Cycling UK Forum

I'm new to cycling. I bought an ebike about 3 months ago. I often remove the front wheel to get the bike in my car. The process of removing or replacing the wheel normally takes just a few seconds (less than 10 seconds), but recently the process has become time consuming and frustrating, sometimes taking a minute or more and often requiring the complete removal of a nut. I've looked closely at the mechanism and just can't figure out was is wrong, or what I am doing wrong. Can someone please advise with any suggestions?

A whole minute. Wow!
Drive faster to make up that lost portion of your life.

Not the most helpful answer from oldtimer.

OP it would help if you described your current process.

Have you lost one of the centering springs. ?
There should be a small conical spring on each side which push outwards and holds the QR and nut clear of the drop outs when undone.
Disc or calliper brakes ?

Is this a skewer with an over-centre cam lever - or a thru-axle as many ebikes have, especially if disc-braked?

A picture might help . . .

Apologies. Was having a bad hour

No problem oldtimer99. I just have a bad minute or more holding up a heavy ebike with one hand whilst fiddling about getting the wheel in or out with the other hand, when it used to be a quick and easy operation.
Originally after opening the lever I would simply twiddle out the lever side or the nut side just several turns, lift up the front end and the wheel would be straight out of the forks. It slotted back in easily and I'd twiddle the nut slightly and flip the lever back to clamp. Every other time I might need to twiddle the nut a turn or so to stop the lever being too tight or too loose. Now, the process above needs numerous repeats of loosening until the wheel finally comes out of the forks. Often I end up repeating the loosening sometimes until the nut or the lever falls off. It is also a right fiddle to slot the wheel back in. If a nut falls off, it slots in or comes out of the forks easily. But that method seems to defeat the object of a quick release mechanism, so something is amiss. I have disc brakes but they are not part of the problem. The springs each side of the axle are fat side out, as per pictures I've seen online. The springs have fallen out a few times during the process.

Petersull wrote: ↑25 Sep 2021, 6:51pm ......... Now, the process above needs numerous repeats of loosening until the wheel finally comes out of the forks. ........ It is also a right fiddle to slot the wheel back in. ...........

So, what is the wheel fouling on which is stopping it dropping straight out, or going straight back in?
......I know thats what you are asking us, in a way, but the thing is.....we can't see it from here!

There are commonly "tabs" on the dropout (the bit the wheel fits into) to stop the wheel accidentally falling out....is there perhaps an additional burr on the forks?

The tabs to which 531colin refers are also known as "lawyers' lips", and there is an explanation and photograph of them here:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html

Also in that link is an explanation of external and enclosed cam quick release skewers.

I suspect that you may have external cam skewers, and that the curved bushing against which the cam of the lever presses might be rotating as you loosen/tighten the nuts. The curves of the bushing and the cam must be aligned for the quick release lever to operate properly.

External cam skewer:

I've just taken the front wheel out and taken the attached photos. Spent 10 minutes trying to refit the front wheel unsuccessfully in the comfort of my own garage but can't do it at all now! Never had it that bad previously after getting it out of the car ready for a ride. It just won't go back into the forks.

Maybe a daft thought but is the issue with getting the disk back into the calliper?

Ian

Just can't see what is snagging it.

In your top photo the cam part of th QR lever does not appear to have anything to bear on. Is ther something missing or should the black and silver washers/spacers/(?) be swapped?

It may possibly have something to do with the disk slotting into the pads, but it is difficult to tell while I'm on my own with no one to support it while I check. It used to be so easy, but is obviously getting worse.

Fausto99 you may be correct. I could have lost a washer during my tribulations outside before a ride, but not sure if there was one on the lever side.