Stiff rear wheel

[gaz]

How hard should it be to move the rear wheel into and out of the horizontal drops when the nuts are un-done?
as mine seems to be near impossible to do just by hand, the washers or w/e they are next to the hub seem to grip the frame.

 

[Bicycle]

Golly gosh. It's hard to comment without seeing the thing.

But...

It depends on many factors.

I have frames from which the rear wheel tumbles as soon as I flick the QR and frams from which I have to wiggle and tease the wheel.

Having a think about it, I think the wiggle/tease frames are all (or have all been) steel. I am not a metallurgist, so this may just be hokum.

I'm guessing (by the topic heading) that this is a fixie question. The wheel in my fixie is certainly less inclined to pop out when undone, but mine's a road frame that I had cold pressed down to 120mm. It is snug. Also, steel seems to be a nicely 'alive' material.

I think it shouldn't be an issue as long as the wheel spins nicely when it is in position.

I'm slightly worried by the thought of a loose wheel being 'almost impossible' to shift. Is it just that it takes more heft than you'd expect?

I realise I've rambled here, but it was meant to help. If it works OK when assembled, I'd be inclined to live with it.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Maybe remove the washers?

 

[Rob3rt]

On both of my track frames (past and present), the wheel was/is very free to move back and forth in the track ends upon loosening the track nuts.

As for materials comments, one frame was steel (Fuji Track) the other is aluminium, with replaceable track ends which I'm guessing are made of (stainless) steel.

 

[Rob3rt]

Maybe remove the washers?

If these are anything like those on my last 3 pairs of track wheels, you should not remove these. They are complementary to the track nuts and are designed to grip track ends that are not exactly parallel.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

If these are anything like those on my last 3 pairs of track wheels, you should not remove these. They are complementary to the track nuts and are designed to grip track ends that are not exactly parallel.

If thats the case the answer to the OP's question is probably "very". They are doing the job they are designed for.

 

[Rob3rt]

If thats the case the answer to the OP's question is probably "very". They are doing the job they are designed for.

They only grip when the track nuts are done up. The wheel should slide about in the track ends pretty easily when the track nuts are loosened off. On both of my bikes and 3 sets of wheels, if the tracknut was loosened off, then the wheel would move about in the dropout with no resistance.

 

[gaz]

I can't actually pull it out by hand. I have to use a spanner to twist the inside part, which as Rob3rt said, looks like it compliments the nut by gripping the replaceable drop out.
I guess a visit to the LBS for advice on how to progress is in order.

 

[Rob3rt]

That is certainly not normal, the wheel should move freely. You don't see people struggling to get their rear wheel off down the track to change cogs etc.

Did you have this problem when you got the cog sorted when you 1st bought the bike?

 

[gaz]

That is certainly not normal, the wheel should move freely. You don't see people struggling to get their rear wheel off down the track to change cogs etc.

Did you have this problem when you got the cog sorted when you 1st bought the bike?

It was like this when i got the bike. I didn't really think much of it at first.

I've been umming and arrring about contacting Perason as I think i've had awful customer service but this has just pushed me over.

 

[YahudaMoon]

@ Gaz. You could check the rear drop out size on the frame using a steel ruler. This obviously shouid be the same as the bike specifies and the wheel axle should be the same.

Have you got the correct size axle on the wheels ?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

bad to hear you've had terrible service from pearsons, i've just sent a frame back that was built wrong.....i hope i have more luck than you and they send me a new frame with no quibbles.

fyi they do have taper lock drop outs, but the wheel should still pretty much fall out once undone.

 

[mangid]

Are the dropouts aluminium? my first langster frame ended up with the aluminium flowing round the axle, on the 2007 frames onwards they put some steel side plates on the outside to spread the load.

--
Dan