On a training ride this weekend my rear wheels came askew in the horizonatal dropouts as I powered off a red light.
I pulled off the wheel and inspected it and found one of the horizontal drop-out set screws went all the way in up to the head.
I believe that Cervelo tapped the thread too deep (actually all the way through) on one dropout so the bolt goes all the way in. To make it worse the thread is really loose - I can wiggle the screw with my fingers when its in… and I have a race in 6 days. Aaaaaarhg…
I know that its the quick-release that holds the wheel in place but the set screws should still be able to stop the wheel from coming in and jamming into the frame. The wheel rubbed a good chunk of paint off the horizonals by the time I safely pulled over.
I’ve heard from one person that he had the same problem and had to jury-rig better set screws and SUPER-CRANK on the Quick-Release. That just feels wrong on a new $2.8k bike from a company that lives on its reputation. Has anyone had a similar problem?
I’ll talk to Cervelo on Monday and see what they can do to help.
Mark
If you have to use the set screws to hold the wheel in your skewer isn’t tight enough. I dont even have the set screws in my bike because they are more of a pain in the ass than anything. Pull the stupid things out and tighten your skewer.
I can wiggle the screws on mine too. I think that’s just the way they are. They wiggle, but they do
not fall out. Just back them out an equal number of turns and make sure that the skewer is tight
enough.
you can put a little blue loctite on the screws and tighten the skewer tighter.
aerodynamic solutions are not always convenient. if you don’t like to tinker, go for a bike with vertical dropouts =)
Locktite 242 or 290. DO NOT depend on the color of the product to decide what it is that you are using. The 290 is green as is the 640 that can be seen here . If you use the green 290 you are set, if you use the green 640 you had better like where the bolts are as they are never ever going to move again.
should have used green 640 on my fsa crankset bolt
.
Seen it done. Once met a guy who put 640 in his BB shell to stop it from creaking. In LBS 640 is used a fair bit for things like headset cups that have been messed up, helicoils and other gap filling needs…
The guy who put it in his BB…had to get a paint job as it took a blow torch to get it out 
“If you have to use the set screws to hold the wheel in your skewer isn’t tight enough.”
be careful thinking that the clamping force of skewers will hold wheels in horizontal dropouts. yes, that’s true on steel bikes, with steel dropouts. not so on softer metals like aluminum, and, carbon, that’s questionable. best to use the set screw, into which some sort of thread thickener (blue loctite, pipe thread compound, etc.) will stop the wiggle or rattle or whatever the OP’s complaint is.
Also, if you use the set screws (which mine wiggle also and I use) and you change back and forth between clinchers and tubulars; make sure you re-adjust the set screws when you switch back and forth. The clinchers are significantly taller rim to edge profile and you may have it rub your frame.
I was working like a dog one day to keep up with my group only to finally figure out my wheeel had moved slightly forward after hitting a bump and was breaking agaist the frame. A good workout but not ideal.
be careful thinking that the clamping force of skewers will hold wheels in horizontal dropouts. yes, that’s true on steel bikes, with steel dropouts. not so on softer metals like aluminum, and, carbon, that’s questionable. best to use the set screw, into which some sort of thread thickener (blue loctite, pipe thread compound, etc.) will stop the wiggle or rattle or whatever the OP’s complaint is.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m a strong 200lb guy (better football player than triathelete) who can crank down hard on the QR but I’m afraid I’ll damage the carbon chainstays.
Like I said originally - one on the set screw tapps (female thread) was drilled all the way through the dropout - so the screw goes all the way in up to its head. Has anyone else seen this on their dropouts?
does the screw hold? when you screw the screw to the point you want it, are there threads, does it stay there? if so, then, you’re find. if not, then, a helicoil should fix it, no? but if the threads are fine, then, just blue loctite it and ride it!
well I have had a p3c since 2006 and can’t tell you the last time i used the set screws and have yet to have any issues with the wheel coming loose.
Had the same thing happen to my aluminum P3. Ended up tapping out bigger holes and using bigger screws (along with loctite, and using better skewers).
in addition to lock tight…I use these little white nylon washers from the h-ware store that fit the gauge of the limit screw…This gives me piece of mind that the limit screws will stay where they are supposed to…and that both sides are equal and not askew… I actually have two sets of these washers…one for the training wheel, one for rear race.
Thanks for your replies and guidence. I took the bike to the LBS where I bough it and the mechanic took one look at it and said, ‘another one’…
I guess he’s seen a few. He took it out back, replaced the bolt, added stiffer washers, put in some thread goop, sprinked it with magic dust and I’m good to go. If it comes apart again I’ll retap the threads and use a bigger, sturdier bolt. For the paint damage, I bought some auto touch up paint that is almost the same shade.
I’m a little dissapointed that this design requires aftermarket strengtheing for so many riders. A better set-screw bolt with a SS316 or Ti backing will add 5g of weight and $0.50 of cost. Cervelo - please fix it on the future models. The really dissapointing thing is that Cervelo support has not returned my email.
Sounds like what happened to me just a couple of months ago with my P2C. Out for a ride and then all of a sudden the rear wheel is sideways and rubs the paint out of the chainstay. I can’t say that the screw was overtapped though. I took it to the shop, and they were stumped as to what happened. I don’t remember doing any rough riding that day. The set screw seems to have held fine since then, but I find myself checking it frequently now.
The set screws should be tapped right through, when the fames come out of the boxes the screws are all the way in, right through the dropout. An issue might be using Ti skewers - they stretch - use steel ones for a better grip on the dropouts.
My Fuji D6 does not have set screws – and I have had to back my wheel off from the seat tube to stop rubbing problems. Do you know if set screws can be retrofitted?
thanks.
“My Fuji D6 does not have set screws – and I have had to back my wheel off from the seat tube to stop rubbing problems. Do you know if set screws can be retrofitted?”
very good question. this i don’t know.