Dish or Frame - what's more important
05-24-16, 12:00 AM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Dish or Frame - what's more important
I am about to build my 5th wheel. I do have all the tools needed including a dishing tool.
This one is going to be for a 25 year old steel frame with vertical dropouts.
I put a recent rear wheel build in there that according to the dishing tool had a close to perfect dish. However, at the chainstays, the rim is much closer to one side than the other.
When I build my next wheel should I try to be close to perfect dish or should I try to be more in the center of the chainstays, even if this means to deviate from the perfect dish?
Thank you
This one is going to be for a 25 year old steel frame with vertical dropouts.
I put a recent rear wheel build in there that according to the dishing tool had a close to perfect dish. However, at the chainstays, the rim is much closer to one side than the other.
When I build my next wheel should I try to be close to perfect dish or should I try to be more in the center of the chainstays, even if this means to deviate from the perfect dish?
Thank you
05-24-16, 12:16 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18376 Post(s)
Liked 4,511 Times
in
3,353 Posts
You might check your frame alignment.
If it is a steel frame, perhaps you could tweek the frame a bit.
If it is a steel frame, perhaps you could tweek the frame a bit.
05-24-16, 12:22 AM
#3
Senior Member
If your frame is out of alignment, the best solution would be to align the frame appropriately. If you can access the appropriate frame alignment tools (say, at a cooperative) I'd recommend that, otherwise it may be worthwhile to take it to a shop that can do the work. Otherwise, yeah, I'd dish the wheel to sit evenly.
05-24-16, 12:59 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,713
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5781 Post(s)
Liked 2,578 Times
in
1,429 Posts
How a wheel centers between the chainstays doesn't matter. What does matter is that lies on the central plane of the frame. Commonly, these are the same things, but many bicycles do not have symmetrical chainstays, so a wheel can look wrong and be right.
If you're not sure, use a long string wrapped around the headtube and brought to the back of the wheel. Now both the front of the wheel and seat tube must be symmetrical using the string as a reference.
If you're not sure, use a long string wrapped around the headtube and brought to the back of the wheel. Now both the front of the wheel and seat tube must be symmetrical using the string as a reference.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
05-24-16, 09:48 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: St. Pete, Florida
Posts: 1,258
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Dishing to match a misaligned frame is a fool's errand. Even if you get the rim centered, the wheel alignment will be slightly off and the bike will pull to one side. Fixing minor alignment problems on an old steel road frame is easy -- some string, a ruler, and a 4+ foot untreated pine 2x4 is about all you need. No more difficult than cold-setting to wider drop-out spacing to accommodate modern gearing (same process, you just move both drop-outs in the same direction instead of opposite directions).
05-24-16, 11:47 AM
#6
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,398
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,696 Times
in
2,517 Posts
What hasn't been noted is that the misalignment could be at the dropout itself, and the rest of the frame could be fine. I would check to see if the wheels line up with a long straightedge.
You can always file the dropout if one of them is set to the rear a little.
You can always file the dropout if one of them is set to the rear a little.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Wheever
Bicycle Mechanics
59
11-18-15 07:00 PM
