Bike judders constantly, how to repair?

[Stereo]

After some initial troubles with my Carrera Subway 2, I've been using it daily for the last 5 months and it's been fine. But it's now started to constantly judder, getting worse the faster you go. Looking down you can see the bike judder. There's no disc rubbing and the wheels look fine as far as I can tell.

Any ideas? I've searched judder on google and most of it is when breaking, and this is constant.

 

[jpembroke]

Do you have a tyre bulge by any chance?

 

[Young Un]

Could be that your headset has become loose, or that it is now worn. Undo the stem bolts (should be two bolts, 4mm most likely) and then there is a bolt in that goes down into the steerer of the forks (5mm if my memory serves me correctly), tighten this up slightly but check that the bars still turn freely. Then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to do the stem bolts back up.

 

[accountantpete]

Could be a whole host of reasons.

1. Favourite would be that the wheels are out of true vertically- fix something to the forks near the rim and see if the rim moves up and down in relation to the fixed object.

2.Check for play in the hubs by shaking them from side to side.

3.Check the tyres and that they are seated properly.

 

[Norm]

+1 to all of the above, although I'd go for the headset last.

It's tough to identify from the information given. Is it from the front or the back? Is it harsher when pedalling of free-wheeling?

Do you have a friend with a bike stand or a handy LBS who might help diagnosis. Whereabouts are you (not your address, just your town / region), just in case you are close to another member on here.

 

[swee'pea99]

Good suggestions above but..you refer to 'initial troubles...five months ok' - how old is this bike? If, as it sounds, it's under a year from new, the shop where you bought it should certainly be prepared to have a look and advise (free) at the very least, and maybe fix as well.

 

[gbs]

I had something v similar recently - intermittent rather than constant. My problem was diagnosed (and cured) as looseness in the front wheel hub bearings. Good luck.

 

[Stereo]

It feels as though it is coming from the rear, but the whole bike judders.

I got someone else to have a go to see if they could feel it but they didn't notice it at all, which was very odd. Perhaps it's weight related, I'm 17 stone.

I can only really notice it when free-wheeling.

Looking down at speed, it appears to be the rear wheel kicking out every rotation, but I just don't see it when I'm off the bike and spinning the wheel.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll take a better look tomorrow.

 

[jpembroke]

Grab the wheel and pull it from side to side. If there is significant lateral play then your hub (or freehub) may be either shot or just need adjusting and tightening up.

 

[02GF74]

check the tension in the rear spokes - wheh you are sitting on a bike, some spokes will be unloaded aqnd other loaded - if the tension is out, this will cause hte wheel to distort - something that is not so obvious when spinning the wheel.

 

[Stereo]

Do you have a tyre bulge by any chance?

The rear wheel 'kicks' to the right slightly on rotation. I've felt around it and there was a very small bulge, took a look, and the tyre surface is peeling away from the rim. Christ I'm awful at explaining this. I mean where the wheel meets the tyre, the tyre surface is fraying and peeling back. I'll try and take a photo later.

So, I need a new tyre? I'll try and take it back to Halfords and see what they say.