Bike doesn't feel right..

guttertrash
guttertrash Posts: 147
edited August 2010 in Workshop
Don't know if its just me, but my bike just doesn't feel 'right'...

Had a crash about a month ago, not other parties involved, just me losing it on a downhill bend, and just starting to get back into it again, after replacing the front wheel which got damaged. It was replaced with exactly the same model of wheel as was damaged.

Anyway, the bike just feels odd, mainly when freewheeling. Climbing seems ok, and when putting the power down, but when coasting it feels twitchy and unbalanced.

I've checked the frame alignment as well as I can by eye, and with the string method, and that seems ok.

What I have noticed however, is that I have a spoke that keeps coming loose on the rear wheel. After only five or six miles, its completely loose and sends the wheel out of true a bit. Would this have so much of an effect to make the bike feel like it does?
Ribble New Sportive
Specialized Pitch Pro

Comments

  • Robert456
    Robert456 Posts: 103
    Probably team to visit the LBS, frame builder, or experienced friend could be all manner of things
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    no . a rear spoke wont make the ike feel twitchey. something that would is if the forks have been bent backwards, which could show up as ok with the string method if bent equally on both sides.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    or a cracked frame, can make the bike feel very loose and odd. But not only when freewheeling, would be worse when putting the power down.

    I'd probably have the rear wheel slackened off and retensioned if one spoke keeps coming undone.

    Is it tracking straight and is the front wheel dished right?
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • guttertrash
    guttertrash Posts: 147
    Been out for a quick ride this afternoon. It feels a bit better today, now that I've slackened off the headset a little - it was pretty tight, and I also re-tensioned all the spokes on the rear in the hope that it'll stop the one coming loose.

    As I said, it does feel a bit better. It tried to go out from under me a couple of times, but it was pretty windy so putting it down to that.

    Might just be me making something out of nothing. Just don't seem to have the confidence to throw it into the bends like I used to.

    Will get it checked over by the LBS, just wary that they might feed me some bull to try and get me to buy a new bike. I've only had this one since March.
    Ribble New Sportive
    Specialized Pitch Pro
  • captain_oakley
    captain_oakley Posts: 222
    I know it might seem a pain, but see if they can put it on jig (if they have one). This
    should tell you weather there are any problems re frame alignment.

    Following an RTA a couple of years ago I was convinced the frame was out of 'true',
    after it was put on a jig it turned out just the front forks were bent, everything else
    was fine. It's extra aggro, but it may well be beneficial in the long run.


    'The best argument against a democracy is a five minute conversation
    with the average voter' - Winston Churchill
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    Maybe just a steep head angle or forks with less, rather than more, offset. Or both.

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