Steering and Saddle alignment tricks

[Martin318is]

I am terrible at levelling or aligning things by sight which in my track racing days was a nightmare because I would always have to get someone else to line up my bars when swapping them for different events etc. Whenever I do it myself I invariably end up feeling that its out of alignment.

Does anyone have any tips for lining up your bars with your fork, or getting your saddle dead straight?

For instance: On the track bike when putting the drop bars back on, I found that removing the front wheel and pushing the bike against a wall so that both fork ends and both sides of the bar touched the wall at the same time worked every time.

 

[ElChingon]

Measure, measure and measure, a level sort of helps but it still depends on the contour of the saddle so basically measurements is the key. Has yet to fail me.

Oh, and write it down! (somewhere you'll find it again)

BEFORE YOU TAKE ANYTHING OFF MEASURE or should be the key in this.

 

[Martin318is]

LOL definitely back the write it down idea!

Actually my postition measurements are well defined and easy to set up. My problem is with getting the nose of the saddle perfectly in line with the frame and not pointing to one side - and getting the stem perfectly in line with the front wheel.

I tend to end up slightly off to one side and feeling like steering is out of alignment.

 

[ElChingon]

Have to admit once I went with an ISP frame, that disappeared

But on the non ISP frame, I end up cussing and taping right and then taping left the nose till I think its perfect, usually requires on decent ride to make sure. I guess if you could place an equidistant measurement between the rails and tie a sting to it, it might help (why didn't I do this last time I had to do this, dugh!). Figure some kind of stick between the rails the stick out in the front of the seat post clamp.

Oh yea, string out to the headset hole.

 

[Martin318is]

Oh yea, string out to the headset hole.

Not bad - I'll have to try that one.

Any thoughts on the bars? When I have gotten it right on a bike I mark the rear of the stem and rear of the steerer and just remove the headset cap, line up the marks and put the cap back on. But getting it right that first time?

 

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Remind me never to get you to hang the pictures on my wall!

 

[ElChingon]

Not bad - I'll have to try that one.

Any thoughts on the bars? When I have gotten it right on a bike I mark the rear of the stem and rear of the steerer and just remove the headset cap, line up the marks and put the cap back on. But getting it right that first time?

For the bars just measure from the end of the bar to the edge of the stem where it clamps on the bar till both sides are equal.

 

[ElChingon]

Remind me never to get you to hang the pictures on my wall!

What! Just use a gun to blast a hole and there's your spot to place the nail, will never fail you.

 

[spindoctor]

Not bad - I'll have to try that one.

Any thoughts on the bars? When I have gotten it right on a bike I mark the rear of the stem and rear of the steerer and just remove the headset cap, line up the marks and put the cap back on. But getting it right that first time?

cant you tell if they are straight by just looking? should have gone to Specsavers?

 

[Marva32]

For the saddle/seat tube, use some sort of permanent marker and draw a straight line along the seat post to the seat tube. That way it will always line up. You probably have a mark on the seat post to be able to always find the correct height.

 

[Boeing]

I am terrible at levelling or aligning things by sight which in my track racing days was a nightmare because I would always have to get someone else to line up my bars when swapping them for different events etc. Whenever I do it myself I invariably end up feeling that its out of alignment.

Does anyone have any tips for lining up your bars with your fork, or getting your saddle dead straight?

For instance: On the track bike when putting the drop bars back on, I found that removing the front wheel and pushing the bike against a wall so that both fork ends and both sides of the bar touched the wall at the same time worked every time.

Yet you don't need a torque wrench?

well remind me never to let you align my calipers and rotors

 

[Martin318is]

Yet you don't need a torque wrench?

well remind me never to let you align my calipers and rotors

when have I ever said that?

actually I am better on brakes because its all up close. I think its a depth perception / dominant eye thing when trying to align a short stem with a tyre that is in the background.

 

[Boeing]

when have I ever said that?

actually I am better on brakes because its all up close. I think its a depth perception / dominant eye thing when trying to align a short stem with a tyre that is in the background.

somehow I confused you with RVD.

is there anything more annoying than looking down at your Garmin only to notice the stem and wheel are out of align?

I have a good eye actually leveling and aligning is about the best thing I can do.

Disc rotors/ calipers are my forte for some reason but I have to get someone else to bleed the lines. it is a curse because buddies want theirs fixed usually mid ride

However I still cant align cross canti's. the equal and opposite rule is a dysfunction in my brain.

 

[Martin318is]

somehow I confused you with RVD.

is there anything more annoying than looking down at your Garmin only to notice the stem and wheel are out of align?

exactly!

My garmin is on the bar instead of the stem and so it is off centre. Looking at it makes the the wheel and steering appear out of alignment when it probably isn't.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Really informative thread saddle alignment is always a problem with me

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

somehow I confused you with RVD.

It's RDV punk!!! How long have you been here? .... and I still don't use a dork wrench on bikes, 25 years never a break or a complaint.

As far as aligning stuff goes I'd hate to see what all the art on the walls in some of your homes look like, all crooked. When you guys drive cars do you also drift into other lanes? Weird.

 

[ustabe]

For the handlebar I hold a straightedge against the leading edge of the fork blades, taking care to keep it level. Align with handlebar and buona sera.

The saddle doesn't give me as much trouble--just align the nose with the top tube while keeping the down tube hidden.

I don't use a torque wrench either, except on Madones with carbon steerers, so as not to void the warranty on the fork.

 

[Martin318is]

For the handlebar I hold a straightedge against the leading edge of the fork blades, taking care to keep it level. Align with handlebar and buona sera.

Nice one. As it happens I came up with something similar overnight. A flat board with a striaght line ruled across it parallel to the edge. Place it in same location that you do and let it rest on the tyre (being careful to keep it level) and line up bars.

The saddle doesn't give me as much trouble--just align the nose with the top tube while keeping the down tube hidden.

I think that doing this was a lot easier prior to the '90s when tubes were thinner - especially in the days of steel frames. Now that top tubes are often so wide it seems harder to be sure you are lined up with dead centre of the tube. Thats why I stand behind and line up with the headset most of the time.

 

[Boeing]

It's RDV punk!!! How long have you been here? .... and I still don't use a dork wrench on bikes, 25 years never a break or a complaint.

As far as aligning stuff goes I'd hate to see what all the art on the walls in some of your homes look like, all crooked. When you guys drive cars do you also drift into other lanes? Weird.

Dude sorry bout that. Freudian slip I dont guess.

I love this big a$$ ratcheting lever dorque wrenches myself. but alas I am a SRAM Fan


My big screen tv and surround system is aligned to perfection

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I took my friend bike for a ride and i guess the saddle alignment wasnt good because...well... lets say, my zero's became comfortably numb after the ride

 

[kuoirad]

It's RDV punk!!!

Quien es mas macho? RDV...

or RVD?

*ducks and covers*

 

[laziali]

I am terrible at levelling or aligning things by sight which in my track racing days was a nightmare because I would always have to get someone else to line up my bars when swapping them for different events etc. Whenever I do it myself I invariably end up feeling that its out of alignment.

Does anyone have any tips for lining up your bars with your fork, or getting your saddle dead straight?

For instance: On the track bike when putting the drop bars back on, I found that removing the front wheel and pushing the bike against a wall so that both fork ends and both sides of the bar touched the wall at the same time worked every time.

Ok, two methods for seat and stem.

1) "The agricultural one". I lie a broomstick along the line of the middle of the saddle, top-tube and stem. Works a treat.

2) "The hi-tech one". I use my laser level (workshop tool) to create the line. Equally effective.