On Monday, June 11, 2018 at 2:04:46 PM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
One minor annoyance I have with bike work is, when re-tightening a stem,
getting the handlebars adequately straight. I eyeball carefully, but
often find when riding that they're a couple degrees crooked.

I suppose the task is more difficult on most of my bikes, which have
fenders and handlebar bags. It's hard to sight exactly where the wheel
is. And I find it harder with classic stems than threadless setups,
since the stem height wants to change as I adjust.

So, any particular tips?

--
- Frank Krygowski

Stop drinking.

Is this a trick question? The only thing fancier than just eye-balling is the straight-edge approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HR4w-TAL-w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcLcFRQvf-k

Don't over-loosen the quill so it drops.


In your retirement, you should develop a laser tool for stem-centering/bar straightening -- convince people that it will make all the difference in the world if their bars are exactly 90 degrees to the front wheel, plus or minus one-billionth of a degree. It will become the new must-have tool for bike fitters. You can also make some laser butt calipers, too, for the saddle-width fanatics. "I think I have one cheek bigger than the other, what can I do?" You can have these ideas. Thank me later, when the checks start rolling in.

Also, get a heart rate monitor, power meter, GPS device that measures absolutely everything. Then work with your laser tool to find the exact angle of your bars that maximizes your power and speed. You may find that a right deviation of .0000002 degree maximizes your power, unless your right handed, then I'd go the other way. Do hill repeats until you find the sweet spot. Also, carefully measure your tire width and drive a nail into the center so you have a good landmark for your laser.

-- Jay Beattie.










-- Jay Beattie.