Front wheel stabilizer?
 

Anyone use one of these? I've had the one from Velo Orange on my bike for about a year now and the spring failed. I tried replacing the spring with one from the hardware store but it only lasted a couple of days. At first I wondered how effective it was, since with most of my loads being fairly heavy the front wheel still moved around a fair amount, but now that I'm operating without it (on my commuter, but I have one for my tourer too) I definitely notice the difference and miss it.

Any other brands out there? Anyone had the same experience and successfully replaced their spring? I may just order another one from Velo Orange, but it seems wasteful to order the whole kit and just cannabalize the spring out of it. My eyes are bugging out going through Tacoma Screw's online catalog to see if they might have something suitable.

BTW, although it failed after a year, this was with use 3-7 days a week on my commuter, often with a heavy pannier only on one side of the front rack.

In case you aren't familiar, here's the link to VO's: http://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...tabilizer.html

A friend has on a city bike. I'll ask him next time I see him what he knows about it. It is the only one I have ever seen.

I have a german one in my city bike, and the spring hasn't failed yet. I would shoot and email off to V-O and ask if they have replacement springs or could suggest one. They are very customer oriented people.

Aaron :)

I was toying with that idea, I think you've convinced me. I've ordered from them several times before, they should be interested in keeping me happy. ;)

FWS is not really necessary, and as you discovered, it's just another thing to break.

You can buy springs at local hardware store - Lowes, HD, even WM. May have to modify / improvise a little.

Bike with Paul's Flatbed Porteur rack ..

Wrapping a toe-strap around downtube and wheel-rim keeps my Ft wheel straight.. when I stop.

Made a side release buckle/strap that is held by bolt in the upper bottle boss* .. so its always there..

* frame such that there are 2 bottles able to go, on top of down tube...

thats your problem, you can get away with an unbalanced rear load, less so on the front.
2 panniers up there so the wheel wont drift off line so easily..

I was thinking of buying one of those, but using a pant leg strap occurred to me while somebody else discussed the stabilizer. I don't lose them so often, and they are handy to use on my wrist for visibility if I don't need them on my pants.



http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=310610

Marc

innocent question here, doesnt this make riding without hands impossible? Just seems kinda weird to have something interfering with the steering slightly.

I couldn't say. I've never been too successful at riding no hands, and the headset is literally the only part other than the fork that I haven't replaced on this bike. After putting about 2500 miles on the cheap old headset in it, I can really tell its worn out now, so I wouldn't dare try riding no hands on it right now. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

Not on my bike, not all bikes or riders can ride hands free. I have several bikes that cannot be ridden hands free due to the geometry. I also have an older slack angle road bike that I can ride hands free for miles. My brother can't ride anything hands free, he loses his balance, I have actually seen him fall off of a stationary exercise bike :rolleyes: His normal "bike" is a recumbent trike.

Aaron :)

While not with front panniers on, I regularly do a bit of no hands just for a short change of body position.
I was also wondering with this thing on your bike, would you feel a " dedent" even with hands on the bars.

Non spring and using parts in closeout 20 years ago..

Got my hands on a hydraulic steering dampener, Odyssey made, smaller version of a motorcycle one..

its intention was a speed wobble dampener, , custom fork left room for the bracket,
+ a custom clamp on the non round downtube..

Loading your bike properly so you don't induce shimmy in the first place is a better, simpler idea.

The VO FWS is intended to prevent the wheel from flopping around when bike is stationary and banging the bar end into TT, etc. The problem is the spring is not really strong enough to prevent this, which is why it breaks. Tout Terrain has a more elegant solution for this "problem":

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=310753

http://www.en.tout-terrain.de/bicycl...d-silkroad-gt/

An effective and less costly solution is to simply tie the wheel in place to the DT, using a bungee hooked over DT to spokes, or a reflective pants leg strap (#7), or just a piece of cord. Also you can park-brake the front wheel with cord/string/o-ring/rubber band/bandanna over the brake lever and bar. Combine the parking-brake with the jury-rigged wheel stabilizer and that bike is going nowhere. This also eliminates the need for a kick stand, another thing you don't really need on a touring bike.

Oh, for the want of a foot long piece of velcro!

for the want of a foot long piece of double-sided velcro!

yeh, that too

Home depot has it.

Walmart has Velcro One-Wrap