Wheels slip
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Wheels slip
I'm a beginner at fixing bikes, but usually I'm able to find an answer in this forum. Not this time however.
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding.
My bicycle has alesa rims, marked 622* 700c. Its got 32-622 tires on it, the inner width of the rim is 21mm. The QR axle isn't bent, it's also as tight on the frame as I can get it.
The only issue I can tell is the fact that the tires aren't fully seated in some places on the rims.
I am kinda low on money right now, so I'd like to not spend it at the lbs if possible.
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding.
My bicycle has alesa rims, marked 622* 700c. Its got 32-622 tires on it, the inner width of the rim is 21mm. The QR axle isn't bent, it's also as tight on the frame as I can get it.
The only issue I can tell is the fact that the tires aren't fully seated in some places on the rims.
I am kinda low on money right now, so I'd like to not spend it at the lbs if possible.
Last edited by aTechnical; 06-29-24 at 09:29 AM.
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 972
From: Kentucky
Bikes: 06 Lemond Reno, 98 GT Timberline
Don't ride in the grooves in pavement. Absolutely normal for a tire to want to "follow" the groove. If you had a tire as wide as on a car, you might not notice it.
#3
Facts just confuse people




Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 19,328
Likes: 7,052
From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Are you keeping enough air in the tires? Usually if the bike feels squirrely from the tires it's a low tire pressure. However tires do tend to follow grooves and cracks. Not sure what you mean about the tires not being fully seated on the rim. Sometimes you can feel a tire being out of round from such. Is riding on the sidewalk legal where you are at?
#4
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
#5
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Are you keeping enough air in the tires? Usually if the bike feels squirrely from the tires it's a low tire pressure. However tires do tend to follow grooves and cracks. Not sure what you mean about the tires not being fully seated on the rim. Sometimes you can feel a tire being out of round from such. Is riding on the sidewalk legal where you are at?
#6
#9
The space coyote lied.



Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 48,723
Likes: 10,982
From: dusk 'til dawn.
Bikes: everywhere
#10
The space coyote lied.



Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 48,723
Likes: 10,982
From: dusk 'til dawn.
Bikes: everywhere
I'm a beginner at fixing bikes, but usually I'm able to find an answer in this forum. Not this time however.
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding..
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding..
#11
Facts just confuse people




Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 19,328
Likes: 7,052
From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
What were your previous bikes and did they have the larger diameter 700C tires on them? What model of bike is this one? Perhaps what you are feeling as insecure is just getting comfortable with a larger wheel and larger performance oriented bike frame that might actually be feeding you the feeling of the road more.
However do check your tire pressure often. If it's been a week since you last checked, then it's well past time to check. On my narrower 25mm tires I check them and put air in them every 2nd or 3rd day. The other thing to check is whether all the spokes feel about the same tension to your hand/fingers and they aren't too loose altogether.
Don't know about your area, but bike shops here are pretty much owned or managed by the mechanic. And they all are willing to look at your bike and give you their assessment of what it needs for free. Whether you leave the bike with them or take it home to do the fix yourself is okay with them.
However do check your tire pressure often. If it's been a week since you last checked, then it's well past time to check. On my narrower 25mm tires I check them and put air in them every 2nd or 3rd day. The other thing to check is whether all the spokes feel about the same tension to your hand/fingers and they aren't too loose altogether.
Don't know about your area, but bike shops here are pretty much owned or managed by the mechanic. And they all are willing to look at your bike and give you their assessment of what it needs for free. Whether you leave the bike with them or take it home to do the fix yourself is okay with them.
Last edited by Iride01; 06-29-24 at 09:55 AM.
#12
The space coyote lied.



Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 48,723
Likes: 10,982
From: dusk 'til dawn.
Bikes: everywhere
Here are some tips for riding on cobbles that might help.
Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 06-29-24 at 09:56 AM.
#13
Senior Member




Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,374
Likes: 3,219
From: NW Oregon
Bikes: 1982 Trek 930R Custom, '91 Diamondback Ascent w/ XT, XTR updates, Fuji Team Pro CF road flyer, Specialized Sirrus Gravel Convert, '09 Comencal Meta 5.5 XC, '02 Marin MBX500, '84 Gitane Criterium bike
Dirt Riding 101 class time..
when riding in rutty terrain, it's best to DECOUPLE YOUR WEIGHT from the bike...you can do this by STANDING on the pedals, and removing your butt from the seat... Also, make sure that your thighs are NOT touching the frame's Top bar, or seat.
this allows the bike to shift around into different ruts, but your mass doesn't cause the bike to shift more than needed.(a weight in motion wishes to remain in motion)
and quit death-gripping the handlebars.
and i hate ruts/grooves almost as much as sticks/roots crossing trails at an angle...
and then... there's those wet railroad/trolley tracks.... bunny-hop them suckers, or carry lots of band aids.
when riding in rutty terrain, it's best to DECOUPLE YOUR WEIGHT from the bike...you can do this by STANDING on the pedals, and removing your butt from the seat... Also, make sure that your thighs are NOT touching the frame's Top bar, or seat.
this allows the bike to shift around into different ruts, but your mass doesn't cause the bike to shift more than needed.(a weight in motion wishes to remain in motion)
and quit death-gripping the handlebars.
and i hate ruts/grooves almost as much as sticks/roots crossing trails at an angle...

and then... there's those wet railroad/trolley tracks.... bunny-hop them suckers, or carry lots of band aids.
#14
I'm a beginner at fixing bikes, but usually I'm able to find an answer in this forum. Not this time however.
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding.
When I ride on any tiles, the wheels tend to follow the edges between the tiles. Even the slim grooves between regular tiles you find on a sidewalk.
It feels very unstable, to the point of feeling insecure when riding.
#15
Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,370
Likes: 1,653
From: San Diego, CA
The OP, aTechnical, stated this in the first post which means that the tires need to be properly seated before moving on to anything else. If these are tires with tubes try letting all the air out of the tire and then push the bead in checking for any tube caught under the bead. Push the tube back into the tire and inflate which should set the beads in place.
#16
Senior Member




Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,374
Likes: 3,219
From: NW Oregon
Bikes: 1982 Trek 930R Custom, '91 Diamondback Ascent w/ XT, XTR updates, Fuji Team Pro CF road flyer, Specialized Sirrus Gravel Convert, '09 Comencal Meta 5.5 XC, '02 Marin MBX500, '84 Gitane Criterium bike
Bike HEADSET Care...
does your bike have a threaded headset?
If the Steering tends to follow "lines and grooves", and feels stiff or notchy, then the Headset is either way too tight or the grease has failed... the first option is fixed by SLIGHTLY loosening then re-tightening the Top cup and Top Nut of the headset, and ensuring that the steering now works smoothly and that there is no "Clunky" looseness of the headset... the Second option is a complete servicing the headset by disassembling , cleaning, inspecting , CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY, for Any Wear or rust pitting, then replacing the assembly if rusted or pitted...
the second option should be done only by a competent mechanic . Both of these "Threaded Headset" operations are shown in videos on YouTube...
if the bike has the more modern "Non-Threaded" Steering stem and Straight steerer tube/fork... the tension applied by the Top Cap/screw sets the preload of the steering bearings in the Headset, and will require that a specific procedure be followed... check for drag/roughness/ clunky operation of the steering... Problem d=found? loosen top cap, loosen steering stem clamp, SLIGHTLY tighten top cap screw until no "clunky" is felt, but no drag is present... Tighten Stem clamp screws to proper torque(OVER-Tightening will cause possible breaking of the stem, and possibly your face, too!) then i loosen/re-torque the top cap screw.
you can also find this procedure on youtube.
if any of these procedures cause you to worry... take the bike to a shop for repair, ok?
i hate seeing anyone getting hurt.
oh, and there MAY be a bad Frame bend or break causing the erratic handling too.
no one has mentioned THAT, from what i've seen.
I'd seriously doubt it's got anything to do with the tires themselves ..
other things to consider... poorly centered wheels... a bent Fork... badly cut Dropouts causing wheel misalignment(found on New WallyMart-quality bikes, all too often)... badly Installed wheel(s).... and, another WallyMart thing, the Backwards Suspension fork (fixed one of those, two weeks ago)
does your bike have a threaded headset?
If the Steering tends to follow "lines and grooves", and feels stiff or notchy, then the Headset is either way too tight or the grease has failed... the first option is fixed by SLIGHTLY loosening then re-tightening the Top cup and Top Nut of the headset, and ensuring that the steering now works smoothly and that there is no "Clunky" looseness of the headset... the Second option is a complete servicing the headset by disassembling , cleaning, inspecting , CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY, for Any Wear or rust pitting, then replacing the assembly if rusted or pitted...
the second option should be done only by a competent mechanic . Both of these "Threaded Headset" operations are shown in videos on YouTube...
if the bike has the more modern "Non-Threaded" Steering stem and Straight steerer tube/fork... the tension applied by the Top Cap/screw sets the preload of the steering bearings in the Headset, and will require that a specific procedure be followed... check for drag/roughness/ clunky operation of the steering... Problem d=found? loosen top cap, loosen steering stem clamp, SLIGHTLY tighten top cap screw until no "clunky" is felt, but no drag is present... Tighten Stem clamp screws to proper torque(OVER-Tightening will cause possible breaking of the stem, and possibly your face, too!) then i loosen/re-torque the top cap screw.
you can also find this procedure on youtube.
if any of these procedures cause you to worry... take the bike to a shop for repair, ok?
i hate seeing anyone getting hurt.
oh, and there MAY be a bad Frame bend or break causing the erratic handling too.
no one has mentioned THAT, from what i've seen.
I'd seriously doubt it's got anything to do with the tires themselves ..
other things to consider... poorly centered wheels... a bent Fork... badly cut Dropouts causing wheel misalignment(found on New WallyMart-quality bikes, all too often)... badly Installed wheel(s).... and, another WallyMart thing, the Backwards Suspension fork (fixed one of those, two weeks ago)
Last edited by maddog34; 06-29-24 at 03:37 PM.





