What's the trick..Aligning bars
 

So is there a trick to aligning bars perfectly or is it hit and miss. I was doing some work on my bike and now I am having a really hard time getting the stem lined up with the front wheel and frame. It is just off but I'm sure it makes a difference to the total alignment. Is there a trick to getting them all perfectly straight or is it just by eyeballing it?

Thanks

Mike

I just eyeball it...if there is a trick, I surely don't know it!

Eyeball No trick to it.

use the eyes, or you could tape a piece of string to the EXACT middle of your stem and pull it straight to the EXACT middle of your tire.....but thats just stupid.

Just eyeball, then go for a ride and check the allignment, you soon find out if its straight or not
Good luck,

Great question! I swear, I eyeball it, tightened it, eyeball it again. Go for a short test ride and it's slightly out to one side or the other. That's when I really find the truth in alignment. I loosen it slightly, and just tap it in the direction I "perceived" it to be out. Then test ride again. Seems at that point my body or alignment of my shoulders and arms in relationship to the alignment of the bars and front wheel tells me whether it is right or wrong. That usually does the trick. Test ride will always tell.

If there is a trick other than eye balling I'm interested in applying it to my bike mechanics too!

Well, I guess I'll eyeball it. I was really hoping that all you bike gurus around here were going to have some great trick for me to work with. Thanks for the help and if you hear of anything please let me know.

Mike

eyeball it from the front AND back.......

Practice, Patience and making it good enough for who it's for, ( don't be pickier than you need to be, it's not that critical)
Ride only as straight as you need to be
Pat

I find it easiest to align the center portion of the (drop or mountain-style) handlebar with the front axle. However, because of my physical development and a radius fracture, my left forearm is about 1 cm longer than my right, so "straight" does not always feel straight. If I get on a bike with the bars pointed slightly to the left, I notice the deviation immediately. I seem to be more tolerant of slight deviations toward the right.