Wheel issue

[ScotiaLass]

Since I got my new Dawes hybrid, I have had an issue.
When braking, the front wheel shudders. I had a look at it today, checking the brake blocks etc, and from what I can see, the front wheel seems to wobble, albeit very slightly, when spun.
Would this be the cause of the wobble when braking? If so, how do I go about fixing it, presuming it can be fixed.

I want to ride the bike more but am worried about the braking.
Ideas?

 

[Cycleops]

Sounds like it could be the front wheel bearings. Is the wheel fixed securely in the forks? Perhaps take the wheel out and spin it and check the spindle for play. Could also be a buckled rim, check it by eye when spinning it off the bike. If the bike is quite new the former should be covered by your warranty.

 

[Brommyboy]

I would also check that there is no excessive play in the head bearings. Put the front brake on and rock the bike forwards and backwards while feeling for play under the upper head bearing cup. If tightening is required you will need a head spanner as well as another to fit the lock nut. To check that the bearing is not too tight afterwards, lift the front wheel off the ground and tilt the bike sideways; the wheel should swing easily to one side.

 

[Globalti]

What you are observing is actually a microscopic effect of doppler variations in the space-time continuum caused by the recent solar storms. I suggest you nip to Halfords and ask one of the mechanics as they have special experience in this branch of astro-physics.

 

[Amanda P]

Let's explore the wobble a bit more.

So, you spin the wheel. Is it the rim which seems to snake from side to side as it spins, or just the tyre? How much movement is there?

If it's less than a millimetre or so, it's not likely to be a serious problem. But it can be fixed by truing the wheel. The fact that you're asking suggests you should probably seek professional or experienced advice for doing that.

If the bearing is a bit loose, you won't generally notice this in spinning the wheel. But if you hold the wheel lightly at the rim and jiggle it side to siderelative to the fork, can you feel it moving but coming to a definite stop? If so, then, yes, there's a little slack in the bearing. Again, this is trivial to fix, but probably best done by someone who knows how, or under that person's tutelage (hey, that's a good word!)

But neither of these things is usually the cause of a judder. Juddering is more likely to be due to loose headset bearings or loose brakes. Hold the bike as if you were wheeling it, and put the front brake on. Jiggle the bike forward against the brakes and back. Can you feel a looseness there? If so, watch carefully as you jiggle it back and forth. What's moving? Can you see the fork wiggling relative to the main part of the frame? If so: head bearings. Or are the brake arms wiggling relative to the fork? If so, loose brakes.

Tightening either is trivial and this time, you can probably see to it with reference to Sheldon Brown or Park Tool websites or videos.

It might be none of those things. A mild judder or squeal can just be down to the combination of brakes, rims, brake blocks and the state of cleanliness of all of those. Greasy rims can cause juddering and squealing as the blocks grip, slip and grip again rapidly. Cleaning them thoroughly may help.

Same with brake blocks; sometimes lightly filing the surfaces or just changing them for new ones may help. Sometimes they wear unevenly and replacement or filing the faces flat does the trick. Sometimes, it's just an unlucky combination of slghtly flexy brake arms and forks and really sticky brake blocks; changing to harder blocks may help.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Since I got my new Dawes hybrid, I have had an issue.
When braking, the front wheel shudders. I had a look at it today, checking the brake blocks etc, and from what I can see, the front wheel seems to wobble, albeit very slightly, when spun.
Would this be the cause of the wobble when braking? If so, how do I go about fixing it, presuming it can be fixed.

I want to ride the bike more but am worried about the braking.
Ideas?

If you can't find anything obviously wrong then Cycleops sugestion is worth looking at, can you get your hands on another front wheel? Doing a ride with a different wheel in will show up whether the problem is the wheel or not.

 

[themosquitoking]

I had a problem with the bearings on my defy wheels, i noticed it when the bike was in a stand and i spun the wheels the whole bike and stand moved quite violently but only when i spun the back wheel.

 

[gwhite]

Since I got my new Dawes hybrid, I have had an issue.
When braking, the front wheel shudders. I had a look at it today, checking the brake blocks etc, and from what I can see, the front wheel seems to wobble, albeit very slightly, when spun.
Would this be the cause of the wobble when braking? If so, how do I go about fixing it, presuming it can be fixed.

I want to ride the bike more but am worried about the braking.
Ideas?

If you are in Fife or nearby you could bring it along to my workshop and I'd be happy to take a look at it for you.
Just PM me.

George.