Assistance with an older bike?

pottssteve

Hi,

I have a 40+ year old Peugeot bike, it has a 5 speed cassette and Simplex dérailleur with top-tube shifter. The wheels attach with wing nuts like this (this is not my bike but similar):


I took the rear wheel off this morning to fix a puncture - no problem. However, I'm finding it difficult to replace the wheel as I can't tighten the wing nut on the drive chain side. This is because it catches on the dérailleur so I can't turn it enough to tighten the wheel in the dropouts. There doesn't seem to be enough clearance, but the wheel came off, so obviously it should go back on. I've tried replacing the wheel with the wing nuts already in place on the axle but I still can't tighten it enough. I shouldn't have to remove the dérailleur to replace the wheel, should I? Any tips on how to do this would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Steve

Wirral_paul

Have you tried changing gear to put the derailleur in a different position??

pottssteve

Thanks, Paul.

Yeah, I tried that but it was still catching where the dérailleur was attached. In the end I managed it - have tested it and the wheel seems secure.

Thanks for your advice.

Steve

blackhands

Always (with derailleur gears) take the rear wheel out when the chain is on the smallest sprocket - if you watch pro riders when they have a rear wheel puncture they do this whilst waiting for service.

pottssteve

blackhands wrote:

Always (with derailleur gears) take the rear wheel out when the chain is on the smallest sprocket - if you watch pro riders when they have a rear wheel puncture they do this whilst waiting for service.

Thanks for your suggestion. I did this but the nut was catching on the part of the dérailleur where it attached to the frame. It's sorted now, but very fiddly.

Steve

Teece

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/index.php?c=6

A lot of these guys are helpful.