Taking off the front wheel

Newbie question.

I just got my bike. I have to take the front wheel off to take it anywhere in my car. There isn't a bike rack that I can use with my car. It's a VW bug with a sun roof and with turbo. No roof, no hitch, no trunk rack will work. Luckily though, my bike does fit in the back of my car if I remove the front wheel.

I've removed the wheel twice. It's really hard to get it past the brake. Really hard. Yes, I did use the release but it has to be forced. The tire is probably 1/4 inch bigger than the brake opening.

Tonight, the brakes and wheel weren't working after I put the tire back on. The brake was dragging terribly. My daughter's boyfriend helped me fix it but he said I'm gonna wreck my brakes forcing them apart as much as I am by removing the wheel. He said wheels aren't made to be taken on and off all the time.

Haven't a clue what to do. Should I get a smaller tire width? It's got 28s on it now. Or not pump the tires up to 120 - if there's less air, they would be more flexible? Is there any way to take the wheel off and not hurt the brakes? Or is it okay to force them apart?

I had a cyclocross fork for a while that was too narrow for the 32s I was running. I had to deflate the tire before taking it off. That's one solution for you. You just need to bring a pump with you and pump it up after putting the wheel back on.

And your daughter's boyfriend is incorrect -- wheels are meant to be taken off and put back on. It won't hurt your bike at all.

Take it back to the store and ask them how they get the tyres on and off a bike with these brakes. Explain your situation and I'm sure they'll be helpful. I mean the last thing they want to do is for you to return the bike! They'll help you anyway they can!

Perhaps its a fault with the brakes. or that the tyres are not right for the bike. If that's the case the guys behind the counter should've know that.

In any case it does sound a bit bizzare that when it's released and inflated the wheels won't go on

And Velogirl's right. Your Daughter's boyfriend is wrong. Ask any keen cyclist out there! They're MEANT to come off when released. (not when they're locked in of course)

What kind of brakes do you have? Post a photo if you can. There is usually some way to spread the brakes so that the wheel will go on and off easily. Sometimes there is a lever on the calipers where the cable attaches. Sometimes there is a button on the brake lever. On cantilever brakes you can generally disconnect the horizontal wire that attaches to the two calipers.

I've been wondering about this myself. It's obvious my tires are a bit wider than my rims. I have stock tires right now which would make me think they should fit through ok. <shrug>

When I release the lever on the calipers, the brakes actually tighten more instead of release. :confused:

At least, I'm not alone, Tiffanie. :) It's good to have company. Let me scoot over and make some room for you.

I'll post a picture when I get home from work. They are black tubie looking things. Like an upside down U with another piece of black tubie looking thingy coming off one side with a cable coming out of it.

Well, I did have to go to the shop yesterday. They had told me to inflate the tires before every ride. And yesterday I was going on my second ride. Woowoooooo

I tried to attach the pump to the back wheel valve and it wouldn't hold. I let out all the air instead and couldn't put any in. My DH came down to help. My first mistake. :) He's worse than I am at this stuff.

He forced it down and held the pump on the valve while he put in air. Then we tried to take the pump off. It wouldn't come off. So he forced it off. All the air was gone again and the valve was flopping around.

I took the front tire off so I could fit the bike in the car and took the bike and the pump back to the shop for real help. Lord knows this poor bike wasn't going to get any help in this house.

Turns out that the locked position and open position are reversed from my old pump and we had it in the locked position. That's why I couldn't get the pump to stay on. And why he couldn't get it off when he forced it. Duh. :)

I mentioned that it was next to impossible to remove the tire and I was gonna have to remove it regularly. They said it was tight but would loosen up with time. And to bring it back in a month for it's check up. But it's really really hard and I think they are wrong. Mind you, my last bike was 20 years ago but those tires popped on and off easily.

Vlad (daughter's boyfriend) said - of course they are gonna say that. Cause you are wrecking your brakes. And they don't care if you wreck your brake. They make money when you wreck something on the bike.

Got totally confused and came here. I am so glad this board is here. :)

The problem is probably that 28 tires are quite wide for a std road side pull brake. Why do you need 28 wide tires? Try 25s or even 23s, otherwise you may need to deflate them each time you take them off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tiffanie

I've been wondering about this myself. It's obvious my tires are a bit wider than my rims. I have stock tires right now which would make me think they should fit through ok. <shrug>

When I release the lever on the calipers, the brakes actually tighten more instead of release. :confused:

---

Tiffanie, your brakes cables were tightened with that lever in the wrong position! If your LBS did this, take it back and make them fix it. Sometimes even a mechanic can be a dork.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DebW

Tiffanie, your brakes cables were tightened with that lever in the wrong position! If your LBS did this, take it back and make them fix it. Sometimes even a mechanic can be a dork.

---

:eek:

I certainly will!!! Thank you. :)

I called the bike shop. They are willing to change the wheel to a 25. Hopefully, that's a big enough difference that I can get the wheel off easier.

Much thanks. :)

Quote:

---

There isn't a bike rack that I can use with my car. It's a VW bug with a sun roof and with turbo. No roof, no hitch, no trunk rack will work.

---

Bummer about it being a turbo s. I have a TDI Beetle and have the hitch from Draw-tight and a Yakima King Pin 4 (with one set of bike tie downs removed--Beetle can only handle the weight of 3 bikes).

Have you looked around on newbeetle.org to see if anyone knows about a European rack that might work? VW makes a German one that has hydraulics to lift the bike to the roof. spendy, though.

I never thought about putting my bike in the back--I guess it would fit with the seat down. But I always have to take two bikes, one for me and one for my son. That probably would NOT work!

Glad your tire problem seems to be on the road to recovery.

Karen

Hey! I found one for the Beetle Turbo S that would work!

http://www.birdautomotive.com/Bike%2...w%20Beetle.htm

And it looks cool when the rack's not on the car. :)

Karen