Cycling UK Forum

My rear wheel is slightly closer to one chainstay than the other, its definitely not the wheel, as its been checked for true and dish. The shop I bought it from said its within tolerance, so I've been living with it.

This morning I saw this video on youtube, and now its got me questioning it again. I can't ride no hands on this bike, is that related?
https://youtu.be/YTXGi94D5eM?si=I-NgK3TAb7NgKC6M

Thoughts?

How far out is it?
What's the frame?

The tyre is about 2mm closer to the chainstay on the left. Its a Bob Jackson

Change the dish on rear wheel to make it equal distances between chainstays?

Can you ride no hands on all other bikes bar this one?

Yeah, I can ride no hands on my other bikes.

If i have the wheel redished over, won't that put it out of centre at the brake instead and then my calliper won't sit straight?

Do you think the misalignment can affect riding no hands? That's what ellis briggs are saying.

While not being ideal I don't think it'd make any difference to the handling of the bike IMHO.
How stable the bike is would have more to do with where your weight is centred on the bike and what the head tube angle and fork rake are set at I would imagine.
If the tyre doesn't rub I'd just live with it but that's only my opinion I could be wrong.

what type are the rear dropouts?

They are vertical dropouts.

I think my OCD is kicking in a bit now and its bugging me.

southcraven wrote: ↑24 Jan 2024, 11:45am They are vertical dropouts.

I think my OCD is kicking in a bit now and its bugging me.

I s'pose you could attack the opposite side dropout with a round file, wouldn't take much to move the wheel over. It could be a bad idea too but I'm not sure why.

if i take a file to it, I think that will change its position between the seatstays rather than the chainstays.

I think I'm going to email ellis briggs and ask them if there is anything can be done.

If it is a steel frame simply have the dropouts realigned with dropout alignment gauges.

Go to “technical too good to lose” board, read 531colin’s frame alignment check EDIT....here viewtopic.php?t=59332
Extra information
For a while Orbit bikes made some frames where the rear triangle was deliberately 4mm offset, so the back wheel was less dished.
Using one of these wheels in a “normal “ frame , or a normal wheel in an offset frame meant the wheel was 4 mm out of line, but parallel to the front wheel …. But the bike could be ridden no hands with the saddle under one cheek

You could pop over to Woodrup’s and have them take a look at it for you.

Even with a rear wheel, you can check that it is the frame and not the wheel that is out by putting the wheel in the wrong way round, with the gear side of the wheel on the left. If it is the frame that is out, the tyre will still be 2mm closer to the left seat stay. If it is the wheel that is out, the tyre will now be closer to the other seat stay. Might be worth doing just to double check what is what.

It would only take a tiny something or other at the dropout to generate the sort of misalignment you have, which sounds like the tyre being 1mm further to the left stay than it should be, and 1mm further from the right stay than it should be. You really only want the tyre to move 1mm to the right at that point. I'd be looking with a magnifying glass at the dropouts and the ends

(Edited)

Back when Cycling Plus was a good magazine (so 30 years or so), 4mm was the maximum judged acceptable for rear triangle misalignment.