Which way around for a quick release?

[Pale Rider]

Is there a correct side on the bike for the lever of a quick release?

Looking at my bikes - and having changed tyres a couple of times - I now have a mixture.

Something rings a bell that the lever should be installed on the left (near on the road) side of the bike.

Or doesn't it matter?

 

[S-Express]

Historically, QR levers face left. Makes sense for the rear to face left, but front doesn't need to for any particular reason other than tradition or aesthetics. I have a TA disk bike where the front lever faces to the right.

 

[jonny jeez]

Dont know but the levers must line up...they MUST!!

 

[MontyVeda]

LH levers on my bike... t'opposite side from derailluer on t' back because it seems logical. Same on t' front for no other reason than aesthetics.


PS. Set my spellchecker to 'northern'... is it workin'?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Put the skewers on with both cams on the drive side. If you ever have to ditch the bike, try and ditch it to the non drive side that way, you minimise the expense a bit, and stand a better chance of being able to ride away, without broken open skewers. Also ,if you have the cams on the drive side, if you park the bike in a rack or stand, lock the bike up with the drive side next to the loop / bar / rack / whatever, that way it's less likely to find that the cams have been opened by accident ( it's harder to catch the cams on anything if there's a piece of rack in the way).

 

[Levo-Lon]

Mine are front near and rear off

 

[Drago]

Non drive side, facing rearward of vertical.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I think it only really matters if you have a mechanic who jumps out of a Skoda with you screaming at him every time you need a new wheel.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I think it only really matters if you have a mechanic who jumps out of a Skoda with you screaming at him every time you need a new wheel.

True, that's another reason to keep them on the same side.

 

[Pale Rider]

I think it only really matters if you have a mechanic who jumps out of a Skoda with you screaming at him every time you need a new wheel.

I read somewhere the pro mechanics also always close the lever pointing in the same direction to save them a fraction of a second when they drop their hand on it.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I read somewhere the pro mechanics also always close the lever pointing in the same direction to save them a fraction of a second when they drop their hand on it.

They do indeed. I imagine a pro mechanic knows where a lever is even if it's dark, it's one of those situations where consistency might just pay off.
For you and I, probably not so critical, although having said that my levers are always on the left. I've never even thought to swap them round, I just blindly keep them there for reasons unknown. Familiarity maybe, or fear of what might happen if I do something alien!

 

[subaqua]

Left side . That's where the German who assembled the bike put them and ze germans zay know ze rules OK Ja !

 

[HLaB]

I've always went with the lever on the non drive side as it keeps my fingers away from the cassette/chain. It doesn't really matter with the front but I keep it the same for aesthetics and there's a 50/50 chance if I stack the bike the skewers will be untouched

 

[Sea of vapours]

Rear on the non-drive side, basically because it's too cluttered on the same side as the derailleur. Front on the off-side, or right, or drive side, to keep it away from the disk and also since aesthetically I think it balances the disk, a bit, rather than having 'stuff' on both sides of the rear wheel and all on one side at the front,which feels imbalanced. (A bit tortuous, but it's what feels 'right' to me.)

 

[summerdays]

Left side of the bike for me, and I always think it's odd seeing them on differing sides front and back. Also back one facing into the triangle between the stays, front one pointing to behind the forks.

Having said that I run with locking ones on my main commuter bike - so no lever!