Rear forks bent?

[KnackeredBike]

Because it's been a fortnight without my rear wheel playing up...

(As usual please excuse me if I have the wrong terminology.)

Went to cycle today and the rear wheel is rubbing against the left hand rear fork. A quick inspection and the wheel appears to be true with no loose spokes. It is centred around the bit by the pedals but is way out of centre from the forks coming down from the saddle, about 15mm from the right fork and no space from the left.

I have taken out and reseated the rear wheel which has just about got it away from the fork but the QR axle doesn't seem to go as far down as it should judging by previous marks on the paint.

Is this likely to be damage to the alu frame or am I missing something obvious? Thank you as always for your advice.

Edit: the first photo is a bit misleading, I must have taken it at an angle but if you view it from above it is centred.

 

[bikingdad90]

Sounds like the wheel isn't seated correctly in the drop outs.

Slacken the quick release off as far it will go and reseat the wheel then tighten the quick release nut up and close the lever. The lever should be tight enough to leave an impression in the palm of your hand but not so tight it is impossible to close.

As part of the process take the wheel out and check the axle rod is straight.

 

[KnackeredBike]

@bikingdad90 thanks, after a bit of "taking everything out and starting again" it is recentred again! Must just be going mad with the rear wheel at the moment

 

[Racing roadkill]

@bikingdad90 thanks, after a bit of "taking everything out and starting again" it is recentred again! Must just be going mad with the rear wheel at the moment

The terms you were looking for were 'seat stays' and 'chain stays', rather than "rear forks" but it was clear to what you were referring, so that's okay.

 

[I like Skol]

Could be a bent rear axle. Is it a freewheel or freehub/cassette rear wheel? Freewheel hubs have quite a long axle length outside of the bearings and this can bend, causing alignment issues.

 

[fossyant]

Might help to clean it so it seats better. You mucky pup.

 

[si_c]

Is it an old bike? Does it have horizontal dropouts? If so you just need to centre the wheel up nicely and do the QR up good and tight (so the lever leaves a mark in the palm of your hand).

Quote from the above link: With horizontal dropouts, it is possible to mis-align the wheel in the frame if it is installed carelessly. The axle nuts or quick-release must be tightened quite securely, or the chain tension may pull the axle askew.

If it doesn't have horizontal dropouts ... just ignore this.

Also if you have an older low end steel bike with stamped dropouts and are using a QR they might be too thin to clamp properly and the wheel will shift and bind on the left chainstay. But I don't think either apply in this case.

With it being an aluminium frame my understanding is that it will be more likely to snap than to bend, so under that assumption a poorly seated was the most likely problem.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Thanks all. I am not convinced everything is right because it "dropped" again this afternoon. I have redone the QR up tighter than a gnat's chuff and we will see what happens. I have a credit card desperate to get a new bike, possibly a MTB on slicks to deal with any trailer-related cycling. But KB clings on in the meantime.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Might help to clean it so it seats better. You mucky pup.

Clean off all the anti-theft crap that has taken so long to build up? Are you mad?

(Doesn't help that a colleague who had a shiny version of mine had it nicked the other day. In Oxford any nice bikes get nicked. And any semi-nice bikes. And any original-paint-colour-visible bikes as well.)

 

[Globalti]

Are you fitting the wheel with the bike upside-down?

Mistake. Fit it then stand the bike right way up, re-loosen the QR and the bike will settle correctly on the axles. It happens all the time.

 

[Justinitus]

Are you fitting the wheel with the bike upside-down?

Mistake. Fit it then stand the bike right way up, re-loosen the QR and the bike will settle correctly on the axles. It happens all the time.

Well you just solved my problem... thank you!