Speed Wobbles

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to share my first ever drama of Speed Wobbles. I have acquired a new Avanti Chrono 2 with 80mm Altair Carbon Rims. I have had bronchitis recently and just "had" to go for a ride yesterday. Only drama was it was windy as buggery up here in Kadina. Anyway, I also decided to lower my seat an inch and off i went. I was heading into S/SW 35kph wind gusts at between 35-40kph. Going nicely until god knows what happened except best way to describe it was "Speed Wobbles". For some reason I decided to move my weight forward and get out of the saddle and hang on and ride it out. Phew- survived. Toilet stop required though..lol. After coming home and looking on the net, it seems my natural instinct may have saved me. I made all the right moves. The deep rims are probably not ideal in crosswinds but I love them nonetheless. Oh, I moved the seat back up to alleviate the weight issue also.

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Permalink Reply by Dean Malden on December 27, 2011 at 13:37

Interesting, as i get blown around a little but i dont have the Deep Dished wheels like most have. My problem maybe the weight or Phat Gut issues.

I wonder how the Pros go racing in strong winds, i guess they would stay in a tight bunch and keep the wind mininal to the guys out front and change frequently.

Permalink Reply by Bruce W on December 27, 2011 at 14:02

Yep, dunno Dean, but it scared the crap out of me nonetheless. I read that in stron winds that the pros will use a smaller depth on the front wheel. Dunno. I am the king amateur just tryingto have some safe fun....

Permalink Reply by Dean Malden on December 27, 2011 at 14:15

I remember, here or on FB that there was a Training ride where some guys with carbon bikes couldnt even get on their bikes untill the team car was beside to cut the wind out. Then they were all over the road.

Found it http://youtu.be/H8qgjyqibwY

Permalink Reply by Michael Murray on December 27, 2011 at 15:04

A reminder that not everything about cycling in the Netherlands is paradise :-)

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Smith on December 27, 2011 at 15:36

80mm deep wheels are not for windy days....even for the pros.

No matter how good they look, when it's windy out, they are very dangerous, particularly on the front. My dad crashed recently when a gust of wind coming down a side street caught his 60mm front wheel at 40kph. He's spent the last 3 weeks recovering from (thankfully not too bad) injuries.

If you cant be bothered changing wheels for training on a windy day, at least do the front wheel.....the rear is stabilised more due to the weight distribution, and fixed nature inside the frame. It only takes a few seconds, and could save your life. Sorry to sound dramatic, but if your front wheel suddenly and unexpectedly moves when you are travelling at speed, in a few seconds you could be using your face for a brake!

Why did you move your saddle? An inch is HEAPS, and could cause a whole heap of other problems. To dial in a position, normally people only move them a couple of mm at a time.

Permalink Reply by Belinda Hoare on December 27, 2011 at 17:42
+1... 80mm rims on a training ride in strong crosswinds is like putting F1 tyres on a family sedan and then driving it on wet roads. If you want to look like a pro, respect the weather and run shallow rims when its appropriate to do so.

If its a genuine speed wobble on a new bike, then I'd suggest you get your headset checked.
Permalink Reply by Bruce W on December 28, 2011 at 7:21

Thx for the reply Belinda. It was never about wanting to look like a pro. I have earnt this bike through hard work and after having been crook for a long time I was frustrated and had to take it out. Rest assured I will be changing my wheels next time in the wind....

Permalink Reply by colin ware-lane on December 27, 2011 at 18:40

@ jeremy +1

Permalink Reply by Bruce W on December 28, 2011 at 7:18

Thx for the reply Jeremy. Yep, I will be carrying my spare Mavics with me in future! I may have misled you with moving the seat. What I meant was that I lowered it as I wanted to use my quads a little more. However I have gone back to how it was. Thanks for the tips though.

Permalink Reply by RD6 on December 27, 2011 at 16:32

Best bet is 50mm rear wheel and 24mm front wheel is ideal for windy conditions, that's what I have been told

Did you experienced the speed wobbles while descending or riding flat?

Permalink Reply by Bruce W on December 28, 2011 at 7:22

Ever so slight descend doing 40kph and building speed. Thanks for the tip.

Permalink Reply by Sam on December 27, 2011 at 17:56

Hey, i have (err had - different story) 404's on my roadie and have been out in really really strong winds and been knocked around pretty badly (as Jeremy indicated) but never had speed wobbles despite sitting on a decent pace... hope you work it out  :)

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