How do you straightline your bike

[wombat]

What's the method you use? Unless you have a shaftie.

String line?

Straight plank of wood or similar?

One of those fancy laser sprocket and chain thingys? (ProfiCat)

I personally use one of the laser sprocket and chain devices.

I know my front end is a bit outta line and will get around to fixing it one day ( just a lazy bastard)

Bob

[Strappy]

I tried it with a length of wood once, managed to drop the bike off the paddock stand and snap the gear linkage.

[originalracingsnake]

Never done it. PB rana feature on doing it though, I just found myself too lazy to bother.

[Harry Muff]

I use a tyre tread depth gauge to measure from the end of the swing arm to the spindle block on both sides.

One of these chappies:

[fran9r]

I use a tyre tread depth gauge to measure from the end of the swing arm to the spindle block on both sides.

One of these chappies:

Thats only making the wheel square to the swingarm though.

I use a maxton jig -basically 2 lengths of ally, you then measure the gap between the sides of the front wheel. Dead simple, you can usually just eye it up.

[Harry Muff]

Well if the swing-arm is pissed then you're in trouble anyway. It's always worked fine for me.

[fran9r]

Thats not true. As a production item, a frame and swingarm is subject to manufacturing tollerance the same as any other.

You will find race teams have there new off the line frames jigged to get them as straight as possible.

Unless you do that, setting the wheels in line is the next best thing.

[burntout]

String line it - I checked the dealers handy work last time and the results agreed with them so it's certainly effective enough.

[beek]

something like this

very useful and cheap

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Laser-Line-level-/19...=item2c547e7dcd

[krazyk]

I used a 2metre length of Ally, about

15 cm wide , bought in diy shop when I was

laying the stones front of house, when I

fitted the Gilles adjusters and just eyed the gap

after using the Profi cat on chain.

[Kawasakifreak]

Well if the swing-arm is pissed then you're in trouble anyway. It's always worked fine for me.

I agree with Fran9R - most mass-produced frames are slightly out of line to some extent - particularly tube frames.

Swingarms are just an extension of this error.

[Gregorious77]

I measure from swingarm pivot to wheel spindle, I guess if the pivot is pissed though this will not be that great.

[MDB929]

I don't have enough riding ability to tell if my wheels are out of line or not.

[hondabri]

something like this

very useful and cheap

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Laser-Line-level-/19...=item2c547e7dcd

i bought one of these and its as much use as tits on a bull

[peter187]

I use a straight piece of aluminium and the measurey measurey method. It's a lot easier if I can talk someone into helping me hold the straightedge.

[roastdinajima]

I *found* a couple of lenghts of 20x20mm ali at work wacked a couple of holes at suitable in one end and with some threaded bar long enough to go through a 180 tyre, i made this seems to do the job ok, although i'll need to *find* some longer threaded bar if i get a bike with a mans sized rear tyre

Wombat if you want to borrow it i'm up on the northern beaches.

[skyline]

I've been trying to figure out this technique - using string to measure wheel alignment:

The bit at 1.25m threw me - whatdidhejustdo? - but I think I've got it. I'll give it a try on my bike once I can get into a bigger space.