QR skewer fell off MTB?!

notnot

When I started out on my ride home, there was the noise of metal rubbing - I thought I was overdue lubing my chain. I then heard something fall off and the wheels stopped rolling right - when I got off to check, I saw both ends of my rear wheel QR skewer had come off :shock:

I'm going to need a replacement (couldn't find them on the road) so would something like this do? http://www.tesco.com/direct/a2z-crmo-qu ... tAodUQIAFw

Also, I don't know if I'm being paranoid, but I'm wondering if this might have been someone's idea of a joke. The front skewer is still attached and still on firmly, and I'm sure I'd also have put the back skewer on firmly - struggling to think about why it might have come off. No damage to me or the bike, but obviously not an experience I want to repeat to see if the wheel falls off next time!

monkimark

I can't see how a properly tightened qr skewer would just fall off the bike. Had the whole thing disapeared, are you sure it didn't get stolen while it was parked up somewhere?

notnot

The bit that goes through the wheel and one of the springs was still there. The two ends were gone. I thought I heard something fall off, but it's *possible* that was something else and the skewer had been nicked. But who takes the skewer and leaves the wheels?!

Anyway, reckon the linked skewer would fit a MTB?

bucklb

I'm fairly sure that skewers are standard lengths unless you're getting into esoterica like tandems. I suspect the fact that a lot of suppliers don't quote skewer lengths would back that up

You could save a bit of money with one of these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shim ... -prod87522, assuming you just want a new rear skewer. I've had several people recommend Shimano to me lately

notnot

Thanks - just want a new skewer, so that Shimano one looks good. Might try LBS first, but got a horrible feeling they'll sell 'premium' skewers that might save me a few grams while leaving me a tenner lighter!

Still struggling to figure out what happened - maybe I just stumbled across a bike thief too stupid to remove a QR rear wheel...

The Rookie

I've never had a QR where both ends could be unscrewed, just the one end!

For my commuter I use Halo bolt through skewers for a small amount of added security (plus they are lighter) can be had for about £8-10 a pair.

craker

I overtightened the skewers on my ss (actually the axle was slightly off centre and the QR was clamping the axle not the frame). The skewer snapped, I walked home. Does it look like the skewer has sheared?

notnot

Thanks - will check out the old skewer when I fit the new one. Has been a good month or two (touch wood!) since any punctures, though, so has been in place for a while...

The wheels on the bike are worth very little for resale - came with a bottom-end Giant MTB - so wouldn't be thinking about non-QR skewers were it not for the potential of stupid thieves

The Rookie

CRC £8, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/halo ... -prod26621 no brainer to me given the hassle and cost of replacing wheels and tyres/tubes, OK not total security, but better than nothing, and lighter than most QR's.

notnot

Weird - there's a bit of 'wobble' in the wheel even with the new skewer in place and closed - it feels like the wheel's not quite slotting into the frame right any more. Wheel turns - able to switch gears etc. - but doesn't feel right.

Haven't had any accidents, so a damaged frame is unlikely? Odd - will take another look later on in the hope the cause of the problems comes to mind!

bucklb

This may be trying to teach you how to suck eggs, so sorry if that is the case ...

I assume you've checked the bearings are running true? It's possible something's loosened whilst you were running without the locknuts in place. When the wheel's on the bike (and the QR's tightened) is there any play at the rims? If the bearings have loosened you may find that you can rock the wheel at the rim side to side a little - a tiny bit of play at the axle transforms into noticeable play at the rims. Tightening the bearings (well, strictly the cones) is a straightforward enough job. If all else fails I'd imagine the LBS could do it in about 2 minutes flat.

notnot

Yep - I was thinking this might be the case, and the wheel does play side-to-side just as you say. Am I going to need a special cone wrench to adjust this myself? It's good to know it's a quick job, anyway - never done it before, and had been putting it off as I thought it would be complicated!

I've got a feeling my LBS would want to fix a lot of things on the bike if I took it past. There are a few bits on the bike which aren't working 'right' but aren't safety worries and are fine for what I use it for (e.g. front part of the chainset is running OK in the large ring, which is all I need, but not others) so it would be a bit awkward persuading LBS to fix just one broken bit!

bucklb

Something along the following lines (either two of these or one spanner plus adjustable wrench) would be my weapon of choice. One that I've used is just like the 1st listing, less the rust

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MULIPLE-SPANN ... 0770649072
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Way-Multi- ... 1117654087
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bike-Spanner-/111196385526

You want something flat so you can hold the cone while you tighten the lock nut against it. They are in close proximity after all.

The LBS should have similar spanners & may not charge much more than you'd pay on eBay (especially when you take p&p into account). You do have the option of just taking the wheel into the LBS, in which case they can't give you a hard time about the rest of the bike. If you're after a cheap fix from them then you'd be reducing the work they'd need to do by having the wheel off already.

(Bear in mind that I've had spanners like that for decades so some of mine may be imperial. You'll be wanting metric)

bucklb

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... adjustment

Should give you a good heads up about what you may need to do.

Ultimately you're trying to get to a sweet spot when you adjust the cone - you want it just tight enough that there's little or no play in the bearings, but just loose enough that it rolls well.

notnot

Thanks - reckon two of these would do it then? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Way-Multi- ... 1117654087 (I don't have a decent adjustable wrench...)

LBS will take a few days before they can get around to doing it, so may as well do it myself I guess. Wonder if a big Tesco or Halfords would do these tools - would be nice to have the bike riding again this weekend...

bucklb

You could use a couple of those tools. I'd be inclined to buy one and an adjustable wrench, personally. The wrench is likely to come in useful for a lot of other stuff and will almost certainly be a lot stronger than a multi tool.

If you have a Wilkinsons near by they have good, cheap tools and also carry most bike basics. They should have the kind of stuff you're after at a good price (and if it doesn't fit you can take it back).

notnot

Thanks. Was handy when I lived near a wilkos - no longer, though

notnot

My local Tesco sells these kits, which include a 'cycle spanner' http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tesco-Activeq ... 1048072553 Reckon this is likely to be the right spanner to adjust the wheel?

(I know this is an odd thing to ask, but they're packaged so you can't see the spanner without buying and opening the kit :roll: )

bucklb

It's Tesco. Keep the receipt & I'd be staggered if they won't refund if the spanner's not appropriate. You can always ask them to confirm that they'll do so (or even ask them to open a pack for you there & then).

notnot

Right - was taking a closer look at the cones, and it looked like the locking nut on one side of the wheel had come v loose. Tightened this up, and looks like it might have sorted the problem. Next thing is a quick spin to - hopefully! - confirm that all's working...

The Rookie

You can't tighten the lockring PROPERLY without a cone spanner, do it right, do it once!

Ouija

notnot wrote:

Right - was taking a closer look at the cones, and it looked like the locking nut on one side of the wheel had come v loose. Tightened this up, and looks like it might have sorted the problem. Next thing is a quick spin to - hopefully! - confirm that all's working...

If the lockring had come loose, then you probably didn't have enough of the threaded axle left sticking out to insert into the dropouts in the frame and were essentially riding on the QR skewer (been there, done that) which then causes both ends of the skewer to pop off (had that happen on two skewers before i figured it out). The wheel sits at a slight slant in the dropouts because of it and the whole thing wobbles because there is no longer any pressure on the back of the cones.