High Speed braking wobble
#1
High Speed braking wobble
Never really had an issue before, normal descending speed would be in the 70kmh mark but yesterday was descending at just over 80kmh, unfamiliar corner came up and had to brake a little to ensure I was going to get around it, this seemed to setup a brown short moment of front wheel shimmying and required me to stop braking and go wide and onto the otherside of the road while feathering the brakes.
WHY did I get the shimmy too much weight on the front caused by not shoving myself back on the saddle? too low on the bars and not enough control? really would not like to repeat that moment again.
Really lucky that I had no traffic coming on the other side, dont mind the crashing into barriers and hitting the ditch, part of the calculated risk you take when racing and trying to make time on the descent, but into a car is NO FUN AT ALL.
P.S telling me to go slower is not an answer that I am racing and just need to know how to minimise the risk of the shimmy.
WHY did I get the shimmy too much weight on the front caused by not shoving myself back on the saddle? too low on the bars and not enough control? really would not like to repeat that moment again.
Really lucky that I had no traffic coming on the other side, dont mind the crashing into barriers and hitting the ditch, part of the calculated risk you take when racing and trying to make time on the descent, but into a car is NO FUN AT ALL.
P.S telling me to go slower is not an answer that I am racing and just need to know how to minimise the risk of the shimmy.
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,257
Likes: 5
From: A Coffin Called Earth. or Toronto, ON
Bikes: Bianchi, Miyata, Dahon, Rossin
The thing with speed wobbles, you never really know when it will happen.
The only thing to keep in mind is that changing your center of mass and keeping a LOOSE grip are the important parts. I know it's counter intuitive that keeping a hard grip only makes it worse, but that's a bike for ya'. And yes, it's easier said then done.
The only thing to keep in mind is that changing your center of mass and keeping a LOOSE grip are the important parts. I know it's counter intuitive that keeping a hard grip only makes it worse, but that's a bike for ya'. And yes, it's easier said then done.
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#3
Zoom zoom zoom zoom bonk

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,932
Likes: 994
From: New Zealand
Bikes: Giant Defy, Trek 1.7c, BMC GF02, Trek Marlin 6, Scott Sub 35, Kona Rove, Trek Verve+2
#5
In hindsight I reckon that if I just leant her over a lot more I would have made it with no braking but at that point I did not know how much tighter the corner was going to get and panicked :-( which is not like me but as it was at end of ride I was perhaps a little tired...or just getting old and no longer have the guts to do the high speed corners
#6
Portland Fred
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,553
Likes: 54
Bikes: Custom Winter, Challenge Seiran SL, Fuji Team Pro, Cattrike Road/Velokit, РOS hybrid
There are quite a few threads on this subject. It's impossible to know what caused your shimmy, but the main things to keep in mind is that you need to be relaxed, your weight needs to be back, and your knees should be in on the top tube. If you tense up and let your bike go into a harmonic vibration (which is what a shimmy essentially is), your bike will go into what I like to call the death dance. It's really no fun.
#7
I had seen a few threads alright on the high speed wobble,just was not sure whether a shimmy under braking was different to just a resonance for no reason if you know what I mean
#8
Portland Fred
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,553
Likes: 54
Bikes: Custom Winter, Challenge Seiran SL, Fuji Team Pro, Cattrike Road/Velokit, РOS hybrid
Braking can certainly aggravate problems, especially if you have the slightest issues in the braking surfaces (particularly on the front).






