Double check your skewers!

Apr 29, 12 19:37

Post #1 of 26 (22546 views)

Went for a hilly 40 mile ride today. Anticipated some lung and leg searing climbs followed by hair raising decents. Each climb felt like I was pulling a trailer, like something wasn't right. My speed sensor (located on the rear wheel) kept coming in and out thereby starting and stopping my workout recording. Got real annoying so I finally stopped and turned the sensors recording off. As I continued riding the decents felt like the roads were ten times worse than they looked and uphills continued to be harder than they should have been. I finally chalked it up to tired legs.

After I got home I found my rear skewer had popped open! Completely loose! My rear wheel was being held onto by the force of gravity of my 155 pounds ass. I even bunny hopped a few larger pieces of debris and pot holes. Holy shnikes I went through about ten solid minutes of post-ride panic. On a postive note I still had a decent ride and pegged my planned ride time right on the nose.

Double checking skewers has now been added to my pre-ride routine.

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 19:46

Post #2 of 26 (22498 views)

Great advice, mine always comes lose after uses on the trainer,
My bike shop found mine held on by a hair after a TT.

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 19:49

Post #3 of 26 (22485 views)

you call it luck, I call it a well engineered safety margin. At least now you know that in the event of catastrophic skewer failure, you will likely be just fine.

sometimes you just have to eat the cake

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 19:52

Post #4 of 26 (22472 views)

mck414 wrote:

Went for a hilly 40 mile ride today. Anticipated some lung and leg searing climbs followed by hair raising decents. Each climb felt like I was pulling a trailer, like something wasn't right. My speed sensor (located on the rear wheel) kept coming in and out thereby starting and stopping my workout recording. Got real annoying so I finally stopped and turned the sensors recording off. As I continued riding the decents felt like the roads were ten times worse than they looked and uphills continued to be harder than they should have been. I finally chalked it up to tired legs.

After I got home I found my rear skewer had popped open! Completely loose! My rear wheel was being held onto by the force of gravity of my 155 pounds ass. I even bunny hopped a few larger pieces of debris and pot holes. Holy shnikes I went through about ten solid minutes of post-ride panic. On a postive note I still had a decent ride and pegged my planned ride time right on the nose.

Double checking skewers has now been added to my pre-ride routine.

It has been added to my routine, sorry to say I have horizontal drops and thus mine did not stay in place. I am still recovering from the clavicle surgery.

Ironman Certified Coach

Currently accepting limited number of new athletes

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 19:56

Post #5 of 26 (22458 views)

I had a friend in upstate NY, an absolute beast of a triathlete, and Cat 1 cyclist. Went over some tracks, his front wheel rolled off, he took the dive. Cost him teeth, skin, but got him some pins.

Always double check the QR's, and never, ever let someone else put your wheel on.

PS: Next time you're over 40MPH, think back to whether you double checked. Sorry to be in your head. :)

------------------

- I do all my own stunts

Last edited by: Rick in the D: Apr 29, 12 20:00

Re: Double check your skewers! [Rick in the D] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 19:58

Post #6 of 26 (22438 views)

Oh it'll be in my head already.

I cleaned my bike yesterday and took the wheels off for a good scrub after riding in rain the other day. I swear I put them back on good and tight. I'll be double checking, just in case.

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 20:12

Post #7 of 26 (22392 views)

pre-flight is necessary even for bikes...

Re: Double check your skewers! [UpFromOne] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 22:09

Post #8 of 26 (22257 views)

UpFromOne wrote:

pre-flight is necessary even for bikes...

having your brakes closed is a close second on the list. Grabbing a fistful of brake and getting zero response will make your butt hole pucker.

sometimes you just have to eat the cake

Re: Double check your skewers! [UpFromOne] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 22:25

Post #9 of 26 (22233 views)

Attach one of these to your QR and you'll never forget again.

Re: Double check your skewers! [VO2Matt] [ In reply to ]

Apr 29, 12 22:27

Post #10 of 26 (22227 views)

VO2Matt wrote:

UpFromOne wrote:

pre-flight is necessary even for bikes...

having your brakes closed is a close second on the list. Grabbing a fistful of brake and getting zero response will make your butt hole pucker.

Yup. My driveway is almost 1000 feet long and slopes down the whole way onto a busy highway. I only forgot once ;)

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

Last edited by: CaptainCanada: Apr 29, 12 22:27

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

timeforacompact

Apr 30, 12 3:05

Post #11 of 26 (22085 views)

a friend got a flat in the rear tire on a sunday ride. changed the tube in record time. hurried to not hold up the group. forgot to tighten the skewer.
a mile later the wheel came out, bike stopped, he didn't. ouch.
lesson: don't be in too much of a hurry when changing a flat!

______________________________________
"Competetive sport begins where healthy sport ends"

Re: Double check your skewers! [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 3:56

Post #12 of 26 (22007 views)

CaptainCanada wrote:

VO2Matt wrote:

UpFromOne wrote:

pre-flight is necessary even for bikes...

having your brakes closed is a close second on the list. Grabbing a fistful of brake and getting zero response will make your butt hole pucker.

Yup. My driveway is almost 1000 feet long and slopes down the whole way onto a busy highway. I only forgot once ;)

Bahahahahwaaaahahaha!!!

__________________________________________________
Official Polar Ambassador
http://www.google.com/...P7RiWyEVwpunlsc2JtQQ

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 4:12

Post #13 of 26 (21958 views)

Same happened to me once. Climbing a massive hill and just as I got to the peak I felt something a bit off, just before I started to decend I thought maybe I should stop and check it out. Yup, real wheel was a CM away from popping off.
That would have hurt. I triple check my wheels every ride now. A bit OCD, I know, but I'd rather take an extra minute pre-ride than lose some teeth.

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 4:44

Post #14 of 26 (21880 views)

I took both my skewers out, it saved me about 221.78 grams.

Weight is everything, am I wrong or am I wrong?

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 5:21

Post #15 of 26 (21784 views)

Found my rear wheel hanging by the chain when I got to T1 during a race.
My T1 time wasn't too impressive to say the least.

Re: Double check your skewers! [VO2Matt] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 6:45

Post #16 of 26 (21639 views)

VO2Matt wrote:

you call it luck, I call it a well engineered safety margin. At least now you know that in the event of catastrophic skewer failure, you will likely be just fine.

That's one of the reasons I HATE rear facing horizontal drop outs. I always felt that these don't have a proper fail safe mode.....aside from that, they are a pain compared to vertical drop outs.

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 6:48

Post #17 of 26 (21627 views)

If you have kids in the house, you check every inch of that bike before going out. :)

Re: Double check your skewers! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 9:18

Post #18 of 26 (21430 views)

devashish_paul wrote:

VO2Matt wrote:

you call it luck, I call it a well engineered safety margin. At least now you know that in the event of catastrophic skewer failure, you will likely be just fine.

That's one of the reasons I HATE rear facing horizontal drop outs. I always felt that these don't have a proper fail safe mode.....aside from that, they are a pain compared to vertical drop outs.

Huh? The chain tension should keep it from coming out... depending on how much tire clearance to start, it'll probably get pulled into the frame, but that should 'only' result in some major tire rub & likely a skid, but nowhere near as bad as having the front wheel seize up.

Re: Double check your skewers! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 9:20

Post #19 of 26 (21417 views)

well the chain holds them in, so you only lose a wheel if you brake =)

devashish_paul wrote:

VO2Matt wrote:

you call it luck, I call it a well engineered safety margin. At least now you know that in the event of catastrophic skewer failure, you will likely be just fine.

That's one of the reasons I HATE rear facing horizontal drop outs. I always felt that these don't have a proper fail safe mode.....aside from that, they are a pain compared to vertical drop outs.

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Re: Double check your skewers! [OneGoodLeg] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 9:21

Post #20 of 26 (21410 views)

yeah but imagine you start a steep descent and grab some brake before a turn - that rear brake will 'pull' the wheel out of the dropouts.

the wheel does *tend* to sort of stay under the bike though so you have a chance at sliding to a stop.

Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 10:22

Post #21 of 26 (21265 views)

I was recently at the start of a cycling race, and watched the field ahead of me go off the line. Literally within 50 feet of the line there is some commotion, and as the pack clears, there is a guy on the ground, and a wheel rolling along the side of the course. Turns out his front skewer wasn't closed and he got out of the saddle to start the race and somehow unweighted the wheel enough so that it fell out of the dropouts. Not a good way to start a race.

Re: Double check your skewers! [slimfast] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 10:27

Post #22 of 26 (21241 views)

Lawyer tabs FTW.

Re: Double check your skewers! [ikecycle] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 10:32

Post #23 of 26 (21220 views)

seriously, everyone hates them. I love them, I'm lazy and they let me get away with not always making sure my skewer is clamped down.

Re: Double check your skewers! [jackmott] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 10:43

Post #24 of 26 (21170 views)

Was doing a race a couple weeks ago and all of a sudden it felt like I was braking with everything I had; started smelling burnt rubber.... The culprit? Loose skewer.... When did I figure it out? After the race when I was grabbing my bike. Fortuntately the tire settled back into place and my Spider sense tols me to be cautious the last mile or so in..... Sure wish I had read this thread before then!

Re: Double check your skewers! [mck414] [ In reply to ]

Apr 30, 12 11:24

Post #25 of 26 (21060 views)

Busted my collarbone because of this. First ride on a new wheelset. Near the end of the ride I stood to hammer up a small grade. Rear wheel popped out and the energy that had been going to the rear wheel had to go somewhere. With me standing and leaning foward that's apparently where it all went. (I have now exceeded the limits of what I remember from high school physics.) All I know is I was suddenly sprawled in the middle of the road with a busted collarbone. The rear wheel went rolling and I probably wouldn't have been able to find it if I hadn't heard it hit a street sign about 50 feet away.

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