share your wisdom on aligning the stem angle
 

what's your brilliant tip to have the stem angle completely straight to the fork facing?
(in other words: how to keep the handlebar angle perfectly perpendicular to the front wheel?)
knowing nothing other than eyeballing and was wondering if there's any scientific wisdom on such.

pictured here is a long overdue Parkpre Catalyst build.
the original CrMo stem has been put via Hatta Swan headset. it's coming along one at a time.
http://scontent-a.cdninstagram.com/h...08306707_n.jpg

I've got nothing scientific. I eyeball it standing still then go ride it with a wrench in my pocket. It always gets another adjustment or two, then I tighten it down fully.

I just put my feet on either side of the front wheel and my hands on the handlebar and use my sense of feel as much as my eyes.

But the way to measure it is to run string through the stem and between the fork ends. I'm not sure it actually yields a more precise result

Could use a plumb line if you wanted to be real fastidious about it, but seems to work fine just using the old fashioned stand over the front wheel and eyeball the SOB method.

Remove the front wheel. Tie a plumb line (or DIY one with a string and something heavy) to the stem. Measure the distance between the fork ends and the line, and adjust until they're equal.

Set it up by eye, then ride. Set it up again, ride.

It's still wrong.

Just straddle the bike and line up the front of the handlebar with the tips of the fork ends.

Put a wheel in your fork
Affix a piece of wood centered on both your wheel rim and your stem's underside
Place a level on the wood
Adjust to perfection :thumb:

Ride and bring the allen wrench.

I use this limited edition Park optical stem alignment tool:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44...ps1358b2f7.jpg
Ref: Park Tool Number STA-007.
Works a treat too!:thumb::thumb:
Easy to use!.....You put it over one eye and use the other eye to sight down the side of the stem to align with the sides of the wheel rim and tire below it......

Dave Moulton's approach: Dave Moulton's Blog - Dave Moulton's Bike Blog

i am pretty sure i've seen this tool in Star Wars. :)

ride
adjust
ride
adjust

like lather, rinse, repeat, only different.

I use the eyeball-it approach... usually sighting out of one eye, and then the other, will let you get it there.

But in this case, you may want to use something more technically sound, as the incredible badassitude of that splatterpainted stem and fork is likely to melt your ability to perceive anything reliably.

Turn the fork so the wheel is at 90 degrees with the TT (easy to see) and align the bars with the TT (also easy to see). The operative word is 'easy'.

I gotta say, as an eyeball-it guy…that is brilliant, Non-fixie. Gives a very visual reference point with the wheel perpendicular to the top tube.
Thumbs up. Will try it.

Best? not have to be super tight, should still Move some.. on Fresh Bike builds I use a signpost and tap it with the wheel ..

if the bars dont line up with the axle and the stem Reach is not inline with the tire.. on the test ride.

That brought back childhood memories. We always left some play in the stem to readjust after crashes and falls.

i'm gonna guess that one eye is more dominant, so eye-balling it is better suited for personal use than using a precise method that might look a bit off when riding.

i'd rather it look/feel right, rather than be precise.

getting the levers perfectly aligned takes a lot longer. for that, i use a broom handle and tape measure.

Ride with a handlebar bag and you won't know or care if the alignment is a little off. ;)

+1, I've been using Dave Moulton's method since reading that same blog post a few years ago. Here's a direct link to the entry: LINK. This is similar to non-fixie's suggestion above. Even if I don't eyeball it right, once I'm on the bike, I can tell pretty quickly if it's out of alignment.

^This... Truth! :D

Too lazy to use a plumb line.

Wow. I was gonna post this exact thread a couple of days ago and didn't get to it. Glad I'm not the only one! :)

My bikes hang from the front wheel or rear wheel on hooks. The wheels stay basically plumb if it's sitting on the hook correctly and it's obvious if it isn't. I tend to stare at the ones that are hanging and can notice the stem being off angle pretty easily. They are also not hung very high so I can reach up and adjust if needed.

Just mount the wheel
Then make sure it is straight with the wheel.
Eyeballing is good enough.

Oh, and don't forget to tighten it down.

Eyeballing for me, but now I'm gonna have to do this just to check! :twitchy: