I agree that the chainline on most 157mm hub bikes is less than optimal. I mitigated this as much as possible by spacing my chainring inboard by swapping around BB spacers, and my cassette outboard by removing 1 cog and using it as a spacer. My 11speed Shimano 11-46 is now 10-speed, which is plenty for me (hope the HG standard sticks around for a long time).
Other than chainline, I have zero issues with 157. I get less heel-rub than I did on my previous 142mm bike, and I see no other downsides. In fact I went all-in and bought a 157 HT to compliment my 157 fully. Next bike will likely be 157 as well for wheel compatibility, but I would still consider bikes with 148 hub spacing if there were other performance benefits.
Jan. 10, 2022, 10:02 p.m. - Skooks
I agree that the chainline on most 157mm hub bikes is less than optimal. I mitigated this as much as possible by spacing my chainring inboard by swapping around BB spacers, and my cassette outboard by removing 1 cog and using it as a spacer. My 11speed Shimano 11-46 is now 10-speed, which is plenty for me (hope the HG standard sticks around for a long time). Other than chainline, I have zero issues with 157. I get less heel-rub than I did on my previous 142mm bike, and I see no other downsides. In fact I went all-in and bought a 157 HT to compliment my 157 fully. Next bike will likely be 157 as well for wheel compatibility, but I would still consider bikes with 148 hub spacing if there were other performance benefits.