Quote Originally Posted by Bike Goddess
Robyn- Here's another trick for back wheel changes-

BEFORE you take the wheel off the bike get the chain wheel into the smallest chainring on the front and the smallest cog on the back. That way you get the most slack on your chain. Best to have someone around so you can have them hold up the back wheel while you do the shifting. Works like a charm and makes the wheel easier to get on afterwards!
Actually, you don't need to hold the rear wheel up while you shift. Just throw your shifter repeatedly until you would be on the smallest cog, then lift the wheel and spin the crank. The chain will move across all the gears to the smallest cog in short order. Pullling back on the rear derailleur as you extract and reinsert the wheel is also helpful.