Cold and Dry; Quick Release
February 6th, 2012
Today may not have been colder, but I did leave much earlier than usual. The temperature was 26 degrees, and there was nothing else notable about the weather or road conditions – it was chilly on my face, but the riding quickly warmed me up. I certainly got into work faster without dodging all of those pesky cars. The ride made me realize how rarely a city cyclist goes without having to stop, turn, merge or dodge, as I did almost none of those things this morning. (That’s right, at 7 am not only is the traffic light, but you can go through buildings and ride on the water. Pretty sweet!)
Clothing: Heavy winter jacket, wool gloves, waterproof shoes.
I have developed a(nother?) pet peeve: quick release. I like them just fine, but I’m pretty sure upwards of 90% of bikers have no idea how to use them. I can actually say that with confidence because up until a few months ago, I had no idea how to use them. Neither did my sister: she once had her front wheel fall off while riding because of an improperly installed quick release.
Wrong way: Use the lever at the end to tighten them. When you have it good and cinched, then you’re good.
Wrong way: Tighten it down all the way with the lever open, then struggle to close it up. Use tools or get a hernia if necessary.
Right way (about halfway down the page): With the lever pointing straight out, tighten the nut until everything is snug and not droopy. Close the lever with it angled in a direction it won’t get caught on anything.
In looking for a guide on this, I think every guide on the internet has a “right way” and a “wrong way” to close your quick release. You’ve been warned.
February 6th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
One day last year I biked across town, then picked up my bike, and the wheel came off. The quick release skewer was no where to be found, the frame had just been resting on the wheel hub with no attachment for the whole ride. I’m not sure if someone had been trying to steal the wheel and was interrupted or was playing a prank. I felt pretty lucky that it didn’t fall off while I was riding.
I’ve switched to bolted on wheels…
February 7th, 2012 at 10:12 am
In your situation, I would have switched over to bold-on skewers rather than just straight bolt hubs. The former mean you have one less tool to carry (i.e. a 15mm wrench), without compromising security.
February 8th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Good point, actually that is what I did (get bolt on skewers) for that bike, but then I got a new bike that happened to have bolt hubs and needing an extra tool for it is a bit annoying.