Hi, CT!
I have 2 problems that I want to address with the steering stabilizer.
1. When parked, if I use my click-stand, even usen the "hand-brakes" that I already have, the bicycle tends to fall because the front wheel turn itself.
It is possible the steering stabilizer will help here, but no guarantees if the bike is *really* heavy. Our own JimK sometimes has used a nylon webbing strap through his front wheel and around the downtube to prevent the wheel from turning to the side or moving much if any fore-aft. Fixing the front wheel with a strap like this turns the bike into a single, fairly rigid panel. Here's a fancier leather version:
http://www.ecovelo.info/2010/06/09/homegrown-cargo-rack-stabilizer/The Hebie steering stabilizer helps damp movement, but doesn't eliminate it completely -- the wheel/fork can still turn a bit side-to-side and is still free to roll. Hebie stabilizers seem most effective when dealing with a bicycle standing on a two-leg kickstand, where a heavier rear load elevates the front wheel, increasing the chance it will flop side to side. From the ones I saw while in Austria, it can work well for these purposes if the bike is parked on ground that is fairly level left-to-right and the front load is not excessive. When stopped with the bike leaning to one side or astride it, the wheel can still turn a bit, causing the bike to arc to one side or another. The arc is less severe, but still there to a degree. Cranking the stabilizer tension down helps, but can cause the anchor bracket to rotate at each end, damaging paint or bracket (and potentially, the frame tubing in the unbutted sections where most stabilizer clamps are attached.
If you want to try the Hebie concept more cheaply, then M-wave offer a design often seen (and made available) by makers of cargo bikes:
http://www.amazon.com/M-Wave-Bicycle-Steering-Damper-Black/dp/B007Y5GULW If you read the reviews carefully, you'll see the effectiveness of the spring-type stabilizers depends greatly on the crown mount and the length of the mounting bracket there. You can see the Yuba Mundo version intended for their bikes with a build-in anchoring point:
http://www.calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=3292 Note the seller's caution that handling while riding won't be affected appreciably unless it is set really tight (and that can have other consequences). VeloOrange offer a version as well:
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/vo-wheel-stabilizer.htmlPlease note Hebie make two versions...and for different-sized downtube diameters. The first version uses a plate that attaches to the rear of the fork crown using a bracket. The second version is intended for suspension and similar forks that may not have a through-hole. This first version will require fabricating a custom bracket to fit to Thorn's two-bolt mudguard mounting plate, brazed into the bottom of the steerer. The second version won't fit because of that same plate blocking access to the bottom of the steerer.
I think I'd check to make sure your front brake pads are set close to the rim so the "hand-brakes" you already have will be most effective. If the wheel itself cannot spin, then the bike is less likely to fall as a result of the fork turning.
There is another option, but I can see a number of potential problems with it:
http://www.toynbee.co/spokebug.html2. When cycling slow, mostly up-hill, it is really hard to keep the bike straight. I am carrying a lot of weight, and a lot of it in the front, which make it harder. But I think with a steering stabilizer this problem could be addressed.
I could of course be wrong, but I don't think the steering stabilizer of Hebie's design will help so much here. I think the solution is to place less weight on the front...and/or go with more leverage in the form of a longer moment arm between your hands and the steering axis. You can accomplish this with wider handlebars, a longer stem, or both. On my Nomad, I am running 44cm compact drop handlebars and a 60mm stem extension. GThe distance or moment arm from the "hand pocket" on each brake hood to the steering axis is about 300mm on each side. I find this gives me plenty of leverage even with loaded front panniers and a handlebar bag.
I've found my two Thorn bicycles (my former Sherpa Mk2 and present Nomad Mk2) handle better with more weight at the rear; I found the same with the RavenTour loaned me by AndyBG for my big tour last summer. Thorn touring bikes have relatively high trail, at least compared to the low-trail designs of the great French constructuers and their imitators today. Higher-trail bikes handle better with more weight at the rear; low-trail bikes do much better with (relatively and absolutely) more weight at the front. Bikes with higher trail geometry tend to give lively handling at slower speeds that becomes progressively more stable with speed.
Where you're riding a Thorn tourer, then Andy Blance's fork-loading recommendations in the relevant brochure will ensure the best handling possible. This link details where AndyB feels weight should be placed:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4515.0While I wish it would make a big difference, your second concern is even more difficult for a stabilizer to address than the first. it would have to be really, really tight to overcome the torque placed on it while riding with a heavily laden front end...and that can cause other problems. If you try it and it works, please let us know, as I'm keen to see what effect it might have. Meanwhile, this user review may prove helpful:
http://cyclingabout.com/review-hebie-695-steering-stabiliser/ More discussion here:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=54112 Some of the people here relate experiences that make it sound like the ideal solution to your problem. I expect in the end it might be a YMMV issue:
http://www.bigboxbikes.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=755As an aside, bicycle steering stabilizers are much different from the steering dampers used on motorcycles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_damper Those use friction or hydraulic damping instead of the increasing tension from a (metal or elastomer) spring. If you had a sturdy triple-tree as on a motorcycle and more substantial frame tubes, then a cheap aftermarket motorcycle damper might fill the bill, but I'd be very leery of attaching it to a conventional fork blade and downtube.
Have you seen the Hopey dampers intended for downhill MTBs? I think something like that *might* come closer to addressing your second concern, experienced while riding. See:
http://www.hopey.org/ Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIOX5xmKBkg They are not inexpensive at $220.
A final note: Remember, at low speeds, steering input is greater than at high speeds, where the bike is turned largely by leaning. Restricting free movement of the steering too much could make low-speed handling ehm, "difficult", resulting in a fall. There can be too much of a good thing, including steering stabilization. Believe it or not, feathering the front brake occasionally while riding uphill at slow speeds can do wonders to aid steering stability, and might be worth a try.
Best,
Dan. (...who is usually pretty stable)
