Replacing rear wheel

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by barefoot
Hi

I hope someone can help me. I have a Bianchi ML3 road bike, and just bought some new tires for it, so I've put them on (after removing the wheels), but for some reason I can't put the rear wheel back on. It just won't fit into the two slots on the frame. Do I need some special equipment to force the rear forks apart to squeeze it in or something??

Please help!

Make sure the tire isn't holding you back... contacting the brakes or something. If the wheel came out, it will go back in. You might need to back off the QR skewer further. Pay particular attention to th alignment of the locknuts to the dropouts.

Hi

Thanks for replying. Yep, it's not the brakes that are getting in the way, and, pardon my ignorance, but what's the QR skewer?

It just seems that the the more I push the left locknut (ie. the side without the cogs) the more it pushes the other locknut out of alignment, but even then the left locknut won't line up. 😕 Even pulling the forks apart as much as I can won't get it in!

Well I just got my dad to help me force the forks apart and we managed to force it in to the dropouts, but that shouldn't be necessary, should it?

I just hope I don't have to do that again.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by barefoot
Hi

Thanks for replying. Yep, it's not the brakes that are getting in the way, and, pardon my ignorance, but what's the QR skewer?

It just seems that the the more I push the left locknut (ie. the side without the cogs) the more it pushes the other locknut out of alignment, but even then the left locknut won't line up. 😕 Even pulling the forks apart as much as I can won't get it in!

You are doing something very wrong. The rear dropout spacing is the same as the overlocknut hub spacing,and the stays(forks) should not need forcing apart. Maybe you need to take it to a good shop and let them show you the drill.

That's what I thought, that I must be doing something wrong. I've changed wheels before (only on MTBs, but I don't know if that makes a difference), and never had any trouble, so I don't know what it could be.

It seems fine now, but next time I think I will take it to a shop.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by barefoot
That's what I thought, that I must be doing something wrong. I've changed wheels before (only on MTBs, but I don't know if that makes a difference), and never had any trouble, so I don't know what it could be.

It seems fine now, but next time I think I will take it to a shop.

If the road bike has horizontal or semihorizontal dropouts, the axel ends have to be slid in from the front and then pushed back into position. MTB dropouts are tpically vertical or semi vertical and the axel just drops in. The driil for getting the wheel in is different for each type.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by barefoot
Hi

I hope someone can help me. I have a Bianchi ML3 road bike, and just bought some new tires for it, so I've put them on (after removing the wheels), but for some reason I can't put the rear wheel back on. It just won't fit into the two slots on the frame. Do I need some special equipment to force the rear forks apart to squeeze it in or something??

Please help!

Measure the Over Locknut dimension of the wheel and the frame.
130 mm is what they are supposed to measure. If the wheel is more and your frame is steel, you can put a little cold set in to make the frame match the wheel. If you don't want to cold set the frame... or it is carbon fiber... or aluminum, look for a spacer on the left side that can be removed... and then check the centering of the rim.
Cold set instructions are on Sheldon Brown's site listed below:

<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html>

My touring bicycle comes with 132.5 mm OLD so that it can handle 130 and 135 mm wheels. It takes a little grunt to get the wheel back in. Now that I have practiced it, I can do it 95% of the time. The other 5% is when I have ridden a loaded tour all day and flatted near the night's destination.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by daveornee
Measure the Over Locknut dimension of the wheel and the frame.
130 mm is what they are supposed to measure. If the wheel is more and your frame is steel, you can put a little cold set in to make the frame match the wheel. If you don't want to cold set the frame... or it is carbon fiber... or aluminum, look for a spacer on the left side that can be removed... and then check the centering of the rim.
Cold set instructions are on Sheldon Brown's site listed below:

<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html>

My touring bicycle comes with 132.5 mm OLD so that it can handle 130 and 135 mm wheels. It takes a little grunt to get the wheel back in. Now that I have practiced it, I can do it 95% of the time. The other 5% is when I have ridden a loaded tour all day and flatted near the night's destination.

I was making the assumption(not always a good idea) that the wheels were original to the bike. If that's the case there should be no need for monkeying around,unless the axel spacing somehow got screwed with.

Thanks for the tip, daveornee, but boudreaux assumed correctly about the wheels being original to the bike. I assume that when I bought the bike and the mechanic was checking it over that he would have removed the wheels and put them back.

By the way, about the dropouts; they look more vertical than horizontal (about a 30 degree angle when upsidedown).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by barefoot
Thanks for the tip, daveornee, but boudreaux assumed correctly about the wheels being original to the bike. I assume that when I bought the bike and the mechanic was checking it over that he would have removed the wheels and put them back.

By the way, about the dropouts; they look more vertical than horizontal (about a 30 degree angle when upsidedown).

It certainly wouldn't hurt to measure.
Remember, there are maufacturing tolerances and adjustments that make a difference. If your axle/hub/cone/bearing sizes were all in one direction; the built wheel could easily be 131 mm. If the frame were slightly tight... or tweeked it could be 129 mm or so. It is you bicycle, but if you have a calipers, make the measurements. Even the best doctors use diagnistics to "rule out" potential causes of symptoms.
I would not assume that the mechanic checked these measurements.... as I have seen many "wrenches" who don't use calipers... and some that do... don't know how to read the venier scale.

Ok, thanks, I'll try measuring it.