Bike stability

mikeh2000

This is a bit of strange one, but a few years ago I was seriously into cycling, and did the Etape Du Tour a couple of times, as well as the Rominger Classic in 2002.
Since about 2005, however, I've not touched a bike due to work and family commitments, but since November I've been using the indoor trainer to get back in shape.
This week I dug my road bike back out of storage, checked it all over(I'm an engineer so I know bearings,wheels etc are ok), but for some reason the bike feels really unstable now, with the front end seeming to have a life of it's own!
There's no cracks in the frame(it's aluminium), wheels are ok and the headset as well, but from reading other articles it seems that it may be one of 2 things.
1/ A confidence issue, in that one of the last times I rode my bike I had a speed wobble at about 55mph, and very nearly came off. Since then I'm vary wary when riding, and as a result I'm quite tense on the bike.
2/ The bike frame itself. It's 7005 aluminium, and was bought in 1999, and has done about 3,000 miles, give or take a bit. Although there are no cracks, signs of corrosion externally, could it be that due to it's age it's flexing a bit too much?
Any ideas? I'm meant to be doing the Dragon Ride in June, but I don't fancy going downhill in the Breacons the way my bike's handlng at the moment!

Bronzie

You sure it's not simply down to the fact you haven't ridden it in 5 years? I know my race bike feels "twitchy" after riding the hack bike all winter.

keef66

The frame's unlikely to be to blame; it's done bugger-all mileage and it's made of aluminium, not papier mache.

What's the fork made of?

Are the tyres the 10yr old originals? What pressures are you inflating them to?

Most likely explanation is that it's you. I felt really odd when I got back on a road bike for the first time after 20 years on an mtb. Now it feels like part of me.

mikeh2000

Thanks for getting back to me, and with regards to your queries the forks are Mizuno carbon fibre, and I've changed the tyres for brand new ones which are pumped up to 110psi.

It probably is me, so time will tell, and hopefully I won't fall off in the meantime!

SPEEDOboy77

Hi mikeh2000
You know I have the same thing with my tarmac at moment. I'm totaly convinced that it feels dodgy in somw way... Been to LBS to check it out... nothing, Wheel good, fork good etc. I recon for me its a confidence thing. Over cold spell stem snapped mid commute and sit still hurts . I dont notice it when out on group rides.

But one day, if I'm picking myself off the road again; I wont be too suprised

TomF

Any ideas? I'm meant to be doing the Dragon Ride in June, but I don't fancy going downhill in the Breacons the way my bike's handlng at the moment!

It's you. The bike has done hardly any mileage and, unless you did some damage before you put it into storage, nothing will have changed. The only thing that has changed is you have returned to riding..!

Welcome back, and I hope you enjoy training for, and riding, the Dragon.

mikeh2000

Cheers for all the support. I've been out again today as I've got the week off, and it's definetly me getting used to riding again. It's very windy today, but I made a concious effort to relax a bit more on the bike, and although I'm a fair way off what my riding used to be like, it's a lot better than it was yesterday, and which was better than the day before.

As for the Dragon Ride, I live in North Dorset, which although not quite the Breacons, does have quite a few hills, and very little of the terrain is flat.

mikeh2000

Just to update you all that it was definetely me and not the bike! I've made a conscious effort to relax more on the bike, even to the point of humming little ditties while descending, and it's made one heck of a difference.

No more wheel wobble, and a whole lot faster descending, with better bike handling skills as well.

Bring on the Brecon Beacons,I'm nearly ready!

Anonymous

mikeh2000 wrote:

Just to update you all that it was definetely me and not the bike! I've made a conscious effort to relax more on the bike, even to the point of humming little ditties while descending, and it's made one heck of a difference.

No more wheel wobble, and a whole lot faster descending, with better bike handling skills as well.

Bring on the Brecon Beacons,I'm nearly ready!

This may sound daft, but I used to put my tongue between my teeth when descending, stops me getting tense, as you bite down when you tense up, it reminds you to relax. not a wind up, honest.

genki

I think you said you'd used an indoor trainer to get in shape before getting back on your bike. You'd probably got accustomed to having a static front end. I know it feels noticeable to me when I switch to one after a long period on the other- either the turbo feeling too static or the bike feeling a bit lively.