack and that we had been mis-sold it - my LBS also realised and gave us a full refund.

17.5 stone is not mega heavy - something is not right.

The fact it only happens on the right turn suggests it's more likely to be a hub problem to me - my wheels feel slightly stiffer leaning left than right (highish quality DT Swiss rims on a decent set of hubs) - it might be something to do with your chainwheels/disk brake set up otherwise I'm sure you'd suffer it on left turns. Also if the wheel actually was buckling or bending, it would stay that way and you'd see it easily.

Is there any give in the hub at all? The frame should easily cope.

That Petrol Emotion

Hi again guys,

Going to have a nice word with the guys from Mavic at the Cycle Show on Saturday and also with the guy from Wiggle while I'm there and see if we can come to an arrangement (what's left of my right leg should make a good bargaining tool and if there's enough people about he may be more willing to assist than just getting an email)!

I notice they have changed wheelsets on the 2009 Focus models so I wonder if there was an ongoing issue and I can work that in my favour...

Thanks for the advice Surf-Matt. Will have another look at the hubs more closely. Didn't notice anything majorly untoward last time but maybe I missed something. Another check won't harm.

BTW, I presume you mean 17.5 stone ISN'T Mega-Heavy or have you been taking charm lessons from my LBS

And I'm sure someone asked where I live... South Lincolnshire..about 10 miles north of Peterborough.

Thanks for all the advice. Will let you know how it goes...

TPE

il_principe

Oh dear, sounds like you're not an ambiturner...




Ebay the old wheels, take some advice at the show and buy some new ones.

Don't despair; you'll get your mojo back. 1 day on the bus would have me pining for the bike.

Surf-Matt

TPE - hastily edited (the weight bit) - twas an error!

gabriel959

17'5 is overweight (unless you are 6 foot 10). I am 15stone 6 and I am 6foot 6 and whilst not overweight I am definitively not skinny.

biondino

That Petrol Emotion wrote:

And I'm sure someone asked where I live... South Lincolnshire..about 10 miles north of Peterborough.

Nice - many of my happiest childhood memories are of south Lincolnshire, specifically in the marshy bit north of Holbeach. Happy times.