Got the wobbles!

[AnnaNanna]

Hello!

Hope this is in the right place:

I've just started cycling after 8 years. During that time I've been firmly on my bottom driving a car!

Cycling is going well so far...I've been out for 2 little jaunts. However, I keep wobbling and pulling over to the right! I know this is a normal thing, but does anyone know why? If I know, it might be easier to correct and my cycling would be better. Also, despite my wobbles, I find it difficult to turn right! What a twit...any advice?

Thanks!

 

[Simmer]

If you free wheel in a straight line does it wobble and pull right, or only when peddling ? Just wondering if your frame may be bent.

 

[ClaireSaud]

Hello AnnaNanna, from time to time I also find myself pulling to the right or wobbling all over the place. It gets worse when I notice I am doing it!! I think I am more heavy footed with my right leg and I put it down to putting more power down the right hand side. I might be wrong. I try to focus further ahead instead of staring at the white line down the left hand side of the road. This sometimes helps. Could a strong side wind be causing you to wobble as well?

 

[byegad]

My wife returned to cycling after the best part of 50 years!

To begin with she kept saying the same thing. However when I rode her bike I found it was fine and when she rode mine (They were both folders and raising/lowering the seat was easy.) she found the same thing.

Her answer was for us to take the bikes to an industrial estate on a Sunday when the firms were closed and ride figure of eights in the empty car park of one of the firms. After two hour long sessions 'the bike didn't want to turn right' any more.

Hope this helps and do persist, but maybe get a regular rider to try your bike, in order to rule out any fault on the bike??

 

[Paulus]

When you are riding along, if you look to the left or the right the bike will follow where you are looking. I don't know how the mechanics of it works, but try to make sure you keep your head still and look forward.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

How fast are you spinning your legs? If you are in a high gear and pedalling slowly, at a low speed you are more likely to wobble. Put the front ring on the smallest ring (if there are two at the front) or the middle ring (if there are three) and have the chain somewhere in the middle at the rear and see if that fixes it

I would also double check your wheels are in correctly just in case it is the bike and not you

 

[Fab Foodie]

Dumb question but if the bike came from a discount supplier are the forks on the right way around? Have seen many MTB/Hybrid types with suspension - and the forks are on wrong. This means the brake cables foul when steering in one direction. Just a thought.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Dumb question but if the bike came from a discount supplier are the forks on the right way around? Have seen many MTB/Hybrid types with suspension - and the forks are on wrong. This means the brake cables foul when steering in one direction. Just a thought.

Good one, also is your back wheel centered in the frame? A back wheel thats pointing to one side will upset the steering.

 

[Dave 123]

Pay attention to where your head is actually pointing.
It should be up and looking to where you would like to go, and not looking down at the front wheel.

 

[TissoT]

cycling is a skill in all forms !
keep going out.. try to pick roads with no traffic country lanes etc
make sure your a##rse is in the centre of the saddle ..

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hello AnnaNanna!
If mechanical defects of the bike are excluded, you will most probably stop wobbling once you gain experience.

 

[AnnaNanna]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies people :-)

I generally tend to look up as I know from when I was younger that this can send you all over the place.

I will check my bike for those things you have all pointed out. Other half and I built the bike ourselves, and clearly due to my lack of male genitals, I was wrong when pointing mistakes out (such as the fact that the handlebars pointed to the right when the wheel didn't-this is now not the case btw! )

Cross everything for me!

 

[AnnaNanna]

PS going slower really does increase chance of wobbling!

 

[Eribiste]

I think if you apply all the good advice that's in this thread you'll find that there will come a day when you suddenly realise you're not wobbling any more. Cycling is a skill, and the more you do it the better you get because it becomes more natural. You'll probably find that when you can bring yourself to stop thinking about the wobbling, the wobbling will stop. As long as there is no mechanical bother, the wobble will straighten itself out if you go faster, but how can you dare go faster when you wobble? Only time and practice can sort that. Byegad's suggestion of finding an empty car park to practice low speed manoeuvres will help a lot. The same thing is done for people doing their compulsory basic training for motor bikes. When you can steer an accurate, wiggly-woggly course at low speed, you'll feel much more confident. Oh, and try not to fall off, like I did yesterday!

 

[byegad]

Dumb question but if the bike came from a discount supplier are the forks on the right way around? Have seen many MTB/Hybrid types with suspension - and the forks are on wrong. This means the brake cables foul when steering in one direction. Just a thought.

I didn't think of this one!