Near death experience - > what road/gravel gearing

[fatbikerbill]

So yesterday I had what can only be described as one of my cat's lives used.

Riding down from the Cat'n'Fiddle on my 16 year old carbon planetX road bike. It suddenly went into violent harmonic shakes. Truly frightening and I struggled to stop. Caused as much by a very strong side wind I think .

Bike appears ok and was fine after I stopped, checked everything.

But I have long considered the next bike, currently looking at a camino, or ribble 725 cgr or gravel.

I really can't decide what gears I'd want. It will get road and gravel duties and will also be used for bike packing. I am no roadie but do do social road rides. I am based and ride in Lancashire and the peaks.

What does the collective here think

[ton]

i am considering one of these. a proper bike from a proper bike shop.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s23p510 ... -Hydraulic

[redefined_cycles]

What about something from these lot Phil. https://fairlightcycles.com/product-category/outlet/

Can be had in 825 tubing also.

[yourguitarhero]

The Mason bikes have had lots of great feedback

[Bearlegged]

I reckon any of the bikes mentioned so far will suit your needs fine. In true "recommend what you already ride" fashion, I'd add a Cotic Escapade to that list.

For gearing, especially if you want it for bikepacking/laden riding, I'd suggest avoiding "road" gearing. Either 1x with an MTB wide-range cassette, or 2x with an MTB or sub-compact crank.
My set up is 40/28 chainrings, with an 11-36 cassette. Top gear will let me pedal along at ~45kph (assuming a nice downhill and a following wind), which is more than adequate for social road rides.

[redefined_cycles]

Oh... and disc brakes are a must!

[thenorthwind]

I've never experienced it badly but the "speed wobbles" are A Thing. The solution, iirc, is to damp the vibration with one leg against the top tube. Not sure a whole new bike is a solution - no guarantee it wouldn't happen with another bike in different conditions, though maybe some frame materials are make it less likely.

[yourguitarhero]

I once had a tankslapper on a GSXR600 at full throttle. Absolutely terrifying!

[ton]

about 15 years ago i purchased one of the first Specialized Tricross bikes, to use as a do it all kind of bike. it came with some rubber/plastic inserts on the forks, which flexed i think, for comfort. it also came with canti brakes, but with no cable hanger.
anyway, without the stuff i know now, me and some pals went on a weeks trip to the Pyrenees, based in Axat near a few of the TDF climbs.
1st day out we rode up a big hill ( Col Du Jou ). took me a couple of hours IIRC. anyway, the lads wanted to make a loop, i was done in, so turned back to retrace my route.
once i started descending and got up to speed, i pulled the brake to slow me a bit, and this sent me into the worst speed wobble i have ever seen. it was proper scary. it was all caused by the judder in the front forks.
i had to ride the route back just using the rear brake or by walking down anything mega steep. the following days were spent on a hired Emelle mtb......

[fatbikerbill]

Thanks all,

Not sure a whole new bike is a solution

Think I am after an excuse for a new bike, and yes, definitely disc brakes.

[thenorthwind]

Think I am after an excuse for a new bike

In which case, crack on

[Lazarus]

It's way more annoying to not have a gear easy enough than it is to spin out at top speed(.as you.will still be going quickly downhill).
Agree with ignoring standard gravel or road gearing ( especially if bikepacking )and being more MTB
I use a 34 /52* with a 42 rear cassette BUT my commute is pancake flat and the other way is hills.

* its a mullet so.11 speed sram and 10 speed mtb mech and you cannot get all gears ( smallest and smallest won't really work)

[frogatthefarriers]

I once had a tankslapper on a GSXR600 at full throttle. Absolutely terrifying!

I had a tank slapper on a 1939 Royal Enfield Flying Flea. It wasn’t terrifying, because it was on a grassy field and I doubt the speed was over 25mph.

[redefined_cycles]

BTW, have you checked for untrue wheels. Your desceiption sounds like a case of wheels that are laterally true but radially not!? Worth a quick check using thw bike frame as your jig and various zip ties scattered around it if you've not got a wheel jig.