Flexing, where's it coming from?

Barrzy257
Barrzy257 Posts: 411
edited October 2011 in Road beginners
Got myself a Ribble Bianco earlier on in the year, love it! But my 'issue', not really a problem, is Flexing when I'm standing up powering uphill, I can feel flexing in my bike, now I am just under 100kg and dropping so this can't help, but I'm pretty sure it's coming from the bars/stem, would I be right in thinking this? It's the Deda RHM 1 and Zero 1 set up I'm running. If I'm right, anyone recommend a better set-up? Cheers

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you're running a large stack of headset spacers, then is could be the fork steerer flexing.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • thiscocks
    thiscocks Posts: 549
    What are the frame and bars made from?
  • Chad_c_Mulligan
    Chad_c_Mulligan Posts: 78
    I'd be wondering about the wheels first, get someone to ride behind you.

    I'm a 100+Kg rider and I know when I stand up to power up a hill I can cause a large amount of wheel flex (before I bought new wheels I had to increase the pad gap) which can be felt through the steering.
    --
    FCN 9
  • Barrzy257
    Barrzy257 Posts: 411
    The pads difinetly aren't rubbing, but I am only running Pro-lite comos, will upgrade in the new year for sure!
    There are also a few spacers packing up the bars actually....
    And it's a full carbon frame, Stem/bars are 6061 alloy

    To me it does feel as if it is the bars/stem twisting and flexing, but thought I'd ask first as I may be way off the mark!
  • t5nel
    t5nel Posts: 365
    How long is your stem? DOnt forget it acts as quite an effective lever.

    ANY material will deflect under a given load.

    When you are riding try grabbing around your hoods and rotating thebars round - I am no gorilla but can feel significant displacement. I agree with the comments above that this is eaxcerbated if you have a stack of spacers below the stem.

    Is it really a problem? Unless things are physically slipping OR components are rubbing I wouldnt worry too much.

    Tim

    Bike frames and components are stiff relatively but they do bend (elastically) too!!!
    My bikes
    MTB - 1997 Kona Kula
    Hybrid - Kona Dew Deluxe
    Road - 2011 Ribble Gran Fondo, Omega Matrix Ultegra
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I have a friend who has a Ribble Carbon something and he says the same thing, and he ain't 100kg. Quite a light bloke (80 perhaps?) compared to you, but a strong cyclist for sure. When powering up hills he says he can feel the frame flexing and bending under his pedal power!

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