Tire changing/Wheel removal

[Catrin]

This bike is so heavy that with my arthritic hands, I simply can't hold it up and do all of that at the same time (moving the RD and so forth).

Now I can't seem to get the brake cable back in place, suspect the tire isn't quite aligned properly...

[OakLeaf]

This bike is so heavy that with my arthritic hands, I simply can't hold it up and do all of that at the same time (moving the RD and so forth).

Now I can't seem to get the brake cable back in place, suspect the tire isn't quite aligned properly...

You only need to hold the RD when you're putting the wheel back on, not when you're taking it off. And as you're finding, you pretty much need the help of gravity to have a hope getting the rear wheel on straight.

It takes a lot of strength to turn a heavy bike upside down! Much more than it takes to partially support it while you pull the wheel back and out.

[Catrin]

I am trying this, without turning it over, and am not having any success

It is good I am practicing all of this at home where I am safe and dry - though I am going to be really mad at myself if I have to wind up taking the bike to my LBS when it opens tomorrow morning...

[OakLeaf]

Everything's in place, just not lined up?

Fully inflate the tire.

Support the bike upright with a hand on the seatpost or the seatstays, whichever's more accessible. Very little strength required, gravity's holding the weight of everything, you're just giving it a hand against tipping over.

Grab the rim directly behind the dropouts and give it a gentle pull straight backward (while using your other hand to prevent the frame from moving back with it).

If your chainstays are symmetrical you can eyeball the alignment fairly closely at the tire, near the BB (but if they're asymmetrical, they're obviously no help).

That might help.

[Catrin]

Ok, I've done it now

I finally got the rear wheel seated and the caliper brake closed...but apparently I played with the adjustment barrel for the rear brake rather more than I should have as the picture indicates.

Can I fix this myself, or is it an LBS job at this point? Leave it to me to mess up my brake cable...I hope I can fix this myself as I just made a huge payment on my Gunnar today...

[laura*]

Ok, I've done it now

Can I fix this myself, or is it an LBS job at this point?

It looks like the cable housing simply popped out of the braze-on bit on the frame. If you look closely at the little nib on the frame, you'll notice it has a narrow slot. That's so you can hook the cable into it without taking anything apart. Start by screwing the brake adjusters all the way in. (If you can,) using one hand, press the rear brake cantis together against the rim. at the same time, with the other hand, grab the cable housing, guide the cable through the aforementioned slot, and let the housing end seat into the little nib.

[Catrin]

It looks like the cable housing simply popped out of the braze-on bit on the frame. If you look closely at the little nib on the frame, you'll notice it has a narrow slot. That's so you can hook the cable into it without taking anything apart...

Oh, I see! I understand what happened now. I will try it - but if I can't quite get it at least I know they wouldn't charge me much at all to fix it.

I had a very difficult time to even get the rear brake to release - the front brake is far easier to release. Is this normal? I know my hands/fingers are weak - and even with all of the strength training I've done over the past 15 months have not been able to really change that due to the arthritis. My hands don't hurt unless I put weight on them, I just have little strength in them. My arm strength has greatly increased, but not my grip.