Today's Bike Ride

[mr brightside]

Mr B, the most likely explanation is that your headset is a little loose and needs a little tweak to tighten it up. You can check this by holding your front brake on and seeing if there is a rocking movement at the front end. If you get a front end wobble from this it is typically at speed and downhill and can be terrifying! If you do get the wobble, relax, easier said than done, especially your grip on the handle bars, loose touch only, lay a knee against the cross bar and it will gradually resolve. There other reasons for a wobble, wheel and fork issues predominantly, headset most likely though and the thing to check first.

The headset is a-ok, i'm one of these people who get very annoyed by loose headsets. The fork has a lot of flex in it though, it's a lugged Aluminium fork (the bike is an old 1983 Alan), and i tend to lean on the bars quite a lot to keep my back relaxed to prevent disc problems. I ride in a c-shaped curve and any tension or compression in my spine can cause a disc to become irritated. I'm a wreck really, not exactly steam bunny material!!!

[mr brightside]

Windy ride up and down some local hills today. Down Creskeld Lane which was interesting, up Old Pool Bank which was hard, and up the big Chevin which was easier than i thought. In fact Old Pool Bank, which Graham might be familiar with, had me dancing on the pedals into a strong headwind all the way! Good job i was on the Raleigh- needed the 39 badly. Managed to hit 34mph on the flat with a tailwind on the way back. 14m/1500'.

[Shropshire Lad]

Grrr....
Drastic derailleur failure half-way home. Spent 20 minutes scouring a busy road for missing jockey wheel to no avail. Then an hour pushing my bike home in a freezing wind. The only positive I can take from this is the passer-by who bothered to pull over and ask if I needed a lift home.

[mr brightside]

Very bad news. A reminder to us all to have our wits about us around Wharfedale.

[shaunaneto]

Very bad news. A reminder to us all to have our wits about us around Wharfedale.

I'd seen this elsewhere from someone that knew him. Very sad thing to happen.

[shaunaneto]

53 miles on the road bike today. Direct day, lights on start to finish.

[mr brightside]

Bit of a crap day to be doing 37m, opted for 2 pieces of cake at Buffers as i felt i'd deserved it for just leaving the house not to mention weathering a hail shower just outside Addingham; all washed down with tea naturally. A welcome tailwind saw me make mincemeat of the so named Cote de Blubberhouses. Once again i found myself in the teeth of another 'wobble' riding off the other side, this time it happened at about 35mph as i was on a bend, i think cornering def has something to do with it and rough surfaces too. I also think there is more to proper bike handling than meets the eye when it's a road bike.

[dominion]

First ride of the year. Gentle 20 to break my legs in. 5 weeks to get fit for a ride round Lake Garda...

[mr brightside]

First ride of the year. Gentle 20 to break my legs in. 5 weeks to get fit for a ride round Lake Garda...

1st of the year...what have you been doing? Not a fair weather cyclist are you Dom, i thought you were hard??

[dominion]

Been getting some running miles in for a race I was targeting... But didn't actually do it!