Just HOW tight on the front tire?

[gringa loca]

Ok,

I have to take front tire off to put my bike in my car. Now granted, I have very little strength in my hands, so my idea of tight and the LBS idea of tight are probably different. But is there a happy medium? I absolutely cannot get it as tight as they do, and i noticed that my friend who tried to help me couldn't either.

I turn until it just tight and the lever is semi easy to push down on, but the LBS had it to where it was REALLY hard to push the lever all the way down.

Any opinions or ideas?

Gringa Loca

[SJCzar]

I've noticed the same thing. When my daughter's boyfriend, an LBS mechanic, puts my wheel on, I can barely get it off myself.

I put a roof rack on my car this year so I have to take my front wheel on and off quite a few times now. I put the wheel back on nowhere near as tight as he does and I've never had any problems. It always stays put and rotates correctly if that's what you were worried about.

[Veronica]

You want it to be tight enough that it requires some effort to lock and unlock the quick release. You don't want it so tight you pop a vein, but you don't want it to be easy either.

V.

[DebW]

As a mechanic I was taught to put them on VERY tight - you don't want a customer coming back claiming that their wheel fell off. So expect mechanics to be that way. They are covering their own butt, and it's overkill. Follow V's advise and you'll be fine. If you close the QR lever so it's parallel and somewhat offset from the fork blade or dropout, you can squeeze against that and tighten easier.

[makbike]

I was taught that it was tight enough when the lever leaves an imprint on your hand.

[RoadRaven]

Just concurring with Veronica and Deb...

[gringa loca]

Thanks guys, I'll work on it!

[Trekhawk]

I was taught that it was tight enough when the lever leaves an imprint on your hand.

I have read makbike's info in a few books and assumed that was the way to go.

I guess the thing to remember is that you need to be able to get the wheel off yourself in case you are stuck out in the sticks on your own with a flat.
If superman did the wheel up this might cause delays and Im guessing (at least for me) a few choice words to escape as well.

[Kitsune06]

I 2nd Makbike