Straightening dual crown forks

So you crashed, and now your wheel and handlebar seem to have different destinations. Here’s how to straighten that mess.

1. Make sure your stem is aligned with your top crown. Bolt-on stems are the ticket here.

2. On both crowns, loosen the bolts that clamp your stanchion tubes. On your upper crown, loosen the bolt(s) that clamp the steerer tube. Loosen them only enough to allow some wiggle — but not so much your fork drops in the clamps.

3. Straddle your front wheel (facing your bars — duh) and hold it steady between your legs.

4. Wiggle your bars side to side, maybe 2-4 inches each way. Hold the wheel stready. You might feel your fork twisting in your loose clamps. Perfect. As you do this, your fork will tend to straighten out. Eyeball the alignment of your wheel and handlebars. Keep wiggling until everything lines up.

5. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Tighten the bolts, then rip it up!