Check your wheels

Studoc

Hi,

Needed new brake pads yesterday so left into a bike shop in Fairview. On returning the guy in the shop told me that he had put a quick release bar on the front wheel. The original was gone (ie nicked). I have no idea for how long I was cycling without one (could have been taken that day as I leave it in a fairly open place, in a hospital, locked through the front wheel). Anyway, if it was'nt for this chap, the front wheel could have come off at any time.

I would have much preferred my bike to have been swipped than for some psychotic b*stard to take something so vital, and make it look like nothing was amiss. It is akin to messing with a car's brakes.

uberwolf

I was out training one snowy day, and had a few dicey moments steering. One of them felt particularly 'odd' so I stopped cautiously and lifted the front of the bike to spin the wheel. Handle bar came away. Fork had rusted through, and the wheel (and half the fork!) fell away.

40 miles from home. In lycra, with snow in the fields.

:eek:

but at least it wasn't done out of badness!

kona

why you should check before you ride,only takes a second.
how did you not notice
lucky guy, you should have got the lever replaced with a allen key head to stop further theft;)

Studoc

Lucky me is right, and I have no idea how I did'nt notice. Anyway, as you point out it is v easy to check over your bike before riding and this incident has certainly "encouraged" me.

blorg

uberwolf wrote: »

Fork had rusted through, and the wheel (and half the fork!) fell away.

Steel is real

rubadub

I came out of a supermarket to find my front loosened, dunno if they were trying to nick it or acting the kunt. There are always gangs of young scumbags around the supermarket. I always just jump the bike up and bang the wheels a few times to check. I spotted right away but could understand somebody not seeing it.

I would have got the guy to put on normal ones, i.e. not quick release.

souter

Only noticed when I was coming into the house, lifted the front wheel over the threshold and the wheel kept going. Quite a scare, pitching front forks into the ground at any sort of speed has to be nasty. Found the axle directly where my bike had been secured, so the some skangers had done it purely for devilment.

Also had my brake cantilevers stolen in London - didn't go that far before spotting, but still give the brakes a tweak soon after starting.

rubadub

souter wrote: »

purely for devilment.

Yep manslaughter is hilarious to some arseholes...

blorg

It is pretty bad all right. Generally due to the dropout design the wheel will tend to stay in place but feel funny, (hopefully) giving you a chance to notice.

david1two3

you are not feeling your bike properly as I know occasionally I havent tightened the skewer properly and it becomes apparent through the bars fairly quickly. My front wheel came off 18 years ago as I popped a wheelie near Richmond on Thames. I was going about 5mph so no probs.

cunnins4

happened to me once, noticed the front wheel was a bit "funny" as ye said, stopped at the next lights, low and behold the skewer'd come loose. Thankfully it hadn't come out, so the wheel was just really rocky, but wasn't far from coming free.

That and getting doored are my worst fears on the bike. Ouch.

Raam

The rear wheel on my fixie keeps coming loose. It's non-quick release. Any ideas how to prevent this? When I tighten it, I make sure there is no play, but at the same time, I don't over tighten it.

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

The rear wheel on my fixie keeps coming loose. It's non-quick release. Any ideas how to prevent this? When I tighten it, I make sure there is no play, but at the same time, I don't over tighten it.

i had this problem when i first got my langster so i bought these. they'll only work if you have track ends though, not if it's a conversion with forward facing horizontal drop outs. they're good for fine tuning your chain tension if your unsure where the sweet spot is. i don't use em anymore though, i just tighten the nuts hard.

i bought the 10mm ones which were too small and i had to dremmel the hell out of them to get the axle through.

Raam

Nice one Tom! (I never get tired of that)
If the problem persists, I'll buy a couple of them

P

niceonetom

Raam wrote: »

Nice one Tom! (I never get tired of that)
If the problem persists, I'll buy a couple of them

P

they come as pairs, but i only ever used one of them on the chain side. did the trick.