Bike Help Needed



RagingSpirit

New Member
Feb 15, 2004
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My 2001 Trek 5200 finally arrived, but I am having some trouble installing the front wheel (Rolf Vector Comp).

Is it supposed to come with a quick release mechanism adjusting nut? Because right now I just have the skewer (correct terminology?) sticking through the wheel with nothing to secure it on the other side. Am I missing something here (about how to install it) or did UPS lose my nut???? (there were a few holes in the box.... handle with care my @$$).

Another thing (yes, I am a newbie when it comes to setting up bikes). I am having some difficulty setting up the rear derailleur. Shimano's website doesn't have very useful documentation (this was the best I could find, but it only deals with the lever itself) about it. I tried putting the gear into the lowest (fewest teeth) one and then pulling the wire tightly and fastening it but this did not work: when I tried to upshift after this procedure the derailleur didn't even move.
 
Originally posted by RagingSpirit
My 2001 Trek 5200 finally arrived...
First off, congratulations!

I've attached an image of what a skewer should look like. There should be, as you can see, two ends to the thing; one end sports a lever-assembly and the other, a sort of end-cap. Typically, there's a pair of conical springs pushed up against each end as well.

If I'm reading your message correctly, and one of those endcaps is missing, you'll need to replace it (either the endcap or the skewer -- whatever's more feasible for you).

Regarding your derailleur, here's the deal. This stuff isn't rocket-science but it can be a bit tricky. Many cyclists, like myself, take on minor repair/adjustment processes, but tend to leave the initial setup jobs in the hands of someone who really knows what the deal is. If you're intent on figuring this out yourself, Parktool has a tutorial site that explains a lot of the basics pretty clearly. Have a look through it; it should give you some insights.

Do consider having a pro set up the drivetrain for you, though. Good luck!
 
I've come up with a temporary solution (or maybe permanent, seeing how lazy I tend to be). I simply used the nut (or end cap, whichever you prefer :p ) from my Trek 700 hybrid. Hope that it holds up.

In the past few hours i've also managed to buy a schraeder adapter for presta valves and a wrench that's about 7 sizes too small...... Now if I can only find a hardware store that sells 3.2 cm wrenches (the stem is not attached to the frame).
 
Well, good luck with that stuff. Sounds like you're taking a lot on for yourself! That's a good thing; the world needs more cyclists that can assemble and fix their own stuff (I, for instance, rely heavily on the good nature of others).

Even a process like attaching a stem to your steerer tube involves a few nuances -- you'll want to be sure the headset is properly compressed, and all the bolts are torqued properly -- the parts in your headset/steerer tube/stem/bar assembly don't have to do much, but what they do, they've got to do just right or you could hurt yourself.

Scan through the Parktool link in the post above as you go. Good luck!