powerjb

My bike pulls right if I take my hands off of the handlebars. I have no clue what's causing this. Both wheels are set straight, i've checked them a thousand times since this started. I guess I recently tightened my crappy headset, maybe that has something to do with it. If anyone has any suggestions i would greatly appreciate the advice.

hyperRevue

My motobecane conversion would instantly collapse to the right whenever I attempted to ride no handed. It had a new fork, headset, and the wheels were straight. I was at a loss as I could ride perfectly no handed on my Pista. Almost a year went by where I constantly tried and failed to ride no handed on the Motobecane and then one day about 3 weeks ago it just happened. No more pulling to the side. I guess I just got the hang of it. I think in my case the weight difference between the Pista and Motobecane was to blame as I had to fight more to keep the heavier bike upright. So, my advice is to just keep at it. Hopefully my experience is extreme and it wont take you to long to conquer it.

brunning

check your frame alignment using sheldon's string test.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

if you have a local frame builder or a shop with the right tool, they can pretty easily re-align a steel frame.

Kerplunk

bent fork?

eMwolB

Try putting $50 worth of quarters in your left pocket?

jonb

do you have a u-lock in your back right pocket?

Shiznaz

I remember this thread! You are probably just doing it wrong. Keep practicing. Either that or put your junk on the other side of the saddle.
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/96084-look-ma-no-hands-why-can-t-i-do-anymore.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/70154-no-hands-i-lean-right.html

powerjb

maybe it's a bent fork...

it's not like i haven't been able to on this bike before. I'll try loosening the headset, because right after I tightened it is when I noticed the problem. My ride home from school is boring, so i ride no handed almost every day, and that's why i'm confused.

I'm replacing the fork and the headset anyways though, so we'll see if that fixes anything.

thanks

na975

have put on a computerized wheel alignment machine.

na975

i have a new fork ,if you need let me know

queerpunk

you have a fat right arsecheek.

steaktaco

could it be that the bike just wants to go down the slope of the road?

have you tried riding on the left side of the (one way) street? if the bike pulls left there, than there is nothing wrong with your bike, just the road.

I know this is obvious, but often the most obvious reasons are overlooked.

mob

is your headset too tight? sometimes thats the case. otherwise, dont ride no handed.

Moonshot

Good suggestions here. Slope of the road, too tight headset, bent fork or frame all make sense. I don't think it takes much for a bike to pull one way or another when no handed.

My new bike did the same thing. I never really figured it out, but after setting the wheel in the fork backwards (sorry can't think of another way to phrase this) the problem went away.

powerjb

Thanks for the tips guys. And i'm honored to have temporarily pulled Don Walker out of retirement.

I bought a new fork to replace the stock one, and put an ultegra headset on the bike yesterday, and everything is smooth as can be. No pull whatsoever. Actually, the fork had less rake than the original, so everything is more tight and squirrly, which is wonderful. Apparently it was just a bent fork.

Thanks again.

Kloiturea

So yetserday I did a few modifications to my bike. I am no expert, but here's what I did.

-Firsty, I increased the height of my handle bars.
-Secondy, I increased the height of my seat.
-Thirdy, I found a bolt under my seat that would allow me to move it back and forth so I released it a bit and moved my seat as foward as I could (I own a Peugeot road bike from the 80s the the frame is kinda long).
-And Forthy, I played with the screws of the back derailer a bit.

Afterwards when I was biking back home I noticed that when I would let go of my handle bars that my bike would pull to the right. Very unpleasant, it doesn't have anything to do with me no being used to it, I can ride almost any bike from the first time I get on it with no hands ez pz even doding cracks at high speeds, taking turns driving really slow.

I have a feeling it might be from having moved the seat foward. But yeah sorry if this wasn't of much help. Thank you

homebrewk

You probably didn't align your stem back properly, or maybe your headset is messed up too. I have no idea.

homebrewk

Asking in the "Mechanics" subforum wouldn't hurt either.

EpicSchwinn

I'm pretty sure it was the derailleur.

Scooper

Six year old thread.

homebrewk

Why is this question being asked in SSFG?

EpicSchwinn

The thread is from 2005. Fixies weren't invented until early 2007.

pkpyro

Mate, you can't be serious.

Fixies were the very first bikes. They've been used in circus and cycling performances all over the world for... decades before 2007. -_-;;

And for anyone that might be having the same problem, check your seat. I let my friend try my fixie, who prompty forgot my 10 minute lecture on "YOU CAN'T COAST" and "YOU HAVE TO CLIP OUT BOTH FEET." It landed on the seat first and that tilted the seat just a little... not enough to notice it when I sit my ass on it, but enough to offset my weight and make the bike tilt left.

You can fix this mid- ride be leaning a little more to the right or getting a new seat post / seat. You can try to fix it, but if it's following a crash or a hit, it's more time than worth the money.

ddeadserious

GMJ