What Skewer

Sutton_Rider

I was told at my LBS today that I shouldn't ride with a turbo skewer on the back wheel as it can come undone easily and that I should use a proper skewer such as the one that came with the bike. I've never heard this before, is it true?

fat daddy

I don't know if it's true ... but no way I would ride using the turbo skewer that I have because it doesn't lock in anywhere near as far as a regular skewer. It feels like it could come undone over rough ground .... so it's believable that this is the case.

hambini

Sounds like rubbish. Clamping force is clamping force.

fat daddy

Clamping force isn't the issue, the cam that keeps the skewer tight only closes 90deg so it seats in the clamp better ... it's really easy to undo .... a normal skewer goes past the 90deg meaning you tighten it at firdtcehdn trying to release it

imposter2.0

Probably depends on the particular brand of turbo skewer. The ones I have are just regular 'old school' style skewers which are every bit as good - if not better - than modern skewers, albeit a bit heavier. I agree with Hambini, it does sound like BS.

Bobbinogs

I use a tacx qr skewer that cost a fiver and yet it has a decent internal cam. I sometimes leave it on for rides and have never had an issue. I would trust that more than some of the expensive fancy dan titanium jobs on sale which are external cam but save 2.3g of weight, approx.

ayjaycee

If by 'turbo skewer', you mean the chrome plated things that usually come with a trainer, when I were a lad, they are what used to be called just plain 'skewers' and they can be done up plenty tight enough. Personally, I've got external cam skewers on two bikes (as fitted when I bought them) and internal cam skewers (Ultegra 6800) on another. Touch wood, never had a wheel fall off any of them yet.

mrb123

I rode round for years with a turbo skewer on the bike without any mishaps. It always seemed a pretty good robust skewer to me, probably more so than the one that came with the bike.

Sutton_Rider

Thanks for all your input guys. It seems that most feel the turbo skewer is OK, I've ridden for 3 years using such a skewer with no issues. Anyway, as I seldom use the summer bike on the trainer I've swapped the skewer over, just in case.

tangled_metal

My turbo skewer is an old fashioned, clunky internal cam skewer. Like my nearly 30 year old shimano ones on my old steel road bike. Those never came undone but the skewers that came with my bike did regularly. The last time cost me best part of £200 to put right.

Take a look at the skewer. Is it internal cam? Does it lock and clamp the wheel securely? Does it open easy? If you think it's good and it's internal cam then chances are it's good.

BTW my hierarchy concerning skewers is internal cam, external cam with brass washer or don't ride the bike. My "came with the bike" skewers were external cam with plastic washer. Lasted a year and half then let my rear wheel go flying out the back. I had warnings for probably a year. My front qr kept coming loose but i noticed it before setting off countless times. The one time i didn't spot rate front qr was loose i was saved by the lawyer lips on the fork.

Seriously check your qr as often as you check your brakes and gears if not more frequent. Plus get good after market ones preferably internal cams. Quality and design over weight (= internal cams)

Sutton_Rider

Thanks Tangled Metal, wise advice.

tangled_metal

Sutton Rider wrote:

Thanks Tangled Metal, wise advice.

Copy and paste from others!

Seriously, there's a Sheldon Brown page on the issues with skewers. Worth a look.

DavidJB

We should really start a comedy thread titled "Someone in my local bike shop said..."

Matthewfalle

DavidJB wrote:

We should really start a comedy thread titled "Someone in my local bike shop said..."

Would take over the whole forum that would.

We could tie it into "patronising words of patronisation from clubbies" and dominate the world.........

ben@31

On a hilly ride, that included some PBs on the descents. I had a squeak coming from the bike everytime I put my left foot down. Post ride, it turned out to be the front skewer was loose :shock:

Now torqued to 3 white knuckles

fenix

Riding with a pal of mine made us stop at the bottom of a 3 mile descent - "Something's not right here"

He lifted up the bike and the front wheel dropped out. His skewer wasn't loose - it was undone completely.

No idea how that could have happened and we were 50 miles into an 80 mile ride too. Any bunny hop would have been nasty.

Sutton_Rider

Ben@31 and Fenix the skewers in question were they turbo skewers or skewers meant for the road?

fenix

SR - this was a proper skewer - back in the day before Lawyers Lips and turbo skewers had been invented.

Either he'd set off like that or someone had undone it at a cafe stop. I can't see how it would have worked itself from closed to open.

Bobbinogs

Tangled Metal wrote:

...
Seriously check your qr as often as you check your brakes and gears if not more frequent. Plus get good after market ones preferably internal cams. Quality and design over weight (= internal cams)

Not bad advice. On a clubrun last year we had a group go over some minor speed bumps, no big deal and many chose to bunnyhop...only one poor fella had his front wheel drop out due to a loose QR (probably due to not being tightened correctly). Ambulance job, I'm afraid :-(

Matthewfalle

Bobbinogs wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

...
Seriously check your qr as often as you check your brakes and gears if not more frequent. Plus get good after market ones preferably internal cams. Quality and design over weight (= internal cams)

Not bad advice. On a clubrun last year we had a group go over some minor speed bumps, no big deal and many chose to bunnyhop...only one poor fella had his front wheel drop out due to a loose QR (probably due to not being tightened correctly). Ambulance job, I'm afraid :-(

Clubbies, eh .......

ryan_w-2

Just buy these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-profes ... kewer-set/

Super light (42g), strong and stealthy. All for £12!

Matthewfalle

Ryan_W wrote:

Just buy these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-profes ... kewer-set/

Super light (42g), strong and stealthy. All for £12!

Look the same as the Planet X ones everyone uses with no problems.

ryan_w-2

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

Just buy these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-profes ... kewer-set/

Super light (42g), strong and stealthy. All for £12!

Look the same as the Planet X ones everyone uses with no problems.

I found them after dropping £100 on some 33g Tune skewers... :roll: :evil:

Really are the best VFM x weight skewer set out there.

simon_masterson

Internal cam are better - either Shimano or older Campag work well.

Matthewfalle

Ryan_W wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

Just buy these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-profes ... kewer-set/

Super light (42g), strong and stealthy. All for £12!

Look the same as the Planet X ones everyone uses with no problems.

I found them after dropping £100 on some 33g Tune skewers... :roll: :evil:

Really are the best VFM x weight skewer set out there.

Noooooo! Quel domage! £100........