Strange steering problem

EKE_38BPM

The strangeness continues.

I did the Sheldon Brown 'String Method' and everything was fine. I changed my BB and chainset, I flipped my flip flop rear wheel, I turned my front wheel around, I removed and regreased my headset. Everything was fine at each stage but the bike still drifted to the left. I took it to a reputable bike shop and their head mechanic checked it out and declared everything to be fine. Eventually I was advised to just accept it as a idiosyncrasy of the bike and I resigned myself to that.

Until a few hours ago. I checked my tyre pressures (as I do about once a week or so) and my rear could do with a little air, so I topped both tyres up and went out. I did my usual ride no hands check and the bike was perfect.

The bike now tracks straight and true!

No idea what the problem was or what has fixed it, but everything is fine now. I hope it doesn't come back.

veronese68

I once bought a particularly nasty motorbike that had been stood on it's side stand for a few months with not much air in the tyres and when I took it out for a test ride it pulled left to a ridiculous degree. Beat the bloke up on price by convincing him something was very wrong and the frame should be jigged straight. Bought the bike, pumped the tyres up way over normal pressure rode it around the block and then returned them to recommended pressure and it tracked straight and true.
The poor thing wound up on a television scrapheap.

EKE_38BPM

But the tyres had been regularly checked and pressures topped up when necessary throughout the whole left drifting saga.

sketchley

EKE_38BPM wrote:

But the tyres had been regularly checked and pressures topped up when necessary throughout the whole left drifting saga.

Perhaps I should give it a once round the block for you, maybe my load would sort it out.

rjsterry

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The strangeness continues.

I did the Sheldon Brown 'String Method' and everything was fine. I changed my BB and chainset, I flipped my flip flop rear wheel, I turned my front wheel around, I removed and regreased my headset. Everything was fine at each stage but the bike still drifted to the left. I took it to a reputable bike shop and their head mechanic checked it out and declared everything to be fine. Eventually I was advised to just accept it as a idiosyncrasy of the bike and I resigned myself to that.

Until a few hours ago. I checked my tyre pressures (as I do about once a week or so) and my rear could do with a little air, so I topped both tyres up and went out. I did my usual ride no hands check and the bike was perfect.

The bike now tracks straight and true!

No idea what the problem was or what has fixed it, but everything is fine now. I hope it doesn't come back.

Soooo... the rear tyre was on crooked?

Anyway, at last you can look cool without crashing into the kerb. \o/

veronese68

EKE_38BPM wrote:

But the tyres had been regularly checked and pressures topped up when necessary throughout the whole left drifting saga.

Could just be some sort of settling reseating issue. Could be your plums are back in balance. Will always be a mystery.
On the upside pulling left is better than pulling right. When too drunk to ride in a straight line I tend to veer left as even when pie-eyed I know the kerb will hurt less than a passing car. I obviously don't condone drinking and cycling and would never do it myself, honest. well not so much any more

EKE_38BPM

rjsterry wrote:

Soooo... the rear tyre was on crooked?

Anyway, at last you can look cool without crashing into the kerb. \o/

\o/ indeed.

I don't think the rear tyre was on crooked. If that was the problem it would have drifted to the right when I turned the rear wheel around.

I am happily confused.

Twostage

From a purely scientific point of view it must be the plums.

veronese68

Twostage wrote:

From a purely scientific point of view it must be the plums.

Is this the sort of problem?

EKE_38BPM

Veronese68 wrote:

Twostage wrote:

From a purely scientific point of view it must be the plums.

Is this the sort of problem?

Well, one doesn't want to brag...

Still doesn't explain why the problem has gone away. They are just as huge as ever.

Greg T

Twostage wrote:

Check that the rear wheel is lined up correctly vertically and horizontally.

Wise words . . . . .

Ian.B

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I do hold on unless I need to peel a banana or something. Or maybe just to look cool in front of girls.

Glad to hear the problem's gone and you can get back to "peeling your banana" to look cool in front of the girls

EKE_38BPM

Greg T wrote:

Twostage wrote:

Check that the rear wheel is lined up correctly vertically and horizontally.

Wise words . . . . .

Yes, wise words, but if the wheel is out vertically, there are serious problems with the frame, not just your 'putting the wheel in the dropouts correctly' skills.

Ian.B wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I do hold on unless I need to peel a banana or something. Or maybe just to look cool in front of girls.

Glad to hear the problem's gone and you can get back to "peeling your banana" to look cool in front of the girls

I look so cool when peeling my banana. The girls all look and point. I'm usually gone by the time they start laughing...

sloppycowpat

check the saddle rails are not bent

EKE_38BPM

sloppycowpat wrote:

check the saddle rails are not bent

You calling my bike gay?

itboffin

Shit i just worked out what your problem is ...

you've been hanging your handbag on the handlebars again - i told you about that now didnt i

tusk! tut sigh!

EKE_38BPM

itboffin wrote:

shoot i just worked out what your problem is ...

you've been hanging your handbag on the handlebars again - i told you about that now didnt i

tusk! tut sigh!

I don't carry a handbag. Don't judge me by your standards.

Leg shaver! Please don't post any more pics of your hairless pins!

veronese68

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Leg shaver! Please don't post any more pics of your hairless pins!

You may have typed "don't", Boff may have read "do".