Cycling in Sydney Australia
do bikes require wheel alignments??
Hi Guys
reasonably new to riding ( had a new pinarello for approx 8 months). recently noticed that the ride has become much more bumpy than previous. Ride feels extremely stiff with lots of vibration through the frame particularly on Sydney's roads, steering feels like you have to hold more firm and control, if it was a car i would say it feels like it needs a wheel alignment. You know when you get a new car then after about 30-40,000K you start to feel and hear things and the ride is not as smooth as when you bought it. Bike has been serviced twice and I have only ridden 2oooK's. Just wondering if this is normal or should i get it looked at again. its a Pinarello bike however I get it serviced at a Specialized dealer.
appreciate your thoughts. cheers
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by timothy.clifford on -
Rule #1 - Obey The Rules.
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Permalink Reply by James Gray on -
There are a few things you can do to check for problems yourself before taking it to the shop.
Check that your wheels are running true by lifting the bike and spinning the wheel. Watch as it passes through the brake caliper and look for side to side movement as well as up and down. Is the rim rubbing the brake pads at all? Also watch the tyre from the side and top looking for any bumps or wiggles that could indicate damage to the casing. Don't ride it if the tyre is bulging or not sitting right. If the wheel is out of true take it to a shop to get the job done properly.
Next look at the headset which are the steering bearings. Check these by holding the front brake on and trying to rock the bike back and forth, feel for movement below the stem where it meets the frame. There should be no lateral movement or noise. Adjustment is simple using allen keys but if you are not familiar with it get someone to show you.
Also I'd check the wheel bearings, for the back just hold the bike by the saddle and try to push the top of the wheel from side to side, for the front hold it by the bars or stem and do the same. Again there should be no side to side movement here. The wheel bearings can be a bit fiddlier to adjust and usually require special spanners (or other tools) so this might be best left to the shop.
Apart from those points just look over the bike and make sure everything's secure. Seat, bars, brake calipers, pedals etc. Any decent shop will be able to service the bike properly, doesn't matter what brands they sell.
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Permalink Reply by sit ubu sit on
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reasonably new to riding ( had a new pinarello for approx 8 months)
Well at least you got off to the right start! ;-)
Agree with all of JG's advice, with two little additions:
1) Give the frame a good looking over for any possible cracks. They can be hard to spot, but usually you'll see them as hairline cracks in the paint, especially near the major junctions (bottom bracket, and both ends of the head tube where it joins the top and down tubes).
2) Pick up the bike by the saddle and bars, and GENTLY drop it from about 5cm - this will give you an idea as to whether anything rattles that shouldn't.
If you're finding it stiffer, have you made any changes such as tyres, tyre pressure, different bar tape, different saddle, even different clothing (gloves, knicks, shoes etc)? My personal belief is that all these contact points have a much greater impact on the "feel" of the ride than changes to the bike itself - unless something is dramatically wrong. As a general rule any problems are likely to make the bike feel "looser" rather than "stiffer".
Where in Sydney are you based? If you want a Pinarello expert to have a look at it, I'd recommend taking it to Mark at Turramurra Cyclery - he sells and services more Pinarellos in Australia than anyone else. (Disclaimer: Mark is a friend, has sold me a Pinarello, and is Secretary of my cycling club - but also has 20+ years of industry experience).
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Permalink Reply by timothy.clifford on
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There should be no movement or noise in each of these checks
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Permalink Reply by Neil Alexander on -
Disclaimer: Mark is a friend...
I've said it before, and I'll say it again and again and again and again...
That's disclosure, people.
"A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship."
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Permalink Reply by baa baa on -
"A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship."
so that would be recognized or recognised.....
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Permalink Reply by Neil Alexander on
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Depends from where the quote is stolen sourced.
Of course, if I had written those words myself rather than lazily copying them from the link embedded therein, I would have typed "recognised".
But thanks for being pedantic. We pedants must stick together.
(And don't forget the passwords: "Baa-cons forever".)
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Noted with thanks - I knew it was wrong, but couldn't think what the (correct) alternative was. And to think I once started a thread on disclosumer. So at least I once knew what I was talking about.
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Permalink Reply by back street boy on -
Actually you started a thread on disclosure, not disclosumer
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Yes, well spotted.
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Permalink Reply by Neil Alexander on
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Good thread, too.
(BTW, I should disclose that Bike Rides Around Sydney is now sold out. See how well disclosure works?)
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Permalink Reply by Garryw on -
Definitely.
It is not often done, but perhaps it should be...... I have used the following methods (Sheldon may have described them - I have seen descriptions but can't recall where), especially on bikes where it is difficult to see if the (rear) wheel is centred between the chainstays due to chaincases or other clutter.
Apart from handling peculiarities, uneven (side-to-side) tyre wear, especially on the rear, is an indication of misalignment.
It can be done with a long metal straight edge or with string....
Assuming both tyres are the same size (if not, make appropriate allowances) and enlisting a helper or blocks of wood, hold the straight edge against the side of the tyres and parallel to the ground, up as high up as the frame or other bike mounted junk will allow. Ideally there should be four points contacting the edge, the front and rear of the rear tyre, and the front and rear of the front tyre. If this is not the case, adjusting the rear wheel within the dropouts might help.
If the four-point contact cannot be achieved (or very close thereto) it means there is either a misalignment in the frame/forks and/or one or other or both wheels have not been spoked so the rim is exactly centred between the axle locknuts. Check the wheels are trued before doing this test. The string method is similar, just wrap it around both wheels parallel to the ground, keep it pulled taught - I've used a small tension spring and tied the string ends to each end of it if no-one is around to assist. Beware of tyres with knobbly treads protruding past the sidewall as they may upset the accuracy of all this, in which case spacers will be needed between the straight edge and the sidewalls.
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