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Crooked handlebars. What do you do?



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 11th 18, 10:04 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Posts: 10,538
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

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
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  #2  
Old June 11th 18, 10:16 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
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Posts: 1,035
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

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.


Should it really be so tight that one cannot
simply hold the wheel with one's legs/knees and
push it straight with both hands in
one direction?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
  #3  
Old June 11th 18, 10:22 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Hank
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Posts: 887
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

On Monday, June 11, 2018 at 2:16:44 PM UTC-7, Emanuel Berg wrote:
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.


Should it really be so tight that one cannot
simply hold the wheel with one's legs/knees and
push it straight with both hands in
one direction?

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573


Yes, yes it really should.
  #4  
Old June 11th 18, 10:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Emanuel Berg[_2_]
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Posts: 1,035
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

Hank wrote:

Should it really be so tight that one cannot
simply hold the wheel with one's legs/knees
and push it straight with both hands in
one direction?


Yes, yes it really should.


If so this is an epidemic problem which a huge
proportion of people have with their bikes.
Too loose.

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573
  #5  
Old June 11th 18, 10:54 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

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.
  #6  
Old June 12th 18, 02:58 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_4_]
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Posts: 10,538
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

On 6/11/2018 5:54 PM, jbeattie wrote:
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


No trick question. The straightedge trick is what I needed. I tried it
just now on the bike I'd recently eyeballed, then re-eyeballed when it
turned out a bit crooked. The straightedge said it was still off a bit.

I can't ride for a few days. I look forward to the road test.


--
- Frank Krygowski
  #7  
Old June 12th 18, 05:32 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Jeff Liebermann
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Posts: 4,018
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

On Mon, 11 Jun 2018 17:04:42 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

So, any particular tips?


Geometry. Take a length of string and tie it symmetrically to both
ends of the handle bars. Find the midpoint of the string. Drop the
marked midpoint onto the front tire and center the handlebars. It
helps to lock the front brakes. Besides accuracy, this has the
advantage of somewhat holding the handlebars in place until you're
done tightening the nut. Patent pending.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D
http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
  #8  
Old June 15th 18, 06:04 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 2,041
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

On Monday, June 11, 2018 at 4:04:46 PM UTC-5, 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


I just go for a test ride up and down the street, few hundred yards each way. Carry an Allen wrench. When you get back to the driveway, turn the bars. Repeat the test rides until you get back to the driveway and don't want to change the angle. I doubt I can patent this ingenious method. I use the same method for saddle height and handlebar angle in the stem. Test and trial. After you eyeball it pretty close to start with.
  #10  
Old June 15th 18, 07:23 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Posts: 7,511
Default Crooked handlebars. What do you do?

On Friday, June 15, 2018 at 1:04:14 PM UTC-4, wrote:

I just go for a test ride up and down the street, few hundred yards each way. Carry an Allen wrench. When you get back to the driveway, turn the bars. Repeat the test rides until you get back to the driveway and don't want to change the angle. I doubt I can patent this ingenious method. I use the same method for saddle height and handlebar angle in the stem. Test and trial. After you eyeball it pretty close to start with.


Yes, that's what I've always done. I decided it was a bit of PITA.

I like the straightedge on the fork trick. It's easy and saves that bit of
trial and error.

- Frank Krygowski
 




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