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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

the wobbles

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Old 05-08-08, 09:40 PM
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the wobbles

Hey everyone. When i start picking up good speed down hills, i have noticed that my bike wobbles sometimes. I am 6,2 240lbs, so im wondering is it my size, or something about my bike.
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Old 05-08-08, 09:40 PM
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Both.
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Old 05-08-08, 09:46 PM
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My bike is only 3 weeks old, and i have not done anything to "f 'it up at all like hit pot holes or anything.
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Old 05-08-08, 09:48 PM
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_wobble
here you go.

solution to the problem: change weight distribution by either lifting your butt off the saddle or clasping the top tube with your knees.
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Old 05-08-08, 09:50 PM
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Thanks for the info, i will try it.
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Old 05-08-08, 09:52 PM
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Post more info. Google Sheldon Brown; he's the bike God. (If you dig that religion crap; but Sheldon he teh man)
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Old 05-08-08, 09:54 PM
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the wobs are a phenomenon associated with oscillation- as a speedboarder i had to learn a lot about it. in speedboarding it's mostly dependent on staying relaxed and having strong stable muscles... i've heard about road bikers who brace one of their legs on the top tube of their frame when they're going REALLY fast to help with stability. that said, if you're too heavy for your bike or if your bike is just a POS that could be it.
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Old 05-08-08, 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by satori
the wobs are a phenomenon associated with oscillation- as a speedboarder i had to learn a lot about it. in speedboarding it's mostly dependent on staying relaxed and having strong stable muscles... i've heard about road bikers who brace one of their legs on the top tube of their frame when they're going REALLY fast to help with stability. that said, if you're too heavy for your bike or if your bike is just a POS that could be it.
Incorrect.

Any bike and any rider weight combination has a natural oscillation frequency. The speed at which it will happen is mostly hit or miss since there are a lot of variables at play.
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Old 05-08-08, 10:05 PM
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Well im 6,2 240lbs and i have an 08 trek madone 4.5
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Old 05-08-08, 10:12 PM
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There was quite a bit of discussion on this topic here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...3233&highlight=
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Old 05-08-08, 10:52 PM
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I am 210 6'1" and had the wobbles over 40 miles an hour on decents on one bike but not on another... turned out to be the wheels and fork combination.. had a Seven E fork with topolino wheels... changed the wheels and now hit 45mph with nearly no wobble.. I am sure if I change the fork I can get rid of the wobble 100%... but then I don't go above 45 much..
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Old 05-08-08, 11:05 PM
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Originally Posted by hendrick81
Well im 6,2 240lbs and i have an 08 trek madone 4.5
6.2 170 currently, same bike, same year without any descending wobble. as posted -> lifting the *** off the saddle or clasping the top tube with your knees, or angling them in a bit... helps with getting a bit more aero. don't death grip it, just go with it and adjust accordingly.
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Old 05-09-08, 12:15 AM
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Originally Posted by AEO
solution to the problem: change weight distribution by either lifting your butt off the saddle or clasping the top tube with your knees.
+1000

I was in a race on sunday and I got a nasty wobble at nearly 50mph. My life flashed before my eyes, but I remained calm, loosened up, and gripped my top tube, and the wobble went away. Iad to do this descent 3 more times, so I made sure to steady the top tube at the start and didn't have any more issues. I went faster on that descent in the race last year, but on a different bike, and didn't have any wobble issues.
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Old 05-09-08, 07:05 PM
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Thanks for the info guys
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