Skewer Handle posistion



kdelong

Well-Known Member
Dec 14, 2006
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Once upon a time, it seemed that there was a nearly universal preference among most cyclists to position their wheel quick release skewer levers on the left side of the bike, with the front crossing the fork and the rear crossing the chainstay. Of course these were the old school levers that were offset from the wheel hub. Now I know that there is no "wrong way" to position your skewer levers, and that a lot of skewer levers are no longer offset making the old position impossible. After checking in a few recent issues of cycling magazines, it appears that there is no nearly universal preference of skewer positioning any longer. How do you position your skewer levers?
 
Were the wheels with skewers handles on the RIGHT side of the bike on disc brake wheels?
 
for me, i still go with the front crossing the fork (more towards parallel with the ground if i can) while the back i keep along the line of the seat stay. don't really know why i prefer this but i get the feeling that the position really doesn't make a difference overall.
 
Back in the day...

We were taught to position our rear quick release lever to point forward or between the chain and seat stays. The logic being that when racing or riding in a close pace line contact by the following rider's front wheel would not inadvertently unlock the skewer or 'trap' the following rider's tire long enough to increase the chance of a fall.

The front lever was usually positioned parallel to the fork blade.
 
If I'm looking at my CAAD8 from the drive side, both Skewers are parallel to the ground with the front crossing the fork (east to west) and the rear running below the chain stay (west to east). With the beefy chainstays of the CAAD, the rear skewer is out of the way and still easy to access. On my less beefy Pinarello, I use the more traditional method of crossing the fork and rear stays (as mentioned in the OP). All of my wheels have older record skewers with the internal cam. Not the lightest, but they are bike jewelry and work great too.
 
PeterF said:
If I'm looking at my CAAD8 from the drive side, both Skewers are parallel to the ground with the front crossing the fork (east to west) and the rear running below the chain stay (west to east). With the beefy chainstays of the CAAD, the rear skewer is out of the way and still easy to access. On my less beefy Pinarello, I use the more traditional method of crossing the fork and rear stays (as mentioned in the OP). All of my wheels have older record skewers with the internal cam. Not the lightest, but they are bike jewelry and work great too.
Of course, I meant to add that the skewers themselves are on the non-drive side. I only mention the drive side as a point of reference.
 
CAMPYBOB said:
Back in the day...

We were taught to position our rear quick release lever to point forward or between the chain and seat stays. The logic being that when racing or riding in a close pace line contact by the following rider's front wheel would not inadvertently unlock the skewer or 'trap' the following rider's tire long enough to increase the chance of a fall.

The front lever was usually positioned parallel to the fork blade.
+1, that was the way to do it and explanation I got years ago as well. I've modified it slightly now because the big alloy lever with "external cam" doesn't have the offset of the old internal ones. It looks better to me with the front lever parallel to the ground rather than sticking straight up....not to mention the reduced wind resistance.

The sad thing is that I ride with a guy who puts the front lever on the drive side, because he says it's "easier" to hang the wheel on when removing his bike from the roof rack. Have told him this is risky, since the motion of the front wheel will tend to "unscrew" the skewer when mounted backwards, and the fact his front wheel hasn't fallen off yet is just due to the dumb lawyers tabs he refuses to file off.....but he just isn't buying it :)
 
dhk2 said:
+1, that was the way to do it and explanation I got years ago as well. I've modified it slightly now because the big alloy lever with "external cam" doesn't have the offset of the old internal ones. It looks better to me with the front lever parallel to the ground rather than sticking straight up....not to mention the reduced wind resistance.

The sad thing is that I ride with a guy who puts the front lever on the drive side, because he says it's "easier" to hang the wheel on when removing his bike from the roof rack. Have told him this is risky, since the motion of the front wheel will tend to "unscrew" the skewer when mounted backwards, and the fact his front wheel hasn't fallen off yet is just due to the dumb lawyers tabs he refuses to file off.....but he just isn't buying it :)

Across the fork leg at an upward angle of about 45°, while between the chain stay and seat stay in the rear. Both on the NDS.

Any reason for not placing the skewers a certain way can be conjured up, but "reasons" aren't necessarily realistic. As for unscrewing if placed on the DS, well, that's highly unlikely. The QR axle doesn't turn. The wheel axle doesn't turn, and if it does turn then the noise and sensation of the seized bearings should be driving you crazy.

The QR thing is cycling convention, that's all. It's just like the anal convention about where tire labels should be relative to the rim and side of the bike.
 
What difference does it make as long as they're closed? :rolleyes:


I have yet to encounter a QR related crash. And I install my tyres with the labels 180* from the valve stems, facing the left side.
 
gggossel said:
What difference does it make as long as they're closed? :rolleyes:


I have yet to encounter a QR related crash. And I install my tyres with the labels 180* from the valve stems, facing the left side.
No wrong answer, just curious how every one else does it. I thought that there was some kind of international law concerning the tire labels;).
 
kdelong said:
No wrong answer, just curious how every one else does it. I thought that there was some kind of international law concerning the tire labels;).
I put the tires on the wheel such that the labels are where the hole for the valve stem is, such is the international law of Swampy. Finding little holes in the dark can be a tricky experience at first. ;)
 
swampy1970 said:
I put the tires on the wheel such that the labels are where the hole for the valve stem is, such is the international law of Swampy. Finding little holes in the dark can be a tricky experience at first. ;)

When I mount tubulars, I mount them so that the basetape faces the rim's tire bed. When I mount clinchers, I mount them so that the bead is held in place by the rim hook. In both cases, I mount the tires so that the labels are on one side or another, somewhere on a circumference of the tire.

I find the valve stem by looking for the little thingy that doesn't extend all the way to the hub, from the rim, like the spokes.

My method works every time.