Bought a new bike

[Guest001]

My Grandma used salt on the driveway in winter to keep the weeds down.
Off-road is a "generally" peaceful and personal adventure reserved for our free time (precious indeed). Enjoy!

Might however have been the axel of the hub though as it never seemed to connect the same each time we took it off and put it on again.

You'd be spot on there. A slight amount of axle end run-out would do that. Set up on V blocks with a trammel and dial gauge to test the end play is a bit much for a bicycle.

Everything should be marked before you try to gauge any sort of differential.

Even when changing the Tyre on a cycle, as you have to remove the wheel, the chain and axle orientation should be marked in relation to the sprockets and

armatures to ensure replacement precisely back to the same position as on removal to ensure everything is back is inline with wear.