Speed Wobble Question

[Look no Skywater]

I've been nervous few times but that is all. On some of those occasions I braked because I felt the amplitude of the wobble increase to very uncomfortsable proportions and the downhill was by no means over. Each time I was 2ishmm of rear rocker as well as 2-3mm of toe. Toe rocker doesn't normally affect me for wobble but when combined with heel rocker my skates can go all over the place.

By the way I don't care about a no answer before anyone asks.

[blob]

My worse time ever was while scitching a bus from Trafalgar square to Marble Arch. It was so fast that I could stop wobbeling. I had to skate on one foot but then the cramps were unbairable!

Greatest time ever!!!
I was the first in the Vic tho!

[Freeman]

ive had speed wobble many many times, but i dont think i have ever stacked because of it. though it does give one amazing adrenaline buzz!!

[gumbzilla]

Yes, the adrenaline of fear as your feet refuse to behave! I've had to hop a bit, but always chicken out and slow down if it gets too wobbly.

(edit) Most recently last night when I tried out a pair of Bauer Tuuk Rocker hockey skates. Very fast for rockered skates, but when the wobbles hit, look out! Not as solid as fixed rockered skates.

[Naomi]

could you add a 'no' option please.

Ive got it a lot, because of rockered skates, but usually I let go of the car, or shift wieght onto the other foot.

most serious its ever been was in manchester on upper brook street at 40mph. I was too scared to let go of the car, and so had to ride one footed on the one that wasnt wobbling.

[JohnB]

Rick, how fast are you going when the wobble starts to kick in? I get it very occaisionally when going over about 20-25mph, but I think it's only caused me to bail/stack once. My skates are fairly heavily rockered. Has it got much to do with actual wheel size?

[Look no Skywater]

Depends on the rocker. I don't like to estimate my speed as when the adrenaline bites or even before, everyone thinks they are going much faster than they really are. In reality I doubt anyone reaches 30mph down Pentonville Rise, but everyone thinks they are doing more than 40. Unless you were clocked, with a heavily rockered setup, you were probably doing somewhere between 15 & 20mph before the wobble set in.

I have GPS clocked myself rock steady over speed bumps at a whisker over 43kph with a flat setup but rocker my back wheels and I don't need to go anywhere near that fast to get unstable. I have had the wobbles down there twice, but only when my rears were rockered. Even worse than the speed wobble I got down the hill at Le Mans when I skated down there with a rockered setup. Le Mans was uncomfortable but on the street was just stupid especially without any armour. I'd say it is possible to get the wobbles at 12mph with an extreme setup but any normal setup probably won't be affected.

Would wheel size make a difference? Not sure except that bigger wheels go a bit faster so you are more likely to get it with big wheels in the same rocker profile. Wheelbase too.

If anyone is interested, the cure for speed wobble, if you don't want to slow down, is to stop gliding, i.e. start striding. Yes, trying to push yourself to go faster will make the problem go away as it changes the dynamic of the skate. However, if you get that extra speed and start to glide again you may well be doomed to a dose of road rash or worse.

[Mickey2Names]

If you've the time to download and watch a bunch of videos, check out the men's ultimate inline downhill clips - there's some discussion of speed wobble. IIRC some were clocked at over 60mph.

http://www.nettracing.com/video.htm

As for me I'm too chicken - I tend to stand up to keep my speed down, but wobble isn't just equipment related, it's also technique.

[Mentally Dull]

I find it can be very dangerous when you change your stance due to speed wobble, regardless if that's for brakeing or striding (and yes, both help) - key rule for me is not to go half-heartedly, either you do it or don't, there's not trying (as Yoda says )

[Jex]

Its funny, I've only noticed speed wobble on my xmax since this topic was made. Never get any wobble with my mods, never stack on them either.

[gumbzilla]

If anyone is interested, the cure for speed wobble, if you don't want to slow down, is to stop gliding, i.e. start striding.

That might explain why just hopping from foot to foot seems to help - I don't push, so its not really striding, but it isn't just straight gliding either.

I can get the wobbles gliding on rockered hockey skates at something a little under 14 mph. I can't imagine gliding at 30 mph on rockered skates.

[PeterC]

Never had it on FSKs till I tried Scoobs 76^76v 80 76 setup, they I had it a normal tarting speeds. Setup lasted about 5 mins before I changed it back.

But I don't go that fast and almost never skitch.

[BigSteev]

Don't recall stacking from it on inlines but definitely experienced it. Warm up lap at Le Mans on the hill with the 247 chassis and rockered set up. Went straight to the 320mm chassis for the event.
However, I have stacked/bailed a bunch of times on my board with at least a couple of resultant hospital trips.

[gumbzilla]

Warm up lap at Le Mans on the hill with the 247 chassis and rockered set up. Went straight to the 320mm chassis for the event.

Isn't that a totally weird feeling going from rockered to flat skates? I did that yesterday and almost went over backwards because I expected to land on the raised rear wheel that wasn't there, then I couldn't seem to get my feet to change direction. Like skating with logs on my feet for the first minute or so.

[Jex]

yeah, but then you get that lovely zippy manouverable feeling when you go back to rockerd again

[mattsplatt]

Only experienced pretty minor wobbles before. I used to skate flat, but now i've gone rockered I'm still getting used to it, so don't seem to be able to get fast enough.

Had a similar feeling on a snowboard though. I'm only a beginner but like to push myself. That feeling when you straightline over slight bumps, and know that there's nothing you can do but wait for the ground to level before you slow down is scary. But as soon as it's over, and you've managed to keep your face out the snow, the adrenaline buzz is the best feeling in the world..

I digress Back to the real world.