My bike leans to the left while riding?

Question

I received a bike from a friend and decided to fix it up to ride to work. The bikes tires wobbled when I turned it over and spun them. So I tried to true the tires by fixing the spokes. I got the bike to a point where the tires stopped wobbling and I went for a test drive. It rode fairly well, but then I tried to ride no handed and it almost immediately veered to the left. I thought it might have been due to the rode being slanted so I went somewhere else and tried again. it did the same thing.

Any idea what is wrong with the bike? I would like to be able to take my hands off the handle bars to adjust my bag, drink water, or simply to relax for a second without fearing that I will end up in a ditch. Any ideas? Thanks!

Answer 1

It could be several things.   Check these things out at home, and if those don't fix it, take it in to a bike shop to have them check the dish of the wheels and the frame alignment....a bent frame is a frequent cause of veering, and mis-dished wheels are also a common cause.  

* If you have horizontal dropouts for the rear wheel, check to be sure the wheel is sitting squarely and not ****** (heh...stupid word filter.  I said c-ocked) to one side.

* Check the headset adjustment....too tight or too loose can affect things.

* Crooked fork/handlebars won't usually make it veer like that, but check this while you're at it.  Usually the front wheel will track fine while you're riding no-handed.....the bars will just look crooked.  

* Check your wheel bearings to make sure they're not loose.

* Check your saddle positioning to be sure it isn't crooked or sitting too far forward.

Hope this helps....if everything checks out ok, then you may just have a bike with aggressive geometry that is harder to control no-handed.  In that case, you just have to work on balance and smooth pedaling, or get used to doing things one-handed.   Good luck!    :o)

Answer 2

I would say your headset needs looking at by a bike mechanic.

Answer 3

Ride Urb had some good suggestions. In addition I will say that this can sometimes be a frame alignment issue. Some cheap bikes are built out of alignment. This may not be something you can fix.

Answer 4

That's all about the fork. It's a little twisted counterclockwise if you are leaning left. Straighten or replace it and you'll have a comfy ride.

Answer 5

If your bike is leaning that much then you should consider brining in the bike to a shop to get it looked at.  Sounds like a bent frame to me.