Slippy rear wheel

How Soon Is Now

Seems no matter what I do with this bike I come back to the issue of the back wheel feeling slippy on the road.

I had a few slips on it last year so I changed the tyres in October to a pair of Continental Grand Prix 5000s.

There's no way they could be worn as I had a month off the bike over Christmas but it seems the more days I ride the bike in a row the less comfortable and safe it feels on the road. I start the week at a great pace the bikes riding like a dream by the time it comes to Wednesday or Thursday I'm ready to **** it in the Liffey!! haha. I don't feel tired or anything like that the bike just seems to act like a bitch.

I had a bad fall on it just before I changed the tyres I had the bike looked at and serviced the guy told me he sorted a few things nothing major everything seemed okay on his end. I don't know weather its the roads the bike me ha but its getting very annoying at this stage and its starting to effect my confidence in the bike and how its gonna handle and that's the very last thing you need trying to commute on roads in Dublin city centre!!

I don't ride like a maniac I try and avoid certain parts of the roads if I can I take corners that bit slower especially in the wet. I'm watching others boot around like lunatics without any issue ha. I'm thinking I should maybe get the bike properly looked at just incase the heavy fall last year did damage but the fact someone already seen it and told me it was fine I just dunno??

I just know ill give it a proper clean over the weekend everything will be grand but out the blue during the week it will start acting up again. There has to be a reason for this and I cant avoid the types of roads I'm cycling on as there the only route I can take in that sort of time.

Squidgy Black

We’re only really coming out of a stretch of weather with lots of icy roads, that could be playing a part, also if the roads were just recently repaved.

What size tyre are you running and what pressure? You could try fit a wider tyre or lower the psi if it’s too high, should give you more grip.

padyjoe

Do you know your tyre pressure and check it regularly? You could have a slow leak, once it goes too low, the rim goes wonky.

Pressure too high is bad for wet surface, your grip is compromised anyway, you need to let some air out for better handling.

I don't know what's the story with your frame, if it's twisted, the front and the rear rim could run on 2 tracks instead of in-line, this might affect handling too. Loose spokes could have the same thing causing the rim feel 'strange'.

All in all, start with checking pressures.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159911#Comment_120159911

700 x 25c I haven't got clearance for anything bigger unfortunately. There usually at about 100psi. There strong enough tyres as even though some of the roads I'm on are a piece of **** they don't loose a lot of pressure.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159940#Comment_120159940

I cant tell by looking at the bike if the frame is damaged it seems fine and the last service I had just after a fall there was no mention of there being any damage like that. There was mention of the wheel being slightly buckled but he said he fixed it I dunno? If there is any sort of issue there its very very hard for me to tell by looking at it.

Macy0161

How often are you checking the pressure - every few days, or just the start of the week. fyiy the roads/ cyclepaths are absolutely covered in crap at the moment. It's worse out here in Wicklow, but they were still poor in Dublin this week in my experience. Crap builds up without significant rainfall to wash it away. This time last year they were lethal, with weeks and weeks of this murky mild weather and lots of building sites.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120159985#Comment_120159985

I check it every couple of days. Usually depends how the types feel. Yeah the bike is getting filthy lately **** cleaning it everyday but cant really give it a proper clean chain etc till weekend as its too dark when I'm getting home. In general though I try and keep it all as clean as possible and in good condition everyone keeps asking me in work is it only new ha.

How Soon Is Now

Just looked it up and it seems they recommend to run these tyres on 80 psi so I'm gonna try it.

68 lost souls

A drop in pressure especially in dirty wet roads is good start. No longer are people recommending 100-120psi as they used. Lower PSI should give better grip and actually be faster.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120160053#Comment_120160053

Ill try it at around 80-90 and see if it makes any difference. In general how should the tyre feel when its inflated?

padyjoe

I'm around 90 kg, Michelin SC4 25mm, folding, 75 psi front, 85ish on rear. Runs smooth.

CramCycle

There is also all the grit on the road from salting that makes them slippier, at high pressure you will feel it. You also said the rear wheel had been buckled, check the spoke tension to make sure none are loose. As already said, drop the pressure a bit, increases grip. Part of it could be nerves as well, if you've fallen (I have on occassion), I find that the bike doesn't feel quite right until my confidence is back, but it is all in my head but even knowing that doesn't shake the feeling.

Is the bike steel, alu or carbon. Either way, take the wheels off and try to flex the triangles, if there is severe damage, you will see it flex. There should be a bit of give in all types of material but not a huge amount. Look for cracks along the stays as a common one and along the BB.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120161208#Comment_120161208

Yeah I know what u mean about confidence I'm grand usually but since I fell heavy last year if I feel the bike slip in anyway especially the rear it kinda plays on my mind for rest the trip. Where my commute is doesnt help ha.

It's aluminum I haven't taken the wheels off since the last time I got puncture which was long time ago but if I get time one the days I'll have to see can I find any issues.

Weepsie

Sounds to me like the wheel might be out of true

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120161574#Comment_120161574

FWIW, I had the same issue after taking a heavy fall a few years ago. Felt the back wheel was slipping or wobbling a lot, especially on descents. Looking back, there was nothing wrong other than my confidence was shot.

Also, I'm 89kg and run my tyre pressure at 83 and 74psi. I might put them up a touch in the summer but nowhere close to 100.

John_Rambo

I had this problem cycling in some of Dublin Cities busiest bus lanes & roads. The back wheel was even wheelspinning in the damp in a low gear. Washing the tyres with soapy hot water fixed it.

I am convinced it was from cycling through heavy traffic urban areas where diesel buses accelerated from, leaving a slick that contaminated the tyres. One place I stopped regularly doing a right was an acceleration point for cars, vans, trucks & buses some of which have downward facing exhausts (my diesel car had this feature). A quick google brings me to the reason for downward facing exhaust and I get this "The major reason behind the downward facing tailpipes in diesel cars is that the soot particles leaving the exhaust do not fly straight towards the cars/people behind"

I don't commute any more and the bike is used on a dedicated cycle path now and I haven't had the problem.

magicbastarder

by the same token, the roads in the busiest bus lanes were probably also very slick?

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162525#Comment_120162525

Yes of course, but unlike a car or motorbike I never went fast enough to rid the tyres of the grease & they remained buttery on regular roads.

I'm like a conspiracy theorist on this one!! 🤓 I 100% believe my tyres were contaminated, washing them improved the situation.

Edit... Bike is a Cannondale Bad Boy with Schwalbe slick tyres.

How Soon Is Now

I never taught of contamination but could be something to it alright. Some roads especially where there's heavy vehicles always seem to have that shine to them. For example coming through Citywest campus there Wednesday night where I usually fly through there was like this trail the whole way up the side the road as if a slug had been there before me haha. It just didn't feel right and at that stage was the last straw in a somewhat messy trip home!

My tyres have been in bits last week or two especially. The amount of crap on the bike in general is ridiculous considering not going off road.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162307#Comment_120162307

How would I know if this was the case? Like surely it would of been mentioned to me when the bike was serviced near the end of last year.

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162411#Comment_120162411

I always feel it's worse when going over un even surfaces and those man hole cover kinda things u get all over the cycle lanes. As soon as the bike feels that bit less in control it plays on your mind the remainder of the trip.

I've gotten to hate crossing over Luas lines for example I get off and walk where I can because i went flying across a very busy one at the Four Courts one morning ended up nearly taking the chain off the bike! There was a hole in my jacket and my top under it as well as my arm being very badly cut. Was very lucky that I jumped right back up and got onto the path as there was a Luas not far behind!

Everytime I see people cycling up and down tram lines I just don't understand it! I wasn't even directly cycling on one I was crossing the track on a road.

68 lost souls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162659#Comment_120162659

With the wheel off the ground look at the gap between the break block and the rim slowly turn the wheel to see if the gap changes

magicbastarder

ping each of the spokes as well, to make sure none are loose.

How Soon Is Now

So day two of lower tire pressure so far so good! There seems to be less dirt on the road this week so far as well win win!

JMcL

I'm my experience tyre choice and pressure are key. I was running gp 4 seasons 25mm at about 85-90psi (I'm around 90kg) and would get a small amount of spin. I then tried running Hutchison Fusion as I acquired a pair for free to try them out. Same pressure, width etc, and they were dreadful. I've since moved onto Vittoria Rubino tubeless 28mm running them around 75-80psi and I don't think I've had one but if wheel spin other than an icy day a few weeks ago

magicbastarder

interesting, in that hutchinson fusion are what i've been running for years and am happy with them.

G1032

Interesting thread

So any of you use tire pressure calculators to give a ball park recommended pressure?

I was on those Rubino 28mm for a long while, running at about 70 and 75 psi (weight is about 73kg)

But as it happens I have 2 x sets of 23mm that I'm not going to let go to waste. Old habits die hard and I'm pumping them up to 100psi and 110psi. I can't bring myself to try a 23mm at 90psi.

What would be a reasonable pressure for a 23mm @73kg + bike weight of probably 10.5+kg (when 2 x full 750ml bidons in the cages)

68 lost souls

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120185726#Comment_120185726

https://silca.cc/pages/sppc-form

91.5 on the back and 89 on the front making some assumptions for you. The measured width can vary from stated depending also on rim width.

G1032

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120190819#Comment_120190819

Thanks! I had a Mavic app on my phone that used to calculate pressure estimates but it no longer works.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120184192#Comment_120184192

I definitely found them a bit sketchy coming from 4 Seasons - worst when getting out of the saddle on steep gradients where the road was wet. In a completely non-scientific like for like in terms of grip I'd have the Rubinos (I had 25mm with tubes on for a while before getting the 28s), GP 4S, and the Fusions. I'm not saying they're a bad tyre. I ran them probably for the best part of a year, and if I knew nothing else, I'd be perfectly happy with them - certainly in the dry

G1032

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120190819#Comment_120190819

Interesting. I have found the 23mm Rubinos I have installed to be comfortable enough, certainly more comfortable than I remember a 23mm or I expected it to be. I just measured their width there when pumped to 95psi and they're both measuring 25mm!!