Twitchy steering..?

So, ive had a good read up on this post...

http://www.lfgss.com/thread19152.html

But comparing the angles mentioned, my seat already seems to be placed quite far back and my stem is much longer already.

I rode a mates bike today, he had bull horn bars on so the riding position is much more upright, the ride felt much more stable and easier to corner. He also has 28mm tyres.

My bike as you can see has 23mm tyres and nitto drops, which are not as wide as his drop bars.

Would it be the drop bars which are creating the problem, making the bike feel much less stable? Or maybe the do

Thanks!

The rake of the fork looks on the large side so trail could be very low but other than that I can't see why anything else would make it twitchy unless you have a faulty headset or something as twitchy can mean different things?
Unless you are just not used to this sort of bike? Get someone else to ride it and see if they feel it is twitchy or normal.

It's an old road frame. It's not gonna be twitchy.

You could have a notched headset. You might have a bent frame/fork. You could just be new to it and wobbly.

Are you actually riding in the drops?

Are you light? Those deep section rims in a gust can move bikes around.

I would check the headset aswell.

Everything is new, checked and double checked...

When I say twitchy I mean the steering seems very light and unstable compared to my mates bike, he thinks the same.

Its ridable, dont get me wrong, but Im wondering if a different bar would change things?

The frame and fork is solid, its not a problem with that or the headset, its more of a geometry problem.

And yes, I'm fairly light, well... 11st...

twitchy is good, sharper turns and all that, i prefer it to be honest.

I reckon the bike is fine... are you sure you aren't the one with a twitch? :)

Maybe your saddle is set back more than on your friends bike so there is less weight on the bars making it feel easier to turn.

Maybe its a natural thing then...!?

My main concern is at high speed, moving from the drops up to the top of the bar can be a bit hairy, last thing I wanna do is come off!

Can you ride your bike no-hands? Your mate's?

Actually, no, gave it a quick go and quickly put my hands back on the bars... I may be able to if I tried hard but it should be much easier...

I can any other road bike...

Does it steer to one side? Does it judder? Did you wee a little when you let go? Are you in London.. I'll test ride it for you.

It steers to either side, not one in particular.

Doesnt judder.

Yes, I wee'd a bit.

Not in London at the moment, however, I was today...

The steering just seems really light, almost too light, I wonder if im too far back on the seat?

Have you used drops before? what's it like riding on the top of the bars, maybe you just need to get used to it as everything else seems ok. Have you tried it with a different wheel (not a deep dish).

If everything is working ok and it feels like it could be that you just have odd weight distribution. More weight on your backside and less on your arms. A side-on pic whilst on the bike might be useful. But your mate reckons it's light too? Sure the headset is kosher?

Your bicycle has Parkinsons.

:)

Yes ive riden drops before, my other bike has drops.

Headset is brand new, and seems fine...

Maybe I just need to get used to it!

Parky is a legend!

Headset could be over-tightened - if the bike tends to wander when you try to ride hands off that could be symptomatic of the steering not finding centre easily. Should be just tight enough to have no play but no tighter, you can pre-load a good ball race with a severe load (tons!) and it will still turn, that's its purpose but not how it should be set. Check it, if you're not sure loosen it until there is noticeable play then tighten a nats. Changing bars other than to risers isn't going to make a heap of difference.

I still think it looks like it has very low trail which would give it a different feel to most bikes.

Looks similar to this. Have you measured the rake of the fork as it looks large.

I haven't measured it, no. But I cam see what you mean, my hands would be well behind the center of the wheel. It is a 70s frame?

Both my old Raleigh frames have Super free feeling headsets compared to the Trek and Peugoet road bikes I've also road. I greased both them up properly and replaced the bearings (soley because they were old, not because they felt too free or loose) and it half sorted it. Pretty sure it's a headset issue (or not an issue? I like a free-er feeling when steering). Either way just make sure you've enough grease and the headsets properly tightened.

Its a brand new Tange headset which has been fully greased and checked.

I like it feeling free, i just dont like the less control i seem to have at high speed!

Would wider drop bars improve things?. URs look narrow. I use 44cm wide bars.

i concur
those drops look awfully narrow