Unstable front end follow up

[Geoff]

Well I went out to the hill were I experienced my shimmy last weekend for a series of rides up and down it. First off the bike did not shimmy on any of the decents. After the first decent, I tried different positions etc. to see if it would start to shimmy. It never did, but it felt like the shimmy was right there the whole time. I could tell that once I hit about 38 to 40 mph the shimmy was just under the surface like any additional imput to it would set it off kind of wierd or maybe just me being over analytical?

With that being said I think, in general, I agree with the statement that shimmy is teh riders fault, at least that the rider is gennerally the controller (or lack there of) of the shimmy. The more aggressive I was on my decent the more stable the bike was and like wise when I acted like dead wieght (simulation of when I would be tired) the shimmy felt like it could come on at any little bump or funky shift on my part. Is this also me or possibly the bike?

An interseting though did occur to me though how do others remain aggressive on long straight decents when your spun out? It is easy on curves but the straight is a little more difficult. Is it just positioning on the bike?

Geoff - Master of my shimmy

[e-RICHIE]

With that being said I think, in general, I agree with the statement that shimmy is teh riders fault, at least that the rider is gennerally the controller (or lack there of) of the shimmy.

hmmm yo!

...how do others remain aggressive on long straight decents when your spun out? It is easy on curves but the straight is a little more difficult.
don't look 10-20 feet ahead.
look 100-200 yards ahead.
it'll arrive before you know it.
that will help allay (sp?) the fear.

[CalfeeFly]

Well Geoff from your description and analysis I will agree that in your case it is your fault. 38 to 40 isn't even that fast around here. As I've stated you hit that on every ride around here. We don't even get impressed until you hit 50. Unfortunately for us there aren't many hills without cross streets/roads and to trust cars not to pull out is foolish. That is why I usually hit around 50 on the one hill...there aren't any places to pull out for about 1/2 mile. Just about everybody I know has the goal to hit 60. The only thing that stops us are road conditions (they are awful in Western PA) and traffic. The best I've managed is just under 59. :(

If you really want to stay "aggressive" although I'm not sure what that means...you get into a deep tuck, stick your butt up in the air and lean out over your front tire. You will really take off. However if you are afraid of hills and it sound like you are I don't recommend it. You really start to fly.

Have fun descending.

[Geoff]

I'm not talking about fear. I dont think in general I get scared on a decent. I think in my 20 years of riding I have had only a handful of times when I though I was going to bite the big one.

I am talking about how do you stay agressive on a long straight decent when you dont have agear to get anything from.

Is that all you do is look further down the road (which I always try to do) or do you get a different postiion (more aero), pick your nose, or what?

[e-RICHIE]

I'm not talking about fear. I dont think in general I get scared on a decent. I think in my 20 years of riding I have had only a handful of times when I though I was going to bite the big one.

I am talking about how do you stay agressive on a long straight decent when you dont have agear to get anything from.

Is that all you do is look further down the road (which I always try to do) or do you get a different postiion (more aero), pick your nose, or what?

look down the road.
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=204745&postcount=2

[Geoff]

Calfeefly,

"If you really want to stay "aggressive" although I'm not sure what that means..."

When I think agressive I think focused not looking to kick soumeones butt.

G

[CalfeeFly]

I enjoy the speed and that keeps me focused. Plus watching for cars and people pulling out in front of me AND a road condition that will put me down. Our roads really are the pits. Western PA is consistently rated among the worse in the nation. It dawned on me one day laying in bed trying to heal that I could never remember going down that it wasn't related in some way to the road conditions. One time it was a huge like bowling ball of asphalt; a ridge from buses turning a corner that you couldn't see at night; a channel in the road where the expansion joint expaned about twice as wide as a tire (I came around a turn and there it was); potholes; cinders about an inch deep; the road sticks up at an expansion joint; you name it. If you don't see it in time you go down at 40 mph+ which isn't a pleasant thought.

[CalfeeFly]

In the rare instance that the road is just paved and smooth and nothing is in my way I stayed focused by being in the the deepest tuck I can and continually going faster. It's fun. (This assumes it is a steep descent.) :bike: