Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
I have no studies to base this on, but it is my opinion that steel bikes are more likely to shimmy, as they are more flexible than aluminum bikes that often have oversized tubing. I can't recall ever hearing of anyone complain about a shimmey on an Aluminum bike. If I am wrong on that, I am sure we will hear about it here.
My Sherpa (first photo below) does not shimmy, even with a heavy load. My Nomad (second photo below) with an exceptionally heavy load will have a very slight resonance in the 29 to 31km/hour range, but it is just barely perceptible and dissipates if I loosen up my grip on the bars. (Yes I said that correctly, loosening my grip on the bars reduced resonance.) Both of those bikes are steel, but they have robust tubing that results in a fairly heavy bike.
The bike in the photo I posted is steel. No shimmy. I can make it feel wiggly if I violently move the bars back and forth, but simply riding the bike normally, no, it is rock solid when loaded, at any speed.
I truly believe it is more stable than the same frame, a Long Haul Trucker, would be in the next size down. I could fit a 54cm frame, but chose the 56cm frame for a bit more stability. Seems to be working out.