Not happy with the steering on my Carrera Subway 2

[gbb]

Re the tyres, pressures, slips etc.
I dont know how new OPs bike is but I dont like new tyres, I treat them with respect until theyve bedded in, Gators especially have that hard shiny surface when new and are remarkably slippy in the damp, once theyve scrubbed up a bit, they're fine but definitely not when brand new.

Also, tyre pressures. If you're running them relatively low, they will deform easier in bends and feel more unstable.
It's my opinion, just pump them up as hard as you reasonably can, till you cant press your thumb in much at all at the top...ie...hard.

Ditto low quality, tyres they deform more in the bends and I've had very unsettling moments on cheap tyres.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I would not classify myself as an expert, but, for tubed tyres, on what is essentially a hybrid type bicycle, I would say those tyre pressures are low (60), and very low (35).

The tyres are 48mm wide. OP plus bike 'load' is 95kg. Extrapolating from this authoriative BQ/Frank Berto graph (see attachment) the correct pressures would be about 30psi for the front and 45psi for the rear. The late Frank Berto (2019) would "classify himself as an expert".
[For 37mm wide tyres 59 rear, 36 front.]
At the same pressure, one could expect Marathons (say) to be 'faster' the wider they are (not vice versa @Cycleops , as well as more comfortable), not that it matters, surely: the bike's a hybrid.
@BoldonLad running his tyres at 70psi is just 'juddering' himself in a masochistic way. I withdraw that suggestion if the rear tyre is 35mm or less.

 

[Cycleops]

I've often sat by the roadside sucking on a pipe drawing up graphs on tyre pressures but haven't come to the same conclusion

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The tyres are 48mm wide. OP plus bike 'load' is 95kg. Extrapolating from this authoriative BQ/Frank Berto graph (see attachment) the correct pressures would be about 30psi for the front and 45psi for the rear. The late Frank Berto (2019) would "classify himself as an expert".
[For 37mm wide tyres 59 rear, 36 front.]
At the same pressure, one could expect Marathons (say) to be 'faster' the wider they are (not vice versa @Cycleops , as well as more comfortable), not that it matters, surely: the bike's a hybrid.
@BoldonLad running his tyres at 70psi is just 'juddering' himself in a masochistic way. I withdraw that suggestion if the rear tyre is 35mm or less.

Indeed 48mm is firmly in old school mountain bike tyre widths. I was really quite happy running 30 psi at those widths.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I run my 37mm front at 40 psi and it’s cushdy

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

Thanks everyone. I managed to get the bike checked over and all good. Some flex when the he hung onto it in different positions but the person in the store was happy with everything. I mentioned tyre pressures to him and he looked at me, the bike and the tyres and suggested 80 psi. When I told him the tyres mentioned 40 min and 65 max he suggested i would get some movement at the lower pressures and that’s good enough for me!

Whilst there, it was amazing to see that the entire bike store has sold out. I couldn’t even get a pair of gloves, just one pair left in the wrong size. Just piles of bikes in for repair and maintenance.. Three weeks lead time for an appointment to get something fixed!

My new tyres have dispatched and will be on the bike Monday night. I will report back then.
Next post will be on derailiers as I think mine has been strained but will have one more tweak of it 1st before.

have a great weekend everyone!

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

I would not classify myself as an expert, but, for tubed tyres, on what is essentially a hybrid type bicycle, I would say those tyre pressures are low (60), and very low (35).

I run my Giant Escape 1 with Marathon Tyres at 70psi, anything below 60psi makes the steering "vague" IMHO.

I am approximately 80kg (12st 8lb, in old money).

Thanks. Current Tyres have a max on the side of 65 but the marathons will be fitted Monday and will play around with pressures.

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

I'm sure SJS sorted you with sensible width tyres, for your rim. The Schwalbe matrix seems designed to show the 'optimum' rim for each width of tyre (rather than vice versa). A 35mm tyre would be sweet on a 19mm inner width rim. And a 48mm tyre would be fine too (reason explained by Roger above). And the Schwalbe matrix ETRTO colour shows tyres 22mm (I wouldn't) to 52mm wide would be OK on 19mm rims. Sheldon Brown's rule of thumb was tyres are best chosen to have a width 1.4 to 2.0 times the inner rim width.

I think they did. I went with 1.65 inch tyres and matching inner tubes. All these tyre sizes were easier years ago. The ERTRO inner tubes sizes are particularly confusing!

 

[MichaelW2]

The Subway now uses 27.5/ 650b rims so decent commuter tyres are not really an off the shelf item. You can get Marathon in 650b. Balloon tyres are a thing, wider tyres than you would normally use. I gave been using Big Apple 2" on my 26" mtb sized rims. They are meant to be used at lower pressure than typical hybrid size tyres but still ride efficiently at everday cruising speeds.

When it comes to steering problems I would look at the frame and fork alignment and the facing of the steerer tube as well as hub bearing wobble.

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

Tyres and new inner tubes arrived yesterday and whoever agreed all of these standards and tyres sizes has a less structured mind than me! How an inner tube with 26” on the main label be right for a 27.5” wheel is a mystery!

New tyres and inner tubes fitted tonight they look a lot narrower than 6mm as suggested by the sizing differences. I have only tried them out up and down the road due to weather so to early to report.

what is clear, after pulling against the handle bars on the hill that I live, is that I might have damaged myself in the ribs/shoulder areas!

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

Well, 1st ride out yesterday and some noticeable differences in the new tyre set up. lower effort required to get down the road for sure and definitely a harder ride. The steering still feels twitchy but am probably over thinking it and not relaxed like I should be.
At one point, i had to cycle down a very badly surfaced road with a small water main leak turning it into a stream and it frightened me to be honest, although 100% in the mind rather than anything that happenEd.
I will try again later!

 

[Tom B]

I haven't ridden a Carrera subway or seen on in the flesh. But I remember my Ridgeback Hybrid felt nervous and twitchy compared to the MTBs I had previously ridden. Within a few months I'd learned its limits and am now very comfortable on it. It has 28 X 700 tyres that I run at upto 100psi.

Spending most of my time on that it comes as a bit of a shock to get on my MTB and get happy with it moving around under me in the mud.

The hydrid is to some extent front limited in grip.

All that said, there should be no rock in the hubs or the headset.

 

[TV8 but now flat 6]

Thanks Tom. I have Had the bike checked over by a local bike specialist and they were happy with hubs and steering.

I popped out on the bike again this afternoon and time to just enjoy it!