The first time it happened I was coming down a hill in the upper 40mph range on a 6/4 TI Litespeed Vortex with old 404 Zipps. This was many years ago. I was able to get it under control quickly and it wasn't really a big deal. The bike was kind of a noodle, especially the fork, and I sold it not long after that.
Yesterday on my new System Six it happened again, at about 47 mph. It was a straight shot downhill, and it was windy but not terribly so. There were some cars passing me at the time so they could have contributed. It was downright scary, way worse than what happened on the Litespeed. I really thought I was hitting the deck at 40 plus mph and mentally prepared myself for how bad it was gonna suck. This bike is not a noodle like the Litespeed, it is the stiffest bike I have ever ridden.
I also own a Ridley Noah with a 45 mm front wheel and 66 rear, not as deep as the front wheel on the System Six. I have never had any issue with speed wobble and I have ridden it on much windier days over the last several years, and hit mid 50s speed wise. My HiMod Synapse never had an issue either, but that only has 30 mm wheels on it.
Anyone with any knowledge of this please chime in. Is it a bike specific issue? Set up issue? Could it just have been the perfect storm of crosswind etc? I am a very experienced rider and raced Cat1 mtb for years, I know how to descend and handle a bike so it's not me. It took everything I had to get the bike back under control, I won't be riding it on windy days anymore LOL
Yesterday on my new System Six it happened again, at about 47 mph. It was a straight shot downhill, and it was windy but not terribly so. There were some cars passing me at the time so they could have contributed. It was downright scary, way worse than what happened on the Litespeed. I really thought I was hitting the deck at 40 plus mph and mentally prepared myself for how bad it was gonna suck. This bike is not a noodle like the Litespeed, it is the stiffest bike I have ever ridden.
I also own a Ridley Noah with a 45 mm front wheel and 66 rear, not as deep as the front wheel on the System Six. I have never had any issue with speed wobble and I have ridden it on much windier days over the last several years, and hit mid 50s speed wise. My HiMod Synapse never had an issue either, but that only has 30 mm wheels on it.
Anyone with any knowledge of this please chime in. Is it a bike specific issue? Set up issue? Could it just have been the perfect storm of crosswind etc? I am a very experienced rider and raced Cat1 mtb for years, I know how to descend and handle a bike so it's not me. It took everything I had to get the bike back under control, I won't be riding it on windy days anymore LOL