Hi there,

I need advice because I  am quite new to road biking and I am ecountrring some problems (scary ones btw) when going downhill.

I bought a second hand Soloist Team to which I have made some changes: new wheels (Campagnolo Eurus); new tyres (Vredestein Forteza Trycomp); Rotor Qrings and 3D and an Antares from Fizik. Everything is brand new and installed by a competent mechanic. One thing though, is that the Steering tube was cut too low for my measures and I have a too aerodynamic stance for my likening (my back and neck are suffering when I supass 1 hour riding...).

Here is the problem: the first time that I jumped into this bycicle (that was my first time ever on a road bike), when going downhill the steering (handlebars) started to tremble and it was scary. That happened specially when I grabbed the handlebar underneath. When I took the bike to the mechanic, to installed the new parts, he told me that the bearings of the steering mechanism were a bit worn and dirty. He cleaned them and tighted a bit the steering (bolt?). Well, last weekend riding with a tail wind, my new wheels and tyres (inflated at 12 bar for my 93 kgs) and while going 53 kms/h, I proceeded to grab the handlebar on the lower side for a more aero position, when the steering-handlebar started to tremble very intensibly (like moving from one side to the other). It was so intense that I was almost certain that I was going to jump over the handlebars.....it was really scary (my heart beat went sky high)!. My question is:

1. My technique is that bad and there is nothing wrong with the bike?
2. Is this typical of new comers to road biking, specially with a Soloist Team which seems very stiff and nervous?
3. Is there a problem with the Steering - fork- etc?.

Please I need your views on this, as I am pretty scared of going dowhill at a decent speed with this bike.

Thanks.

Given your tyre pressures I assume and hope you are riding the tubular versions of these wheels / tyres if not lose some air!!!. At that kind of speed everything should be nice and smooth. I regularly go faster than this on my S1 with no problems. I take it the road surface you were riding on wasnt overly rough? I shouldn't be worried about you doing anything wrong, (Just hold and pedal) It sounds like you have a mechanical issue and my be a serious one at that. I would not be comfortable riding at any great speed with what you are describing. As to what it is cant help you there. Could be fork related could be headset. looks like you have splashed out already on this bike and a new headset shoudn't break the bank also given you are suffering on your riding position a new fork may well solve all your problems. Find a good bike mechanic ( easier said than done) who can help you get to the bottom of this before you hurt yourself.

NO!!!  This is not normal.  Finding the cause could be difficult, however.  Start by searching for "death wobble" and "speed wobble" on this site.  I would advise finding a short steep hill that will let you get up to the relevant speed quickly.  First, if possible, borrow a different road bike and get up to speed.  If that bike starts to wobble then you may need to talk to someone about your technique: it may be you are just holding on too tightly.  However, if that bike doesn't wobble, you need to change the front end of your bike one component at a time until the wobble goes away.  If the hill is short you won't fall off but it will be frightening (clamping your thighs against the top tube will damp down the oscillation a little bit).  Start by changing out the front wheel, then the fork.  If neither of those work make your mechanic take another look at the steering mechanism.  If you can't find the cause, I would strongly advise you to get a new bike.  Good luck - and please let us know how you get on.

I agree with the other posts and recommend checking out the other discussions on these issues. I went through the exact same thing you are describing when I switched to a Soloist Team. The following helped: lower tire pressure, relaxing the grip on the bar, keeping my weight forward ( 61 kg), keeping your eyes down road - look ahead - and most of all checking the headset anchor bolt. I tightened that up (it was loose) and the bike responded by being super steady even at over 80 km/h! Just don't over tighten! That can be disastrous! Good luck and enjoy the bike!

Which fork do you have?  I never had this issue when I switched to the 3T fork, although I never rode my Wolf CL on fast descents.

 

I have the Wolf CL  - I don't believe it has anything to do with the fork - probably with the tightening of the headset

 

many, many, many thanks for your very helpful answers. You gave me a name for what I called tremble and shaking...so " Speed Wobble" or "Death Wobble" is the name, uh?. I took one of your advises and diged in Internet: it is  perfectly described what I went through...so I am improving, at least I can call it by a name!. Now, some pointers:

1. The wheels are brand new...and they roll sweet!.
2. I guess that I overinflated the tyres (which are also brand new). I put 10 bars (according to the tyres hard case apprpriate preassures is 8 min and 12 max), but I do not know about the tyres' (Campagnolo Eurus) maximum suggested preassure specification. According to some research and some advise of yours, too much preassure can be one of the causes....
3. The fork is Wolf CL. I agree that there are no issues with those (contrary to the Wolf SL which were recalled by Cervelo).
4. The headset..mumm, according to the mechanic it was a bit loose, so he tighted a bit. However, given the too low riding posiution, I tried at home to reverse the stem, just to put it right again (I did not like it cosmetichaly), so I might just overtightned the top bolt a bit!!!!.
5. Riding position: I was fitted by a professional bike-fitter, so I assume that my posture is about right. However, given that the handlebars are a bit (3 to 5 cms ) too low, I slould tend to put more weight on the handlebars, right?. This should be good to avoid the Speed wobble, isn't it so?.
6. One final hint: while I was gaining speed downhill, attempting to grab the bars underneath, my riding globes (too large for the occassion) kind of got them tangled for a second, and that triggered the wobble, which grew more and more (it could be that then I overtightned the grip).

I am not too confident about the whole headset, specially about the bearings. Aditionally I would like to have a higher riding position, that apparently it could only be possible by installing a new fork with alonger tube...it is just that I have spent too much already on this bike....

Thanks again to all of you.

Dont get too carried away tightening the bolt on top of the cap it does not need to be very tight and can cause damage if you over tighten. This arrangement serves 2 purposes it is cosmetic for the top of the steerer and it is used to pull the fork up into the headset when installing the fork and stem. Once in place you tighten the bolts on the stem which is what holds the fork in place the steerer cap is now doing very little work and any tightening you do now wont be doing anything but pulling the star nut ( or steerer bung) up the inside of the steerer potentially causing damage or stripping threads. If you need to tighten the whole lot up make sure you undo the stem.

 I know what you mean about the look of an upside down stem but looks like it might be your only solution to your riding position right now. Given the choice between having aching neck and shoulders after only an hour on the bike and an upside down stem i would live with the awkward looks any day. You may even find it helps your death wobble as some post contribute riding position as a cause.

 Have to say I learnt something new today from your question I have never come across the death wobble until now ( fortunately)

Maybe you should replace headset and see if the problem goes away

lesson learned. just go to your local shop and get a new bike done right the first time. These deals on Ebay or whatever aren't deals at all most of the time.

clheppermann:

lesson learned. just go the your local shop and get a new bike done right the first time. These deals on Ebay or whatever aren't deals at all most of the time.

Err, no. Just no.

Sounds like a simple case of speed wobble to me....this can often happen and yet there be nothing wrong with the bike....

 Relax on the bike, maintain a loose grip on the bars. Holding onto them for grim death is a factor in speed wobbles....if the bike is mechanically sound then top tips to stop speed wobble when it occurs are to lift your weight off the seat, or clamp the top tube with your knees...this will stop it if it occurs...good luck.

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 It sound like a speed wobble to me. As Steve mentioned it may possibly be nothing wrong with your bike. It's always a concern when you start tightening stuff here and there and more than it needs to ( and something may give).

 I just had an experience last weekend. Coming downhill at 73km and approaching a chicane and my rear wheel started to wobble. I’ve done the descent for many times and had over taken a car in the chicane before. So the road is not new to me. The road is cut from the rocks and therefore rockface on the right (opposing traffic - right had drive country) and cliff with barrier on the left. The barrier I'm heading toward the chicane is made of stone. hmm... PANIC!!!!!! I had to slow down and sit up and brake to get the speed wobble off. I haven’t had a speed wobble for a long, long time, but I guess it’s the right (or wrong) condition (speed, position, weather condition etc.) for it to happen.

 Here is my 'educated' guess of what's happening. I remembered something from my engineering college years. Two things that came to mind that might cause speed wobble are wake and resonance. If you've ever seen a cross section in wind tunnel or fluid modelling, you might have seen that swirling of air or water behind the non aerofoil object (in this case, your body). At certain speed, position, condition (air density, moisture content etc) the wake can alternate sides instead of staying in the middle to cause wobbling effects on the object. Think of a flag. It's a well known phenomenon. Look at tall skinny chimney from factories, they often have ‘corkscrew’ looking device attached to it to prevent such phenomenon.   

Often once the wobble starts, it gets worse due to resonance. The resonance may continue to build up until the object is broken (in this case a crash), something gives or the resonance is broken by change of the conditions (position, speed, air density etc.).

Now you had my spill about the science behind the situation, I hope this does help you understand the root cause of the wobble and therefore find some scientific solutions rather than find solutions like animal sacrifice, worshiping to moon and starts etc.  

I guess first thing to do is to get a proper bike fit. If you’ve done so, try changing your positions to minimize the chance to the alternating wake situation. If you do find yourself in a speed wobble situation, remember your bike position (I know when you’re fearing for your life) like how low was your body, head arms etc. and avoid that combination.

Sorry, I’m not sure whether this would help but I do understand your frustration of thinking something wrong with your bike when all equipments are fine.   

All the best

PS: please feel free to correct me if I’ve got anything wrong. I’ll trying to be a learner, and not someone to proud to learn.  

Trihard is correct. Speed wobble is ALL  to do with resonance. Every bike is different but when a bike generates a certain resonance it induces speed wobble. Most common when riding on very very smooth tarmac. Very uncommon on mountain bikes due to the rough surfaces they ride on and the nobbly tires.

I have had speed wobble before on an Alpine descent, super smooth tarmac, about 65kmh in a perfect straight line, bars start to tremour very slightly and within no time at all shaking violently and nearly crashing. Very very frightening. JUST REMEMBER, if this happens, stay calm. Raise your bum slightly off the seat...OR clamp top tube between knees (Both of these methods will stop it straight away

 The smoother everything is...the more likely speed wobble to occur. If a rider shivers on the bike, this also can induce speed wobble as a human shivering is very close to the resonance that generates speed wobble..

 

I am very grateful for ALL your comments and suggestions. They are all truely welcome. I have taken a few pointers: raise my butt (easier said than done, I am not sure that when the panick kicks in, I will be able to raise anything); press the top bar with my thights and knees (I think I can do that); lighten your grip (I will definitively do that) and finally guess what? do not think about it (just before it happened I remembered the wobble that I experienced the first day that I rode this bike, then I felt unsecured and tangled my fingers with the lower bar (which I am convinced that it initiated it) and suddenly a minor wobble  which grew into a massive one...in no time I was at the brink of desaster!.