Let's Get One Thing Straight - Handlebars!

[Pitts Pilot]

I do most of my own wrenching. I know how it all works. I understand my headset/steering-tube/stem. It's not that complicated. Yet one thing frequently pisses me off - and that is trying to get my bars straight. This is more a rant than request for advice but if anyone has a trick/approach/strategy that has proven helpful, maybe it will help.

What happens for me is this. I go to set my bars and "eyeball it." - straddling the top tube, I look down the stem and try to line it up with the front wheel - sometimes using one eye - sometimes the other - sometimes both. I do my best, hop on and ride down my street and in a few seconds find out that it needs to go one way or the other. I take it back in and loosen things up a bit and try to adjust it just a tad. This is when I start to get pissed. It never moves just a tad. First you push, then you tap, then you bang. Nothing. Then you bang a little harder and it moves like 10 degrees. When I push back and forth, I always seem to overshoot. It's as though it's designed to resists sitting dead center.

I usually end up swearing quite a bit and just getting used to the few degrees off that it usually is. This ticks me off - and I just wanted someone besides my wife to know.

Wow - I feel better already!

[ZoSoSwiM]

Welcome to everyone's shared frustration! This kills me as well. It usually takes me more than 5 attempts to get my bars perfect. Same with saddle adjustment...

[Touch0Gray]

first of all step back to asses the necessary change...and make sure you have BOTH eyes opened because believe it or not there is an issue with parallax, The closer you are, the more severe. (and actually eye dominance can affect the view as well....so stand back further)

[scottzj]

Yeah it usually takes me even a couple rides to realize they arent perfect. I usually carry a multi-tool and adjust it on the fly, as that is normally when I see its off.

[Dave Hickey]

Originally Posted by scottzj

Yeah it usually takes me even a couple rides to realize they arent perfect. I usually carry a multi-tool and adjust it on the fly, as that is normally when I see its off.

Yep.....me too.....and I find it easier in natural light vs doing it in my shop

[Touch0Gray]

I do too....I don't believe i have EVER gotten it perfect the first (or third even ) time

[Pitts Pilot]

Oh - did I mention that one of my arms is much shorter than the other?

[Touch0Gray]

Originally Posted by Pitts Pilot

Oh - did I mention that one of my arms is much shorter than the other?

so have the other one shortened? LOL....

seriously hold ONE arm, either one, long of short, hold up your index finger and close one eye at a time, watch the finger shift back and forth without it moving! It is one of the primary features of binocular vision that allows us the advantage of depth perception. NOW open both eyes and close one at a time. which eye keeps the finger in the same spot?. That would be your dominant eye. trying to get it straight with the other eye would be an exercise in futility.

[tarwheel2]

I think TOG has the solution. I rarely have a problem setting my bars straight, but I stand back as far as I can reach and keep both eyes open when I do it. I didn't know the term for it (parallax), but have observed the phenomenum of which he speaks.

[JCavilia]

Here's a secret: they don't have to be perfectly straight to work right. You don't steer by looking at them; you look down the road and move as necessary. You bars could be several degrees off, and if didn't look at them. you'd never know.

I don't know if you were were kidding about the unequal arm length, but if it's true, wouldn't you want the bar crooked to compensate? Seriously.

BTW, this is another reason I still like good old-fashioned quill stems. Messing with bar doesn't require headset adjustment.

[Chainstay]

I have a laser levelling tool so I thought it might help. It doesn't really. It gives you longer sight lines but it's a hassle to set up the laser so that it exactly tracks your bar and top tube.

[AndrwSwitch]

I loosen my stem and top cap a fair amount to adjust my handlebars. It makes the initial retightening a little trickier but lining them up easier.

We had a storm in Seattle a couple weeks ago and there was snow all over the place. (This is going to be relevant, I promise!) I switched to my 'cross bike because my MTB was in the shop and I wanted the knobby tires. I was in a crash in December and haven't fixed the 'cross bike entirely because I'm waiting on new handlebars. So the current ones aren't quite pointing the right way - didn't bother to fix it, replacing them anyway - and one of the drops is bent. It felt a little weird at first, but I got used to it pretty fast.

I think longer-term, it might mess with my back or my shoulder. But we can adjust to a lot. And I don't know if you'd want your bars straight anyway, as suggested in post #10.

[Oracle7775]

I make steering alignment adjustments (as well as handlebar tilt and shifter placement) while sitting on the trainer. I usually get it right the first time doing it that way.

[forge55b]

Does no one just use a tape measure and measure the distance the bottom of each drop is the brake bolt?

[velocanman]

Originally Posted by forge55b

Does no one just use a tape measure and measure the distance the bottom of each drop is the brake bolt?

That is a good idea but it is still a visual estimate. The distance from the drops to the front brake binder bolt on the fork is several inches, and you cant line it up from the top because the stem is in the way. If you measure across the plugs in the drops the ruler is facing the head tube, as well.

I stand in front of the bike and line up the stem with the top tube and wheel with the down tube. I fine tune by visually lining up the stem bolts over the brake binder bolt. This gets me very close.

Now Park Tool just needs to come out with the fixture or jig.

[milkbaby]

I just have to say that I'm in total agreement with the OP. I HATE trying to get my bars and/or saddle straight as it always takes me forever to get it close enough to bearable. I must be OCD... For me the top cap text and steerer spacers (if they have text) have to be straight too...

[Cut.Aussie]

Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe it comes with age but I have always done it the same way since I was a kid and the method applies equally well for both bikes and motorbikes (yes they have to setup as well)

Stand over the front wheel facing the saddle, clamp wheel between your legs lined up with top tube, adjust bars till the look square to frame as well, tighten stem and go riding, seldom every wrong :-)

I have done the other way around standing other the top tube facing the front but the reverse stand seems to work better.

[Bill2]

I stand over the top tube and try to line up stem, tire, head tube, top tube, and down tube. When they're all in conjunction, I tighten the stem.

[wim]

Originally Posted by Pitts Pilot

When I push back and forth, I always seem to overshoot. It's as though it's designed to resists sitting dead center.

The stem is still too tight for centering. Loosen the stem bolts until the stem moves with very little force, but still holds its centered position when finally tightening the stem bolts.

[mtnroadie]

A lazer line pointer or lazer level really helps. Just line it up down the center of your tire/fork and then match the center of the stem.

I have done it once seems to work well, but i am able to center my bars by eye. After i first set them up I take an alen key w. me on my first ride and adjust as needed.

[Touch0Gray]

Originally Posted by Cut.Aussie

Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe it comes with age but I have always done it the same way since I was a kid and the method applies equally well for both bikes and motorbikes (yes they have to setup as well)

Stand over the front wheel facing the saddle, clamp wheel between your legs lined up with top tube, adjust bars till the look square to frame as well, tighten stem and go riding, seldom every wrong :-)

I have done the other way around standing other the top tube facing the front but the reverse stand seems to work better.

I just caught myself before I went upstairs to try that.....LOL....because I KNOW my stem is perfectly centered now and all I would have done was knock it out of alignment.....

[jne3]

Originally Posted by mtnroadie

A lazer line pointer or lazer level really helps. Just line it up down the center of your tire/fork and then match the center of the stem.

I have done it once seems to work well, but i am able to center my bars by eye. After i first set them up I take an alen key w. me on my first ride and adjust as needed.

Yep. If you have to have it perfect, that'll do it. If you don't have a lazer level, plumb your bike (in a trainer or workstand) and drop a plumb bob from the center of your stem. It should line up with the center of your tire.

But what a pain in the neck. I like the eyeball, ride, adjust method.