wobbly riding - ?

"tbone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode my mountain bike all winter to school and back, over snow banks

etc.

Quoted message said:

I slipped on some ice recently, though didn't fall off i wasn't exactly on the bike either,

anyway, i've recently noticed some wobble when riding, i can't tell by looking if it is the front
or back wheel....

advice on what to do? correct this? does it really matter?

thanks

Yep, sounds like one of your wheels is out of true. If you flip your bike upside-down and spin each
wheel, you should be able to see which one it is, esp. at the point where the brakes contact. I
would suggest getting the wheel fixed because the wobble can cause your brakes to work uneavenly
which can lead to loss of control in wet/slippery conditions.

Good Luck!

--
Scott Ehardt scehardt.comscehardt.comOpen ↗

Scott Ehardt said:

"tbone" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I rode my mountain bike all winter to school and back, over snow banks

etc.

Quoted message said:

I slipped on some ice recently, though didn't fall off i wasn't exactly on the bike either,

anyway, i've recently noticed some wobble when riding, i can't tell by looking if it is the front
or back wheel....

advice on what to do? correct this? does it really matter?

thanks

Yep, sounds like one of your wheels is out of true. If you flip your bike upside-down and spin each
wheel, you should be able to see which one it is, esp. at the point where the brakes contact. I
would suggest getting the wheel fixed because the wobble can cause your brakes to work uneavenly
which can lead to loss of control in wet/slippery conditions.

Good Luck!

Along with checking for wheel trueness, you might check the general condition of the hubs. Lift
each wheel off the ground, grab it on top, and rock it side to side lightly. You shouldn't feel
any crunching or get any wobble except maybe a slight flexing of the rim (you did look for broken
spokes....?). If there is any wobble, check- cone adjustment; grease and bearing condition;
broken axle.

Also, did a crank or pedal hit down when you almost wiped out? Check the bottom bracket area.

Wobbling will matter as the snow melts and you can go faster. Maybe it doesn't feel dangerous now,
but it might become more dangerous at higher speeds.

Then again, if you are bombing through the snow all winter, you probably have a great feel for your
bike. When the snow melts is a good time to do an overhaul of your bike, regrease everything, etc.
If you don't find the source of the wobble now, you probably will during the overhaul.

I see people riding bikes that are bent and wobbling in crazy ways and they seem perfectly happy and
alive. For how long, who knows.... Some wobbles are signs of major danger, and others are just
annoying. I'd fix it right away, but other people have their own ideas of safety.