Just wondering if there are any “everybody knows it but me” tricks and tips for lining up your bike/bike seat and your bike/handlebars, so they are all centered. There must be a better way then trying to center yourself and then alternately closing each eye and making adjustments until you achieve an equal amount of parallax. Or do you all just eyeball it?
An aero seatpost.
For the seat… A Softride. LOL!
For the front end, it’s just eyeballing. If you have aero’s, then it’s easier to site down to the front wheel through the aero’s, especially if they’re close together.
I usually eyeball it, but if you really want to sanity check yourself just take a short piece of string and put a washer on the end of it. Hang it off the tip of the saddle and the tip of the stem. If it’s centered on the top tube and the front tire your seat and stem are centered.
Edit- make sure the bike is plumb vertically before doing this or your results will be off.
I usually eyeball it, but if you really want to sanity check yourself just take a short piece of string and put a washer on the end of it. Hang it off the tip of the saddle and the tip of the stem. If it’s centered on the top tube and the front tire your seat and stem are centered.
Bugger, he beat me to it. Instead of a washer, try a plum bob.
For the handlebars you can also put a ruler or other straight device across your fork blades and then line up the handlebars parallel. Makes it a little easier to eyeball.
As for the seat I just stand behind the bike and see if the nose points directly at the stem.
-Darrell
I can’t help you straighten it, but John Cobb used to say it should be off center to give the boys room to play, depending on which way you hang…
I’m not sure if size enters the equation, but I turn my seat about 45º, hoping some fine chick will ask why…