So I keep my vote for 1 washer.
For the time being that's exactly what I am going to do...
The overall wheel "looks" centered... I have made a series of measurements at the brake bridge level with my vernier and it seems that the rim is off-centered by 1mm.
As most of the intended usage for this bike will be slow speed gravel track it should be acceptable for a start.
It's also the easiest solution and I would really like to start riding the Gravster over the coming days.... I've been on this project since late June last year - that was when the idea of building that bike first sprang to my mind... And my expectations were to have the build completed within a couple of months... More than nine months have lapsed since that first idea and I guess it's time to give it a go...
adding a 2-mm washer each side of the hub will do the following:
- Spread the 130mm rear to 134, which means that the dropouts will be angled away and not parallel to the washers.
Correct. I have to add that initially I had a dropout alignment issue.
I sent the frame back to Argos for them to add a very fine layer of brazing at the very end of the NDS dropout opening - these dropouts do not have adjustment screws...
And to be perfectly complete I should also add that I would like to check the hanger alignment as well...
But first I would need to have a wheel which is perfectly aligned - and there is no way to be absolutely sure about this other than first checking the perfect whell alignment with a jig.
Second I would need to get hold of a decent dropout alignment tool... The only one that was convincing quality wise and at a decent price - for the limited usage I will have, is actually a shameless copy of the Park Tool one from China that I spotted on the bay... Only issue is it will take nearly a month to be delivered.
Third - and most importantly, the hanger is brazed and not TIGged. Although it's proper hot bronze brazing, it's still not as bomb proof welding as TIG. I'm a bit concerned about applying to much strength onto the hanger and the dropouts.
Again - let's give it a go, let's see how the frame behave.
In practice, ds is often weaker (due to the crimping for chainring clearance I believe) and ds moves by more than nds. The nds-ds ratio can be anything between 50-50 to an eyebrow-raising 10-90.
I think this is exactly what is happening on this frame... I don't think the wheel is off-centered by as much as half the washer thickness...