Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 57 total)
  • Road bikes (front) susceptible to side winds? (slab-sided forks)
  • hora
    Free Member

    I know a decent road bike is light but if you load the front (i.e. on the bars) this shouldn’t be an issue?

    Is it normal for road bikes to be skittish on the front on descents etc in side winds (not talking gale-force).

    I was sat back hands off the bars pedalling along a flat when a gentle sudden sidewind washed out the front of the bike. Caught it but 😯

    On descents (not really big hills) – it can be skitterish even with hands in the drops.

    Could it be the fork design? Slab-sided/quite wide blades. Would another fork help?

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    Hands on bars.

    lcj
    Full Member

    I found that the problem went away as soon as I dropped a minimum of £857.63 on a new fork.

    You might have success with just holding onto the provided contact points though? 8)

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member

    Absolutely, you should change the fork immediately. Sounds like a death trap.

    hora
    Free Member

    I’m itching to upgrade. Want wheels and some funky coloured forks wouldn’t be turned away 8)

    Sounds like a dear trap

    I’m not going to fawn for that.

    njee20
    Free Member

    You might have success with just holding onto the provided contact points though?

    This.

    Shred
    Free Member

    It depends on a lot of factors.

    My old Cervelo RS with Fulcrum Racing 1 wheels was very skittish in side winds, to the point I really did not enjoy descending certain exposed hills. It really made me nervous.

    My new bike is much better in side winds. I don’t know if it is the geometry, wheels (more spokes, but oval not wide blades) or just that new bike feeling.

    hora
    Free Member

    The stock wheels have bladed spokes (c24)

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Weyhey… another hora road bike thread 😀

    Yak
    Full Member

    Just get low in the drops and the bike should feel pretty stable at descending speeds.

    and hold on….. 🙂

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Lean forward a bit eh.. 😆

    Lifer
    Free Member

    What hand position are you using when descending when it’s skittish?

    Got bladed spokes on mine and not experienced any side wind issues. Perhaps steel fork/anchor has something to do with it? Crabon fork next on my upgrade list.

    hora
    Free Member

    and hold on

    Believe me – as the front of the bike went sideways I 😯 grabbed it at an angle then 😆 I also wasn’t wearing a helmet..

    The issue is when I’m hunkered down/over the front/bike – why does sidewinds (summer ones not autumn) unsettle it? I’m hardly light either.

    Descending on drops and also (I know) occassionally on hoods.

    aracer
    Free Member

    Definitely that then. New wheels and new forks required.

    I’d suggest also changing lots of gears on the back whilst changing rings on the front and standing up – that will likely enable you to justify new gears as well. You’ve already justified changing the saddle and the tyres haven’t you? I reckon given all that the best solution is probably a completely new bike.

    mogrim
    Full Member

    On a road bike you need to get your weight over the front (or at the very least centered) – the natural MTB tactic of moving your weight back is a mistake.

    Holding onto the bars, though, would be a good start.

    Lifer
    Free Member

    😆

    Yak
    Full Member

    We’ll need a pic of your descending position to analyse this.

    hora
    Free Member

    I’d suggest also changing lots of gears on the back whilst changing rings on the front and standing up – that will likely enable you to justify new gears as well. You’ve already justified changing the saddle and the tyres haven’t you? I reckon given all that the best solution is probably a completely new bike.

    I’ll let the sarcasm wash over me. After all no one who buys a roadbike ever keeps everything that came OEM on it standard and in no way upgraded anything. I imagine every full/complete bike that you bought was kept complete in 100% original condition. 🙄

    The wheels are ok – I’d keep them for winter use. I am itching to try circa £400 ones though.

    We’ll need a pic of your descending position to analyse this.

    Ah yes to replace the ageing pic of a bloke blowing up his stan’s tyre?..

    Yak
    Full Member

    Ah yes to replace the ageing bloke blowing up his stands tyre?..

    Jamie is unaware of this thread so far..

    kudos
    Free Member

    Alberto to the forum!

    faustus
    Full Member

    Deep section rims catch the wind a fair bit, quite a wide area compared to ‘slab-sided fork’. Keep in mind when you upgrade.

    Why not just title the thread ‘road upgrade wanted’ rather then a tenuous link to side-winds?

    Are you sure it wasn’t your body that caught the breeze and took you sideways? 😉

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    why does sidewinds (summer ones not autumn) unsettle it?

    Hmm curious, what could be the difference between summer and autumn winds when it comes to unsettling a bike?

    nemesis
    Free Member

    You need a new bike. No question. Fantastic that even on a road bike you want to change the forks though 😆

    Road wheels are a lot lighter than mtb wheels usually (when you include the weight of the tyres) so there’s less of a gyroscope effect and they’ll always me more susceptible to being knocked off line for that reason. As stated though, hands on the bars and you’ll be fine.

    m1kea
    Free Member

    I only get this when using a deepish (50mm) section wheel. My TT frame has some deep/aero/wide tubes which will add to the mix but never had this on a conventional road bike.

    Why not get hold of some Zipp 808s or similar and have another go with some proper deep section wheels to get the full buttock clenching sensation.

    thestabiliser
    Free Member

    Try turning the wheel and fork to face the wind

    hora
    Free Member

    Fantastic that even on a road bike you want to change the forks though

    I’m visiting the Town of Ironic and I’ve just climbed out of the big ironic taxi 😆

    atlaz
    Free Member

    I’ve only had it in genuinely windy conditions, never just riding along, even if it’s descending.

    The issue is when I’m hunkered down/over the front/bike – why does sidewinds (summer ones not autumn) unsettle it? I’m hardly light either.

    Wind is wind. It’s most likely down to your control of the bike more than anything else. When I first rode on the drops I was far less in control but it comes to you in time.

    kudos
    Free Member

    Hmm curious, what could be the difference between summer and autumn winds when it comes to unsettling a bike?

    Summer breeze… Makes me feel fine… Blowing through the Khamsins on my Hind*…

    (*I don’t own Khamsins or a Hind, but then, the Isley Brothers didn’t have any jasmine growing in their minds either… Artistic licence, innit)

    aracer
    Free Member

    If he’d been holding the drops you might have a point.

    atlaz
    Free Member

    No-handed, in a sidewind, descending. Trolling?

    whatnobeer
    Free Member

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qgjyqibwY[/video]

    This lot seem to manage mostly ok, check out the guy at about 55 seconds though 😛

    Lack of hands on the bars will definitely make the front wheel go in the wind. Deep sections and bladed spokes also can catch the wind but it shouldn’t be enough to knock you off, just keep the bike pointing where you want to go and it’ll be fine. I also find pedalling seems to keep the front wheel from twitching if it’s really windy.

    Yak
    Full Member

    No handed wobbly front wheel you say?

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    OP
    Things will improve enormously if you have your bike set up properly.
    It sounds like you need to get a bike fit and maybe a few skills sessions so you can get more confident out on the road.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Unless your wheels are +50 mm its almost positively nothing to do with the bike and 100% the nut between the bars and the saddle …. Although you already admitted this nut wasnt attached properly.

    Even 9st mrs tr can handle a 100mm deep rim through a sidewind when required ….. Gusts and passing gate openings on the other hand is tough,

    njee20
    Free Member

    Things will improve enormously if you have ride your bike set up properly.

    honeybadgerx
    Full Member

    hora – Member
    The stock wheels have bladed spokes (c24)

    Just re-lace your existing wheels, but make sure the blades are perpendicular to the rim.

    dunmail
    Free Member

    Mountain biker in poor handling skills shock!! 🙂

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Mountain bikers always make the best descenders, just ask Phil Ligget.

    Are we talking arms locked or arms bent when on the drops?

    What bit of the bars are you (sometimes) holding?

    Are you as low as you can get over the bike to keep the CoG low and hence increase stability?

    binners
    Full Member

    Every time I see a thread by Hora about road bikes I think of this….

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0OaeMYTbs4[/video]

    Shut the **** up Donny. You have no frame of reference in this conversation. You’re like a child…..

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 57 total)

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