Honestly, I just figured out a better way to set up a bike stand for frame alignment

Ngl, for years I just used the old 'string around the frame' trick to check alignment, and it always felt kind of shaky. I'd spend like 20 minutes just trying to get the string to sit right without catching on the brake mounts. Then, about six months ago, I saw a mechanic in Chicago use a cheap laser level clamped to a workbench. I tried it with my own $30 Bosch model, and it changed the game. You just bounce the laser off a mirror taped to the opposite dropout, and you can see a twist in the frame in like two seconds flat. It's way faster and way more exact for spotting a bent chainstay or a tweaked rear triangle. Has anyone else moved on from the string method for this kind of check?

2 comments

2 Comments

hernandez.emma1d ago

Wait, how do you keep the mirror from moving around?

james_kim1d ago

The heavy duty 3M command strips are my go-to. They have a velcro style that lets you lift the mirror off the wall for cleaning. That system has held up for years without any shifting.