Measuring the Mechanical Properties of Bicycle Tyres to Help Predict and Minimize Wobble for Enhanced Safety

Wobble, also known as speed wobble or shimmy, and the hazard it can cause to cyclists, is a well-known behavior of some bicycles. lt is a relatively high-frequency oscillation, 4-10 Hz. of the front fork and wheel assembly about the steering axis, and it can result in loss of control if left unaddressed. The importance of tyre mechanical...

Experimental investigation into the shimmy motion of the bicycle for improving model-based shimmy estimations

Shimmy, or wobble, denotes the unstable self-excited oscillatory motion of the wheel around the steering axis and can be found in vehicles with castor wheels. For bicycles this oscillatory motion is normally in the range between 5 - 13 Hz. Shimmy could be frightening, dangerous and even fatal if not controlled in time. The introduction of...