Next Bike...No Shimmy

[noonievut]

Not much to complain about with my Giant OCR 1, except that I've experienced the shimmy a few times. Each time was going downhill, pretty fast, and was hit by a cross wind (not an extreme wind, maybe 30km/h, but I still shimmied).

So, when I decide to buy a new bike, I'm wondering if there are bikes known for being ultra stable, or does it have to do with frame materials (i.e. is Carbon known to never experience shimmy?). I wouldn't be buying anything too expensive, maybe $750-1,000 more than the OCR 1, but no higher than that.

My goal is to go as fast as I want without ever worrying about shimmy...not too much to ask

Thanks.

 

[alienator]

Not much to complain about with my Giant OCR 1, except that I've experienced the shimmy a few times. Each time was going downhill, pretty fast, and was hit by a cross wind (not an extreme wind, maybe 30km/h, but I still shimmied).

So, when I decide to buy a new bike, I'm wondering if there are bikes known for being ultra stable, or does it have to do with frame materials (i.e. is Carbon known to never experience shimmy?). I wouldn't be buying anything too expensive, maybe $750-1,000 more than the OCR 1, but no higher than that.

My goal is to go as fast as I want without ever worrying about shimmy...not too much to ask

Thanks.

Good luck. Whether a bike shimmies or not is dependent on how it's loaded (i.e. weight distribution, wind loading, speed, and etc.), it's construction and design, and very importantly, it's harmonic modes under the already mentioned loads.

It's not an easy question to answer. Far from it.

 

[pistole]

Not much to complain about with my Giant OCR 1, except that I've experienced the shimmy a few times. Each time was going downhill, pretty fast, and was hit by a cross wind (not an extreme wind, maybe 30km/h, but I still shimmied).

So, when I decide to buy a new bike, I'm wondering if there are bikes known for being ultra stable, or does it have to do with frame materials (i.e. is Carbon known to never experience shimmy?). I wouldn't be buying anything too expensive, maybe $750-1,000 more than the OCR 1, but no higher than that.

My goal is to go as fast as I want without ever worrying about shimmy...not too much to ask

Thanks.

- hi.

- have you tried not holding onto the bars so tightly ? Basically , a gentle
approach at the steering end.

.

 

[noonievut]

Before the shimmy, I've went downhill and hit about 75km/h. That was over smooth pavement, very straight, and lot's of trees with no openings for wind gusts. I guess if I'm going that fast I'll hold on tight enough, but it's not a death grip. I felt very comfortable.

The shimmy happened with a strong cross wind. Funny enough, my brother-in-law was in front of me 2 of these times, was going as fast or faster and didn't shimmy (all carbon Trek bike). I don't think he rides that different from me (i.e. how he grips the bars). I believe it comes down to the bike and it's frame qualities...hence the e-mail. I think 1/2 of the riders out there would've experienced the shimmy if they were riding the bike in my situation.