I have discovered why the rear wheel of my bike keeps going out of alignment and rubbing against the frame: the wheel itself is somewhat bent. No matter how I line it up, there is a warp that causes it to rub against the brake pad once or twice per revolution. Over time, I guess it drifts more and more, to the point where the side of the tire is rubbing against the back portion of the frame.
When I get back from Scotland, I will have to go to Beeline Cycles and learn how much it will cost to have repaired. Until then, I will ride with a spanner so that I can reset things when they go too badly out of whack for me to easily maintain forward momentum.
[Update: 5 August 2006] I brought the bike in to Beeline Cycles, where I bought it back in March, and they fixed it for free under the warranty. Yet another case in which they have exceeded my expectations for good customer service.
Milan
The problem may be that the wheel is not trued. Trueing involves having equal tension on both sides of the wheel . It is a tricky task for the untrained but a good bike mechanic will do it quite quickly in Canada for a very modest price of about $5 in Canada.
Dad
Dad,
I was hoping there would be some solution short of replacing the wheel. It takes several hours to get off-kilter enough that it actually starts rubbing the frame.
The most reputable cycle workshop in Oxford. You often need to book in advance because their reliability plus the ethos at “the only financially self-sustaining cycle recycling project in the UK” makes them damn popular.
If you can count as staff in any way, you might like to try the free bike doctor service in the University Science Area on Wednesdays.
Antonia,
I don’t think working for the St. Hugh’s Summer School and giving one lecture for Hertford qualifies me as staff. That said, I will try booking at the cycle workshop. Thanks for the information.