Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
I've never had a speed wobble, ever, and I've descended at 65 mph, lots and lots at 40+. Thing is, I ALWAYS descend pedals level, butt off the saddle, knees with death grip on top tube - and old style diamond frames with level top tubes, the real bummer about the new frame designs. Yes, that's a slightly tiring position, but nothing as tiring as skiing bumps. One should be able to hold that position for at least 30', no problem. When one tucks at speed, hands in the hooks, butt off the saddle and moved back, chin 2" off the stem, elbows tucked under the belly until they almost meet. At 40, that's about 1 mph slower than on my clip-ons.
If it's a fast corner, I'll drop the inside foot, but I still press on the top tube with the outside knee. I never stick a knee out at speed. I know people do it, but I prefer to touch the brake or sit up rather than go for aero drag with the knee.
Shouldn't it be
the outside foot? Also, the knee is stuck out into the turn to shift the center of mass, not for aero braking if I am not mistaken.
I don't grip the top tube with my knees, I have my "butt off the saddle and moved back" but I keep the saddle stabilized in between my thighs. Also, I just take the weight off the saddle but keep almost like sitting on it. With my hands in drops only with light grip, putting pretty well no body weight on the bars.
I have elbows well bent, to let the bike pivot at BB point under me over the road unevenness. I put my weight on the saddle only when I try to increase the speed by pedaling. Essentially I let the bike do what it wants and only keep the saddle sliding side grip to steady it laterally. I believe I once felt it starting to or wanting to oscillate and maybe that's why I now keep it lightly squeezed btw legs as a precaution quite consciously.
That's also relaxed style how I drive cars, only keep light touch on steering wheel, most steering done with one hand only. My brother holds the steering wheel with both hands (as they teach you in driving school) and steers the car all the time, which before long makes me motion sick because modern cars are quite sensitive to such steering (lower profile tires transfer lateral motion quite well). I doubt a horse would like you to ride him like that
I never had serious wobble developing on bike, my top speed is ~ 40 mph and hills around where I ride are not that long that I wouldn't be able to maintain the above position. I have only ever seen the speed wobble on TV motorbikes GP races on tracks, I take it, that is the same phenomenon (it happens in almost every race to somebody and they are not able to eliminate it).
And because of that, I associate the wobble with motorbikes or bikes that are tuned up to max, like thoroughbred horses. The geometry of racing bike with its steep fork angle is like asking for something like wobble (probably wrong assumption) but weirdly it happens on Domane which has more relaxed geometry that makes it more stable (as I gather from eying it last fall as prospective buyer), than your top range typical bike.
The guy in that video
Originally Posted by
rousseau View Post
At 0:28...fugging hell...
doesn't seem to go too fast at all. If that were to happen to me, I'd seriously consider selling the bike and buying something else.