need help with handlebar misalignment

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my
handlebars are pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the wheel.
Can I just brace the wheel between my knees and force it back into
position or must I loosen something first and then retighten?

Are you really sure this is a question you need to ask?

--
Perre
"Don't really fell like flaming today, but just couldn't resist a discrete
one"

Per Elmsäter said:

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my
handlebars are pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the wheel.
Can I just brace the wheel between my knees and force it back into
position or must I loosen something first and then retighten?

Are you really sure this is a question you need to ask?

What do you mean? I wouldn't have asked the question here if I didn't need
some help!

Boatman

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my handlebars are
pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the wheel. Can I just brace the
wheel between my knees and force it back into position or must I loosen
something first and then retighten?

Sorry you got flamed on this, it's a perfectly reasonable question...I
don't know what that guy was thinking.

I'd say to try the brace-between-the-knees approach first, this often works.

If it feels as if it's requiring excessive force, loosening the stem is
called for.

Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm Allen
wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the vertical
part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt head,
just pry it off for access.)

Don't overtighten it when you're done, it is good for the bars to be
able to turn a bit when the bike falls, this can reduce the chance of
damaging them.

See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

Sheldon "Oooomph!" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough! |
| --BOB Simon |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Sheldon Brown said:

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my
handlebars are pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the
wheel. Can I just brace the wheel between my knees and force it back
into position or must I loosen something first and then retighten?

Sorry you got flamed on this, it's a perfectly reasonable question...I
don't know what that guy was thinking.

I'd say to try the brace-between-the-knees approach first, this often
works.

If it feels as if it's requiring excessive force, loosening the stem
is called for.

Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm
Allen wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the
vertical
part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt
head, just pry it off for access.)

Don't overtighten it when you're done, it is good for the bars to be
able to turn a bit when the bike falls, this can reduce the chance of
damaging them.

See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

Sheldon "Oooomph!" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Thanks, Sheldon, for your advice. It was just what I was looking for!

Boatman

Sheldon Brown said:

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my
handlebars are pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the
wheel. Can I just brace the wheel between my knees and force it back
into position or must I loosen something first and then retighten?

Sorry you got flamed on this, it's a perfectly reasonable question...I

Why are you sorry?

Quoted message said:

don't know what that guy was thinking.

Of course you know what this guy was thinking. I thought it was such a basic
question that if he'd stop to think just a little bit first he'd figure it
all out himself, no matter how untechnical he was.

--
Perre
"Everybody has his superiority feeling days you know"

Sheldon Brown ([email hidden]) wrote:
: Boatman wrote:

: > I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my handlebars are
: > pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the wheel. Can I just brace the
: > wheel between my knees and force it back into position or must I loosen
: > something first and then retighten?

: Sorry you got flamed on this, it's a perfectly reasonable question...I
: don't know what that guy was thinking.

: I'd say to try the brace-between-the-knees approach first, this often works.

: If it feels as if it's requiring excessive force, loosening the stem is
: called for.

: Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm Allen
: wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the vertical
: part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt head,
: just pry it off for access.)

Hi Sheldon,

OK, I'm curious - I would've said "then whack the bolt
with a mallet to free the wedge". Is there some reason
for not doing this?

-Ken

: Don't overtighten it when you're done, it is good for the bars to be
: able to turn a bit when the bike falls, this can reduce the chance of
: damaging them.

: See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

: Sheldon "Oooomph!" Brown
: +-------------------------------------------------------------+
: | If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough! |
: | --BOB Simon |
: +-------------------------------------------------------------+
: Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
: Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
: http://harriscyclery.com
: Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
: http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Quoted message said:

OK, I'm curious - I would've said "then whack the bolt
with a mallet to free the wedge". Is there some reason
for not doing this?

-Ken

*Never* whack bearing races. It angers the gods.

There is another type of expander used on threaded stems which is
shaped like a cup with two opposing ridges. This almost always needs
whackage. However, the C40 has never used this type, just the modern
wedge-shaped one.

I said:

: Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm Allen
: wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the vertical
: part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt head,
: just pry it off for access.)

Quoted message said:

: See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

Ken Ferschweiler said:

OK, I'm curious - I would've said "then whack the bolt
with a mallet to free the wedge". Is there some reason
for not doing this?

It is usually not necessary on wedge type stems. Back when stems used a
conical expander instead of a slanted wedge, this was usually needed.

This issue is addressed in the Web link I provided.

Sheldon "Inertial Impact Alignment Instrument" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| I'll be traveling in France and England throughout the month |
| of June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort |
| of 'Net access I'll be able to get... |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

I said:

: Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm Allen
: wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the vertical
: part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt head,
: just pry it off for access.)

Quoted message said:

: See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

Ken Ferschweiler said:

OK, I'm curious - I would've said "then whack the bolt
with a mallet to free the wedge". Is there some reason
for not doing this?

It is usually not necessary on wedge type stems. Back when stems used a
conical expander instead of a slanted wedge, this was usually needed.

This issue is addressed in the Web link I provided.

Sheldon "Inertial Impact Alignment Instrument" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| I'll be traveling in France and England throughout the month |
| of June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort |
| of 'Net access I'll be able to get... |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

"Boatman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:yz0xc.54741$3x.8977@attbi_s54...

Quoted message said:

Sheldon Brown said:

Boatman said:

I dumped my Raleigh C40 yesterday during an event and now my
handlebars are pointing about 5-10 degrees to the right of the
wheel. Can I just brace the wheel between my knees and force it back
into position or must I loosen something first and then retighten?

Sorry you got flamed on this, it's a perfectly reasonable question...I
don't know what that guy was thinking.

I'd say to try the brace-between-the-knees approach first, this often
works.

If it feels as if it's requiring excessive force, loosening the stem
is called for.

Your bike has a traditional wedge-type stem. You'll need a 6 mm
Allen wrench to loosen the wedge bolt, which runs down through the
vertical
part of the stem. (There's probably a rubber cap hiding the bolt
head, just pry it off for access.)

Don't overtighten it when you're done, it is good for the bars to be
able to turn a bit when the bike falls, this can reduce the chance of
damaging them.

See also: http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup

Sheldon "Oooomph!" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

Thanks, Sheldon, for your advice. It was just what I was looking for!

Boatman

I went down in a crit on Tues and re-aligned with my knees. On Sat a rider's
rear quick release caught a spoke on my front wheel near the nipple and
gouged my rim. I'm told the look on my face was priceless as I quickly
contemplated road rash on top of road rash. Luckily, I didn't go down. The
wheel didn't even move that much, but the bars were out of alignment again.
I considered whether having the wedge somewhat loose was a benefit here, but
tightened it after deciding that it shouldn't have moved so easily. Not sure
of the answer. Sheldon?

--Art

--On Monday, June 07, 2004 5:51 PM -0400 Sheldon Brown

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "Inertial Impact Alignment Instrument" Brown

You must mean a "convincing tool." For convincing things that they should
fit into a given location.

Or perhaps you mean the mobster of the tool chest. For making offers that
can't be refused.

Mike
Mechanical Engineering 2006, Carnegie Mellon University
Remove nospam to reply.

Sheldon Brown said:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| I'll be traveling in France and England throughout the month | of
| June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort | of 'Net
| access I'll be able to get... |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Um, which bike are you taking?

I .sigged:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| I'll be traveling in France and England throughout the month | of
| June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort | of 'Net
| access I'll be able to get... |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Quoted message said:

Erik Freitag asked:

Quoted message said:

Um, which bike are you taking?

We won't be bringing bikes, got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of
friends to visit in not all that much time.

We're hoping to be able to borrow bikes here and there and do some local
riding.

Sheldon "Not Specifically A Bike Trip" Brown
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Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

Art M said:

...the bars were out of alignment again.
I considered whether having the wedge somewhat loose was a benefit here, but
tightened it after deciding that it shouldn't have moved so easily. Not sure
of the answer.

Now you're trying to define that edge between "tight enough so it stays
put" and "loose enough so it moves when you want it to move." That is a
gray area. I'll be amazed if someone can come up with an accurate
specification for that parameter.

Maybe we could define a certain amount of torque applied to the stem
before it slips? But how would we come up with a value for that torque?
I think that value would be just a guess, and the answer might depend on
rider weight and other factors.

Sorry, I have no definitive answer to your question. I don't think
anyone has that answer.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

dvt said:

Now you're trying to define that edge between "tight enough so it stays
put" and "loose enough so it moves when you want it to move." That is a
gray area. I'll be amazed if someone can come up with an accurate
specification for that parameter.

Maybe we could define a certain amount of torque applied to the stem
before it slips? But how would we come up with a value for that torque?
I think that value would be just a guess, and the answer might depend on
rider weight and other factors.

Sorry, I have no definitive answer to your question. I don't think
anyone has that answer.

It really isn't all that critical.

I used to keep the bars on my mountain bike deliberately loose so that I
could easily rotate them 90 degrees for more compact parking in my very
crowded cellar.

Once in a while they'd get knocked askew by 10-15 degrees while riding,
but it never caused a crash.

Sheldon "You Don't Need Numerical Values For Everything" Brown
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| I'll be traveling in France and England throughout the month |
| of June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort |
| of 'Net access I'll be able to get... |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 12:55:38 -0400, Sheldon Brown
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "You Don't Need Numerical Values For Everything" Brown

Dear Sheldon,

Would that be 5-10% of everything? Or higher?

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 12:55:38 -0400, Sheldon Brown
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Sheldon "You Don't Need Numerical Values For Everything" Brown

Dear Sheldon,

Would that be 5-10% of everything? Or higher?

Carl Fogel

+------------------------------------------------+
| According to the latest official figures, |
| 43% of all statistics are totally worthless. |
+------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com