Directional Stability

3aog
3aog Posts: 2
edited January 2015 in MTB beginners
I just got a new bike and the steering feels quite fidgety and sensitive to me. When i'm cycling in a straight line, i'm a wee bit wobbly! It's not quite Mr Bean levels of comedy wobbling but i definitely don't track as straight as i'd like. I generally don't feel as stable on this bike.

I don't think the bikes at fault though. Could my position be contributing to this? How should i be sitting on the bike?

The saddle height is adjusted so that my knees are only a little flexed at full extension. It's very comfortable and i can put down power easily. The handlebars are approx 5cm below the saddle. This is different from my last bike which was level. I feel like this might be something to do with it.

There's a few things i should call out though:
  • I'm a newbie
  • I haven't ridden any bike in over 5 years and I haven't seriously ridden a bike in over 8 years!
  • I've only ridden this bike once, today
  • The bike appears to be very well prepared by the shop. I.e. everything works perfectly - the gears change smoothly with no dodgy clicking in any gear, the brakes work extremely well. The bike itself is made up of reasonable entry level components

The bike is a Calibre Two Two with a 20inch frame if that makes any difference.

Comments

  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Ride more.
    I have a whole bunch of bikes and changing between them often takes some time to feel right.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I have two different bikes, both perfectly set up but swapping between them they always feel weird.
    Get on it and put in some miles and check that the bars turn freely with no resistance, an over tight head set won't help things.
    Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13070235
  • kinioo
    kinioo Posts: 776
    Ride faster !!! --> better stability !!! :P
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    My son used to ride in a continuous series of S's, just got better and learnt, my two main bikes I had set up with as near identical cockpits as I could and they were OK, but got on my retro which has a much longer cockpit and it felt very strange for a while.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Southgate
    Southgate Posts: 246
    It sounds like you have the bike set up correctly (or at least without any blindingly obvious errors such as wrong saddle height), so you probably just need to ride the bike regularly for a few weeks and see how you get on. I come from a roadie background, and the first couple of times I rode my new MTB it felt odd and unstable. When I tried riding without hands, the front end felt very twitchy and unbalanced compared to my road bikes. But after a few days, I relaxed into the geometry of the mountain bike, and now that I'm riding much 'looser' it feels like part of me.

    If you haven't ridden for a few years it might take a little while longer to get the hang of things, so if I were you I'd persevere for a few weeks with the current set up and see if things improve for you.
    Superstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Most likely just need more practice. If you want unstable try riding a road bike until you get used to it ;)

Categories