Odd dragging feeling

[maxfox44]

Guys

Background. Using a 26 year old MTB British Eagle. Started commuting on it late Feb. Now done about 1500 miles, using road tyres.

In the last week or so, I noticed my Strava segments had peaked and in most cases slowed, I assume weather combined with novelty worn off etc. But I started "looking" for a reason for this and I do think there is a reason for my slowness, even when pushing the bike it feels a lot hard than just a few weeks ago. At higher speeds, it feels like the brake is being applied and creating a sort of dragging feel.

So far, I have checked the brakes, the chain and the tyre pressures, all fine. The rear mech and chainset are clean and oiled and there is no chain stretch. The cassette is fine, no wear and no play. I was wondering if the rear hub needed stripping and re-greasing? How would I tell?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Pick the bike up by the scruff of its neck and see if the wheels can spin.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Remove chain from sprocket, see how things spin. BB may need service.

 

[maxfox44]

thanks for the above replies. All seems to spin without any play or resistance.

 

[Rooster1]

Fatigue perhaps. With the mild weather, you may be simply doing more and more miles and no resting.

Tyre pressures is another option!

 

[ColinJ]

thanks for the above replies. All seems to spin without any play or resistance.

Do you have mudguards on the bike?

 

[Sittingduck]

Has the wind changed direction?

 

[zacklaws]

Been there myself, sometimes the road gets blamed, sometimes the bike but rarely myself. Times I've jumped off the bike, checked for brakes binding, or checked for slow punctures, found nothing, further down the road, check everything again, reality eventually sinks in and its myself. When I used to commute though on my MTB, I did find some road surfaces very hard to ride the bike on and it felt very draggy every time I rode on certain parts.

Another problem maybe, your getting to fast....drag increases with speed?

 

[maxfox44]

All great replies above, thanks guys. I did consider myself as the cause, but I know my body pretty well as a track athletic and later a marathon runner. Take this morning as a prime example, had sat, sun and mon off riding. This morning was nearly a personal worst. Nice sunny 10oc with light winds. I'm used to a headwind in the morning as I travel into the prevailing wind.

It's definitely as though the brakes are being applied and then release a few hundred metres down the road. Not always the same bit of road and sometimes within half a mile of setting off

 

[Crackle]

Do the cranks spin freely, no Bottom Bracket stiffness.

 

[ColinJ]

Wheels true and correctly aligned?

 

[maxfox44]

Thanks again for the replies above. The crank is fine with and without the chain. The wheels are a bit dodgy, but don't catch or rub anywhere.
I think I need to remove the rear hub and re-grease almost to satisfy myself. Trouble is, I don't have any specialist tools. Only the useful DIY toolbox stuff.

 

[ColinJ]

Some things are not obvious when you are not actually riding, hence my questions about mudguards and wheels. I have had my bike in a stand and all was well, but as soon as my weight was on the bike, the problems manifested themselves. (Wheels/forks flexing enough for tyres to rub on frame/forks/mudguards.)

 

[maxfox44]

It's a great point @ColinJ Also notice on Strava, that my max speed down this particular stretch was normally 33-34.7mph, but the last week it's been 25-27.8mph. No peddling is involved and I always virtually lay on the TT.

 

[ColinJ]

It's a great point @ColinJ Also notice on Strava, that my max speed down this particular stretch was normally 33-34.7mph, but the last week it's been 25-27.8mph. No peddling is involved and I always virtually lay on the TT.

Have a close look at the paintwork inside the forks and chain stays. If there has been any rubbing, you should see signs of it.