Rear wheel "wandering"

[Arjimlad]

I don't know how else to describe this, but when I am riding along, even on the straight, I get the occasional sensation that my rear wheel is wandering out to my left. It is not as much as a skid, the wheel's rolling fine, it just feels like it is fishtailing a little.

This normally happens when I am pushing down with my right foot.

My last bike was a giant flat bar road bike, which felt the same, and I am getting this too on my new giant drop-bar road bike. It is a little disconcerting. The 700 x 25 tyres on the new bike (Giant's own) are smoother than on the old (Vittoria Rubino).

Could it just be greasy winter roads ?

Strangely, I feel quite confident cornering on the bike.

 

[Crackle]

New bike, so no crashes, so frame straight then?

Seat straight, bars straight, check both from all angles, rear wheel in drop out properly, tyre on properly, tyre moulding straight, inflated correctly.

If all those things check out, then it's either in your head, which is perfectly possible and reasonable or it's bike set up, which includes the possibility that your leg length/arm length/foot position or other might be different, not by much but enough to feel it on what is a symmetrical machine.

 

[HLaB]

I had a wee bit of a rear wheel slide last night on a greasy roundabout I recovered it and it might be subconscious but I felt the rear wheel wanted to wander after that. I'll inspect the tyre a fair bit in the daylight to see if there is any damage but I suspect it'll be the former.

OT its a wired 25mm Vittorio Rubino I' using on the rear and again it could be subconscious but I don't like its design, the super smooth central belt seems to have almost zero grip and is particularly very poor when honking up a hill! but the sides seem to grip well. I've had smoother tyres before no problem a bit more grippy and consistent rather than the change from no grip to lts of grip!

 

[Arjimlad]

Thanks - I think it is all straight but I will check it out thoroughly !

Frame certainly appears straight.

 

[Moodyman]

As above, but it can also happen when you're riding across a sidewind.

 

[GrasB]

How many miles in the tyres? Very new tyres may have release compound on them so will squirm a little bit. Usually takes 100 miles or so to scrub it off fully.

 

[Arjimlad]

I'se only done about 30 miles on it. Not been windy round here today..

 

[GrasB]

I find I can't climb at full power when damp/wet on a new rear tyre & it takes a while for it to scrub in. For this reason my new tyre goes on the back wheel for a week or 2 before getting rotated onto the front (I'd much prefer a bit of rear wheel squirm than front wheel squirm). I'd be inclined to put a scrubbed set of tyres on the bike if you have any that fit. If not I'd keep an eye on it & if the problem gets worse or persists much after 100 miles look into it more deeply.

 

[Arjimlad]

Thank you all for your help.

 

[sdr gb]

Check the QR skewer isn't loose. I once didn't tighten it up enough on the front end after getting the bike out of the car. The front wheel felt as though it was moving around. Realised and tightened it up properly.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Its also worth checking that the wheel is straight in the frame.

 

[Ian H]

What pressure? Soft tyres can feel as if they're wandering.

 

[the_mikey]

OT its a wired 25mm Vittorio Rubino I' using on the rear and again it could be subconscious but I don't like its design, the super smooth central belt seems to have almost zero grip and is particularly very poor when honking up a hill!

I stopped using vittoria rubinos for that reason, some of the hills around here are quite steep and with rubinos on my wheels I experienced loss of grip many times going up and down hill, and crashed a few times because of it. I use continental and michelin tyres now.

 

[HLaB]

I stopped using vittoria rubinos for that reason, some of the hills around here are quite steep and with rubinos on my wheels I experienced loss of grip many times going up and down hill, and crashed a few times because of it. I use continental and michelin tyres now.

More often than not they are very poor but today when the roads were more greasy with some sharp inclines, they performed well but I'm sick of the inconsistency and ordered new Mitch Kyrlions before I have a crash. The only reason I suspect I haven't is i only use the Rubino on the rear. I've had conti's in the past and apart from the last 4 of base Grand Prix's they performed very well consistent grip whilst having good p'ture/wear records; the base Grand Prix's all failed relatively quickly at the sidewall (the longest lasting got just circa 1,250miles), wherein the Rubino got pressed in to emergency service now I remember why I removed them before the mould nodules disappeared and will do again!

 

[Arjimlad]

Well, thanks again for all the above comments. I raised my saddle by half an inch, made sure the tyres were up at 110 psi, reseated the wheel in the frame, plucked every spoke to check uniform tightness and re-set the bars straight. I had a much smoother ride today with only one wandering moment, so perhaps that has all sorted it out.

One thing - the spokes on the left side of the wheel emitted a different tone to those on the right, so presumably are a different tension. Is this normal ?

Thanks