# Riding in a straight line



## screamtone (Apr 17, 2006)

After a VERY long absence, I've started riding again. After a little over two months, I'm doing around 70 miles a week. My problem is that I just can't ride a perfectly straight line. It seems that every time I move my head, take a deep breath, etc., my bike moves offline a little. Nothing too serious, but I'd really like to improve my steadiness. I've got an older bike with downtube shifters, so that doesn't help the matter at all. The first things that come to mind are I'm using the wrong gear and/or I need more upper body strength. I usually opt for smaller gears with a pretty quick cadence. How can I improve this situation? Do I just need to put in more miles? Thanks for your help.


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## revmonkey (Apr 16, 2006)

the same happens for mountain bikes... ever try to ride your bike on a curb? not as easy as it seems... i have a LOT of respect for trials riders like ryan leech who can ride their bike on a guardrail...

I think it's easier to maintain a straight line at a higher speed... maybe that has something to do with it? every weight shift would change the course of the bike... at least how it is with mtn. bikes.


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

It is a natural reflex, built into our bodies and those of most predators going back millions of years, that our bodies tend to follow our heads (ever watch a cat like a cheetah or lion chasing an antelope in slomotion on tv?). So if you turn your head your hands and shoulders will naturally tend to follow in the same direction, unless you are able to train yourself to not do it or compensate for the tendency by over compensating in the opposite direction. Takes a lot of time and practice. Definitely earier at higher speeds becasue the rotatinal inertia of your wheels and directional inertia of your straight line momentum will tend to keep you on track. Other things to try would be, instead of looking over your shoulder to see what's behind you, look under your armpit to do the same thing---works great if you only want to know what is right behind you, not something farther back, but great in a paceline to keep those trailing you in sight to make sure you are not dropping anybody.

But it takes a lot of practice and saddle time with some speed to get good at it.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Practice a lot. Pick a road with little traffic. Practice turning around to look behind you. Do it slow and be aware of how the bike is moving. You may have to compensate by stearing the bike the opposite direction a little, when you turn.


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## I am The Edge (Jul 27, 2004)

work those ab muscles to increase your your core strength. you'll be able to hold the bike on line with ease.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Just practice, you'll get better.

My big tip: *relax your arms.* (in an open, no traffic area) practice taking your hands just slightly off the bars, but keep pedalling, then gently return them to the bars. If you're not powering up a climb or something, your hands should just be holding the bars enough to keep things straight if you hit a pothole or something. Oh, but do keep your thumbs looped around the bars in case you DO hit something suddenly.

In general, so long as you're not bouncing, a highish cadence keeps you in a straight line better than a slow grind.

You will of course want to check your bike fit, if your saddle is too low you'll be kicking yourself up a bit and having your knees splayed, too high and you'll be "reaching with the hips" for the pedals.


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## OneGear (Aug 19, 2005)

I've struggled with this too, you should look further ahead when riding, just like when you're driving, that will help ur arms to not adjust so much. i also think it's easier when going faster probably because you are less likely to make as many unnecessary adjustments when going at high speeds, since they will lead to large changes.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Relax your upper body and look farther ahead.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*Two good ideas that worked for me....*

Both of these have been mentioned, but I have recent, firsthand experience that they work.
I've ridden mostly by myself for years, because my cycling friends are on different schedules and I like the solitude anyway. This year we've made an effort to get together a couple of times a week and practice pacelines and drafting (we're all past 50 and need all the help we can get). We're about equal strength, but they were way ahead of me in the group stuff.
The most experienced guy, an ex-Cat I racer, said to focus on something down the road and ride toward that, rather than looking eight inches ahead of the bike. In a fast paceline, I might be looking a couple of hundred yards ahead (you have to keep track of the other bikes in your peripheral vision, of course--don't tunnel in on a tree on the horizon).
The second thing is practice, practice, practice. I'm still trying not to veer into the middle of the road when I look back, but it's getting better (though I bought a mirror and rely on that now). And it helps if you trust the other riders to go straight themselves. The whole thing falls apart if everybody's wobbling three feet out of line all the time.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

ericm979 said:


> Relax your upper body and look farther ahead.


In a nutshell, this is excellent advice. Riding rollers will also help a lot.


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## jlfbogey (Aug 18, 2004)

One thing that has worked for me: if I have to make a nearly full turn of my head so that I can reall look behind me fully and for more than just a quick glance, I look over my left shoulder and remove my left hand from the bars, which helps me get a more full shoulder and body turn, without pulling back on the left side of the bars and altering my in line track ahead. Probably shouldn't do this in a tight pack, but otherwise it really works great for me.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Check wheel tracking.*

Argentius touched on fit, but nobody has mentioned possible problems with the bike itself.

Does the bike by itself maintain a steady line if you take your hands off the bars and sit up on the saddle? If it does, you might have too much upper body weight forward over the front wheel, which would make for sqirrelling handling.

If the bike still won't track straight when coasting with hands off the bars, it could have a headset adjusted too tight--it won't instantly respond to minute changes in rider balance--or the rear wheel might not be tracking in the same line as the front wheel. Frame misalignment might be a cause, or the rear wheel may be out of dish, or not centered between the dropouts.

Above 6 or 8 mph the gyroscopic effect of the two rolling wheels makes the bike inherently stable--if they're both rolling in the same plane. You can take a straight edge or string and hold it alongside both rims to see if they're in alignment. The straight edge should touch each rim in two places. If they aren't there's no way you'll be able to maintain a straight line simply by balancing. If they are, you can take your hands off the handlebars and the bike will go straight, even as you turn the crank and sway the bike side to side somewhat.

With clipless or toeclips, a good way to learn how to hold a line and also develope a smooth pedal stroke is by putting both arms behind your back and pedaling up a slight rise. Any variation in pressure will make the bike go off center.


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## Chris Oz (Oct 8, 2005)

Fredrico said:


> Argentius touched on fit, but nobody has mentioned possible problems with the bike itself.
> 
> Above 6 or 8 mph the gyroscopic effect of the two rolling wheels makes the bike inherently stable--if they're both rolling in the same plane. .


Interesting gyroscopic effect is no the dominant stability mechanism in bikes, ie it is not particularly important. Bikes actually self stabilise because of their searing geometry (the centre of mass actually raises when the bike turns). It is discussed here in all its gory detail. More interestingly you actually counter-stear when turning. Follow the link to fine out more, it could improve your riding.


fixed a typo


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## dekindy (Jul 7, 2006)

*Get handlebar shifting*

I just got a new bike this week. Down tube shifting is ancient technology. My groupo was a Shimano 600 in great condition, but it does not compare with the luxury of shifting on the handlebars. Everything is better including stability if you can maintain an upright position.

Don't rule out mechanical problems or bent frame, rim, etc. My wife's headset wore out on her bike and she had difficulty riding straight until we diagnosed it. Let somebody else ride it and get their opinion or take it to a bike shop and see if they can give you a quick diagnosis.

Be careful if you try rollers. You can really hurt yourself. I would not recommend it myself unless you are really serious about developing that high a skill level handling a bicycle.

Are you fidgeting a lot on the bicycle. Maybe a professional fitting will help you maintain a relaxed position.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Maybe I've overestimated these forces, but:*



Chris Oz said:


> Interesting gyroscopic effect is no the dominant stability mechanism in bikes, ie it is not particularly important. Bikes actually self stabilise because of their searing geometry (the centre of mass actually raises when the bike turns). It is discussed here in all its gory detail. More interestingly you actually counter-stear when turning. Follow the link to fine out more, it could improve your riding.


The paper deals with changing direction in steering, what happens when the rider leans into a turn. It doesn't deal with maintaining a straight line, other than say the rider has to shift his weight in subtle movements side to side to keep from leaning into a turn. It gives credit to gyroscopic forces of the spinning front wheel in recovering balance in a turn, but says trail is the main factor controlling directional stability.

It doesn't deal with the gyroscopic force generated by the rear wheel, nor how this force may enhance or destroy directional stability. I can assert, by empirical evidence, that aligning the front and rear wheels will make the bike track in a straight line in a persistent manner, even if the rider takes his hands off the bars and steers the bike entirley by shifting his body weight. If gyroscopic forces of the spinning wheels do in fact help in recovering balance once a turn is initiated, why wouldn't these forces act the same way maintaining a straight line?

I can't accept that descending Mt. Wilson out near LA was remarkably stable entirely by my forward momentum, with little contributed by the two wheels in perfect alignment spinning around at 47 mph. 

I also know from empirical observation, that if the rear wheel is not rolling in the same plane as the front, as when it'is out of dish or not centered in the dropouts, the bikes I've ridden wouldn't maintain a straight line if I took my hands off the handlebars. That's why wheel misalignment could be the cause of screamtone's difficulty maintaining a straight line, and should be the first thing checked, before moving onto other causes.


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## tubafreak (Apr 24, 2006)

Rollers helped me more than anything. Yes it will be hard the first couple of times, and yes, you probably will fall, but when you get it you'll be a much smoother rider and holding a line should be no problem.


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