Solve my unbalanced bike issue *No Reward*

[Blodwyn Pig]

Presumably if you only bought it in January, it will have a frame warranty?

[sam]

It is possible that the frame is a touch out of track and skewing the wheel in the fork is compensating for it. Does that actually matter if it gives the result you want?

What I meant was, I’d be happier knowing the fork is off rather than the frame, but whichever, I’m happy enough knowing it’s such a simple fix to my little problem. So to answer your question, no, it doesn’t really matter to me.

You can leave the front wheel slightly skewed in the fork without major dramas.

Good to know!

Presumably if you only bought it in January, it will have a frame warranty?

For another 9 1/2 years, but I can’t imagine they’d accept this as a warranty issue, and I wouldn't be interested in pursuing it anyway.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

You could check the frame and fork to see what is out of alignment and by how much. Probably a bit overkill though.
https://velo.outsideonline.com/gear/technical-faq-ensuring-that-your-front-and-rear-wheels-are-parallel/

[sam]

Handy for its pedigree if I ever want to enter it in a bike show.

As I prefer the additive rather than the subtractitive(sp) approach here, any suggestions on how to keep the right side of the axle slightly unseated? Other than the mighty power of my torque on the Q/R. I’ll have my own think about it, but you never know when someone will come up with a great idea long before I get there.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Little bit of hot glue in the curve of the fork dropout?

[neilrj]

Little bit of hot glue in the curve of the fork dropout?

Holding a ball bearing or three in place!

[fruitcake]

Frame alignment can be checked with nothing more hi-tech than a long piece of string and a ruler. A photo toward the end of this page (by none other than the late great Sheldon Brown):
https://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

[fruitcake]

The other thing that causes a bike to want to turn in one direction but not so much in the other is a headset that's not quite right. The headset may be a bit tight and this may be affecting at one point on the bearing before others (this would be in the direction that the fork doesn't want to turn). Disassembling, cleaning, lubricating and reassembling the headset sometimes helps.

Or it could be a headset seating issue - if the headset isn't quite straight in the headtube, it will be tight at one point, which would cause the fork to not turn so readily in that direction. If this is the issue, a headset press would be needed for refitting the headset. The next level for that would be removal of headset and facing the ends of the headtube (which is probably a bike shop job unless you are Rogerzilla).

[yorkie]

Little bit of hot glue in the curve of the fork dropout?

Holding a ball bearing or three in place!

Sticking a small ball bearing of an appropriate size in both dropouts is an old grasstrack racing bodge to get extra clearance for CX tyres in a track fork. A small bearing on the right side would do the trick in this case.

[sam]

The other thing that causes a bike to want to turn in one direction but not so much in the other is a headset that's not quite right....

Judging by the way the headset turns, there doesn't appear to be an issue there.

I must admit, gluing a ball bearing to the dropout is the last thing I would've thought to do. I'd have to use just the right size, and if that pushed it too far in the other direction, scrape the glue off I guess.

So far it's been staying in place just by tightening, which is a bit of a surprise, though I'm skeptical how long that will last. (I can see myself on rides in years to come, having to pull over the unseat the wheel every so often.) Still, it would be nice to not have to fiddle with it each time I have to remove the wheel for some reason.

[zigzag]

a small rectangular piece of sheet steel bonded in the dropout would also do the job. but all these workarounds would bug me if they made the wheel rim off-centre at the fork crown.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Another no-hoper, me.  Can't ride no hands on any bike I have owned.  It's not balance as I can wait at the lights for ages without a foot to ground, also turn the bike in narrow spaces. 

What's the trick?

[sam]

Another no-hoper, me.  Can't ride no hands on any bike I have owned.  It's not balance as I can wait at the lights for ages without a foot to ground, also turn the bike in narrow spaces. 

What's the trick?

If Douglas Adams were still alive I'm sure he could adapt his famous advice on how to fly

learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

to suit. I'd suggest a skills exchange – you teach me how to trackstand – but the best I can offer is use the Force, Asterix the former Gaul. Maybe have something appropriate playing on a set of earbuds to ensure you're really in the mood.


Paging Tom Petty's subconscious

How about this: if you get it wrong, get it right next time trust yourself that you can do it. Probably. I'm not saying every bike will be amenable, but if you've not been able to do it on any of yours, that tells me the problem solution is you. And give  > this < a watch, if you missed the link upthread; it's great. My own much more modest effort a few mornings ago (not a how to video, that'll be next):