Wobbles

TOMBOO

Need help;
I constantly get the wobbles.
Am 95kg and ride a R5 61 cm Cervelo.
Have been riding for 25yrs and have had enough!
The wobbles have come on with every bike Ive had over the years.
Down hill on a steep rough road decent usually but occasionally in a sprint finish.
Ive had this bike professionally set up and studied U-tube "how to descend like a pro " etc etc etc......
Any ideas...?

redvision

Descending is as much about confidence as anything.
Try to relax on the bike, if you're tense you will grip the bars tighter & be more susceptible to changes in the surface (bumps etc).

All about practice.

Also, don't try to descend like a pro.
They ride for a profession!

Just practice and relax, then confidence will come.

on-yer-bike

Is it you wobbling or the bike?

stueys

I ride an R5, it's a pretty stable bike to descend, certainly compared to my previous Canyon.

Issues could be;
- As everyone has pointed out, confidence. Any nervousness or tension in your body will transmit to the bike and you get into an ever decreasing cycle. Easier said than done but focus on light grip on the bars and a nice stable riding position. Practice on one hill you get to know intimately and build confidence on it. Maybe try running 25's, if you're not already, to mute a bit of the road buzz
- Stem length, a short stem can make a bike feel a bit edgy. It depends on bike fit but if you're running less than a 100/90mm you might have too little weight over the front wheel and less leverage on the steering inputs

chris_bass

I blame wobble

Poetmd

I'm a similar weight to to you and had the wobbles when I first got on a road bike. It was terrifying.
When I got up to about 30kmh downhill the front wheel would go completely drunk and the bars would be wobbling all over the shop.
As suggested above by Stueys, it was caused by me being tense and gripping the bars too tight as the speed got up.
I learnt to cure the wobble by relaxing my grip on the bars and have found that the bike sorts tself out.
Since then I've had the same bike up to 70kmh downhill and been wobble free.
I did get one last year when I got hit by a crosswind at approx 70kmh and stayed upright by relaxing my grip. Phew.
I also had a bad one recently when I hit the lip at the back of a cattle grid at about 40kmh and everything went wobble. I was convinced I was about to deck and started scrubbing off as much speed as possible whilst at the same time relaxing my grip to stop the wobble. To my, and my mate behind me's, amazement, I managed to stay upright. I knocked a spoke loose on the front wheel, but managed to cruise home with the brakes open.

Fingers crossed it will work for you.

I also have a 90mm stem which, as Stueys also notes in his very sound post, might make things a bit trickier.

Good luck.

fenix

I've had the odd speed wobble on a descent with an awful sidewind - but never in a sprint ?
Is that the same thing or a function of the sprinting maybe ?

bianchimoon

Chris Bass wrote:

I blame wobble

berdum tisch

TOMBOO

Thanks for the feed bake guys .... yes it probably is my tension...I will try to relaxxxx ....& practice .

keezx

Must be something you do or don't yourself.
I personally never had any wobble on any bike even with very noodly ones...

vrsmatt

I purchased a Large Giant TCR in 2013 after being badly advised by LBS, it was slightly too big and I tried to fix this with a shorter stem, after fitting a 90mmstem it wobbled like heck at speed and was distinctly less assured to ride, suffice to say I've sold it and bought a proper sized bike after a fitting session