How To Use A Quick Release Skewer

[@gcntech]

How do you position your quick release skewers? Let us know 👇

[@InfoDav]

Exactly like you did in the video

[@JMise]

The chance of someone poking the quick release open with their front wheel is pretty small. It is much more likely to have something catching that hook when you are riding. I keep my front lever behind the fork and rear lever in the rear triangle.

[@ARKINHK]

Mine are parallel to the ground facing backwards - marginal gains :)

[@Edwin-fw4rh]

pointing at 1 o clock

[@D.Eldon_]

My skewer levers are parallel to the ground facing the rear of the bike for least aerodynamic drag.

[@slimelord314]

Many people laughing at the simplicity of the video, but overlooking the fact that many viewers are complete beginners. 14 months ago I would've had no idea how to remove a qr wheel. Thanks Jon!!

[@JonCannings]

Matheus Barbosa you are welcome.

[@JS-tb9hu]

Agreed I have seen many people using it like a screw etc and having a very dangerous wheel

[@1TAlien]

Agreed, just forwarded a link to this video to a mate whose son did a 35 mile ride with a loose front skewer. A little education never hurts!

[@slimelord314]

Alan Creech that's scary 😯

[@sudduthjonathan]

Agreed. Might just save someone from a serious accident. Also, these are the exact kinds of things people who have been riding just took for granted and have been doing wrong for years. For example, position and over tightening.

[@JonCannings]

Hi all, There are a number of comments regarding the "simplicity" of a quick release skewer. To clarify, not every viewer has a wealth of experience or knowledge. At GCN we cater for all cyclists, regardless of age or ability. Not every video can be "how to dissect and reprogramme di2". I hope that clears it up. Keep riding. Jon

[@rogerwatt3154]

Spot on, Jon!

[@alexmeier3538]

Jon Cannings yeah right. But gcn runs out of ideas

[@newttella1043]

Hey Jon, maybe have a newbie alert before the video so that the know-it-alls can move along. We all have to start somewhere so might as well start off right!

[@JonCannings]

Newt Tella I don't discriminate. I like to try and educate everyone a little 😉 Cheers for the feedback. Jon

[@Methodical2]

You're going to always get "that one" who... If they don't like, then they can mosey along.

[@alyssamcshane6275]

Just bought my first bike online and having to put it together from a box. I was getting super frustrated with the crappy instructions it came with and this video was exactly what I needed! Never heard of a quick release skewer in my life, so thank you for this!!

[@paulestorey]

I would never point the levers forward, especially true on gravel and MTB, but also true for road bikes. The reason is that forward facing levers are a hook for branches and other obstacles. A branch can get caught between the frame and the lever and do all sorts of mischief. Worse still if it happens to be fencing wire.

[@SurpriseMeJT]

I've pointed my rear lever towards the front for 20 years. Not once on MTB or road, or any event did anything ever catch my QR to open it. That force required to pull it open would send me to the grown first.

[@paulestorey]

Not talking about the force to open it, riding over dry branches and twigs it is not unusual for them to flip up and get caught anywhere they can. still if nothing has ever caught on your QR the direction is immaterial.

[@sportbikejesus6297]

Front levers should point back but rear levers should point forward. It prevents someone else’s front wheel from getting caught and loosening it. I have mine between the chain stay and seat stay. Folds in enough it can’t catch on anything

[@migelsanders4956]

Right, that's what I just said too ;)

[@bhumiriady]

Fantastic video as usual! The quick release skewer is one of the most overlooked and incorrectly used parts in a bike. Knowing how to use a quick release skewer can ensure a safe ride. Hats off to Jon.

[@JonCannings]

Omaris Bhumiriady yep. Exactly. Everyone has to start somewhere.

[@bhumiriady]

I absolutely agree with you. (^_^)v

[@arnoldsanchez7242]

I just bought my first bike in 15 years today. Removed the front wheel to put the bike in my Honda Accord and now trying to put it back. This video was amazing at showing me the proper way of doing this. Wish I had stumbled on this video an hour ago. Lol thank you!

[@ChrisStaplesMusic]

You are my favorite bike mechanic. You have great skills, knowledge and also a good personality.

[@rogerwatt3154]

Good video Jon . . . as always. I used to get all my equipment from an ex-Italian road racer called Paolo Garbini who used to run the Soho Cycle Shop in Gt. Pulteney Street, London W1. When he built me up a Colnago frame (branded Paolo Garbini) with a Campagnolo 50th Anniversary groupset back in 1984 (when I worked in Soho . . . happy days!), he told me to always have the quick release levers pointing backwards and slightly up (at 2 o'clock) as otherwise they could be accidentally opened by encountering something coming from the front, i.e. the way you are travelling. I can certainly see the reasoning for positioning them as you were told to but I will still keep mine pointing backwards . . . as I have done for 34 years!

[@tommccafferty5591]

Informative. I have been doing it wrong, although not the wrong way you showed, for 40 years. Your way is much easier to get correct. Thanks for another great video lesson Jon.

[@gcntech]

Cheers Tom, glad you know now!

[@D.Eldon_]

The procedure that I learned many years ago is this: Move the skewer lever 90° from the closed position, snug the nut, then close the lever. Another consideration: If your hubs use cup and cone bearings with loose ball bearings, the skewer pressure must be factored into the cup and cone bearing adjustment. Why? Because the skewer will add additional pressure to the bearings. Here's how to do it: First, adjust your hub bearings so they are just a tiny bit loose. Don't tighten them to perfection because the added pressure of the skewer will make them too tight and you'll increase the resistance and shorten their life. However, if the bearing adjustment is stopped just short of perfection, so they feel a tiny bit loose, the added pressure of the skewer will make them perfect. For this reason, you should not judge your bearing adjustment without the skewer pressure. One trick to aid this is to install the skewer with the wheel off the bike, adding a couple of nuts to take up the space that the fork would occupy. Then you can tighten the skewer with the wheel off the bike and simulate the pressure, helping you get your bearing adjustment quickly.

[@JS-tb9hu]

D.Eldon good point!

[@slipknot73745]

Helped me today on my first road bike install. Thanks so much!

[@patrickmarshall15]

I need to take my front wheel off to get the bike in the back of my Focus estate. This video was detailed and I now feel confident to buy and fit a 'skewer'. Thanks.

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Hey John.... The quick release should be in the tech Hall of Fame. While originally developed for wheels and hubs, the quick release can be found in lots of places now.

[@rogerwatt3154]

I think it's already in there.

[@id4edm]

I’ve ridden BMX as a kid, & then Road & MTB together over the past 30 years or so. I find it’s still good to go back to look at the fundamentals for both beginners & old veterans as well. Nice video - keep them coming!

[@ruleset]

okay first that is the most beautiful road bike i've ever seen second i want to thank you i actually complicated by putting the wheel on the bike first and those bouncy things were rotated in the wrong way lol

[@bignosebrett1521]

Such a good guide and easy to follow. Thank you

[@davidjohn5879]

VERY good video and explanation, newbies will know how to use this facility. Safety aspects explained well, not so with some 'professional' videos. Thanks.

[@kingofqueens777]

Thank you that was a very informative video and it helped me a lot with the quick release.

[@wordpress4373]

You should update the video with instructions where to place QR when you have disc brakes.

[@palicar]

One of those simple things with as many proper uses as people using them. Good info to clear the air - remove doubt and worry. 👍

[@JonCannings]

Patrick Carroll thanks

[@alananderson1116]

Awesome. Thats how I've been using the skewers hoping I was doing it right. Now I know.

[@gcntech]

Great work Alan

[@cautionTosser]

Thank you, kind sir. Had to remove front wheel to get in trunk (pardon me - boot) of car and friend mucked it up on reassembly. Plus I never knew about determining the correct tightness. Indentation on palm - check. 😅

[@rockstopsthetraffic]

It's a "cam", is the word you're looking for at the beginning. An offset-axle wheel, usually used to move something perpendicular to the rotating shaft in and out.

[@Rogue-xf5jg]

Cheers Jon,, nice to see you guys are thinking of everyone.

[@miserablepile]

Thank you so much for the very in depth explanation, this is so helpful!!

[@Jeydidee]

I am a beginner and this is really helpful. Thank you!

[@gfmoore]

Thank-you so much. I felt really stupid not knowing how to do this, but now I know what is going on and how to do it properly. :)

[@jshepard152]

Extremely helpful. I couldn't figure out why you'd put two springs under high pressure but I see it now.

[@cornelbacauanu1544]

Great explanation Jon. It takes some attempts for the right pressure on the Skewer.

[@user-ri5xq7hr4u]

For a novice like me this is the best form of teaching on the matter I could get. Am so terrified of me wheel falling off so the tips were really spot on for me

[@hudson8074]

I'm a beginner. Thank you for the explanation, the close up visual of how the springs orientation should sit helped alot!

[@erichaskell]

I believe the words you needed in describing the tightening mechanism is eccentric cam. Great video, always something to learn.

[@JonCannings]

Eric haskell cheers

[@georgehugh3455]

In case of QR replacement for repair or speed, something possibly worth mentioning is the variable dropout, and hence QR widths - Front wheels are almost always 100mm AFAIK. Rear wheels on rim-brake 9-11 speed road bikes are usually 130mm; road bikes with discs and MTBs 135mm. Measurement is the INNER width of the dropouts.

[@2739330904]

Thanks Jon - I was told once that QRs should only be done up with finger pressure. This has worked fine for me for most of the year but in summer my QRs seem to loosen off really quickly - perhaps because the part between the washer and the lever is made of rubber and softens in the high temps. Anyhow, I’ll be giving it a firm palm to see if that does the trick! Cheers!

[@JonCannings]

Matt Fletcher not to soft and not to tight. It takes some playing about to get it perfect. Cheers.

[@matteoadesso5375]

Only John can make a quick release seem interesting, great video again!

[@JonCannings]

Matteo Adesso thanks. I do my best. Jon

[@mikestrinati8918]

I bought an E mountain bike from Halfords and after a 15 mile ride the front wheel came loose yesterday. So that's why I'm here watching this 😂👍

[@mcjcg1372]

Thank you so much for this video I have never road a bike with a quick release and the bike I have been looking at has them I was nervous about it thinking the bike set on the skewer itself so this video took a load off my mind thank you

[@gcntech]

You're welcome

[@paulherlihy9290]

Got to say i am not a fan of these quick release skewers. I understand the convenience of them. However they can be flimsy and can be problematic and my goodness me, anticycling vandals love to have a little medel with them given the opportunity. Great video and thanks!

[@jamesdelast7116]

Do the spring stay outside of the cycle fork or between?? Thanks.

[@annmanning1655]

Thank you,this has helped me out a few times now!

[@njohnson3331]

I think I've been a little too variable on the tightness, but actually what worries me is that I might be missing a spring. Thanks for the important safety information!

[@baker2955]

Biktrix sent me this link, I know how to do the quick release, what I wasn't sure of is how much thread on the axel needs to be in contact with the arms to be safe. Good video though.

[@MullapudiHome]

Best video explanation

[@criticalmile5631]

From watching your video Jon I placed them as you suggested. I just wanted to know with carbon frame how much pressure should be applied when closing skewer

[@CaratsRitzy]

Spend a whole night trying to figure the misaligned axis, this helped a lot

[@MDSF90]

I’m so glad I looked this up bc I see these on the Wish app all the time and I kept wondering how you can lock a bike with that device. Lol. It’s not to lock it, it’s to take the wheel with you if you must lock your bike outside! Hahaha

[@petercalma1714]

What happens to the springs as the wheel is mounted into the drop outs? Are the springs designed to move into place "intuitively"?

[@sgit1]

I would like to know the answer also.

[@cordeauxboi]

Thanks! My front wheel came off 6 weeks ago and I got a bad concussion. No idea how the wheel came out but there is no damage or hardware failure and the bike was lifted down off a wall and into and out of a car on its side just before the ride. Why it came off while I was on it I don’t know! Thanks for this vid!

[@Ronald-qj5nx]

Overtightening the skewers not only makes it harder to open, it can also deform the aluminium dropouts that many bikes come with. Aluminium is not that hard and repeated overtightening will cause the aluminium to get "pushed" into the dropout where the axle is supposed to sit thus resulting in your wheel going off to one side at the seat/chain stays or fork. Even a small 0.25mm lip in the dropout will get amplified to a few millimetres at the rim/tyre.

[@ianucci]

This may be a stupid question but does the QR lever need any lubricant or grease around the cam?

[@bikelifethetford8876]

ianucci I don’t think so

[@wangdangdoodie]

ianucci. I would, but only use something very, very fine, like sewing machine oil.

[@6ft8incyclist]

Great Video, on some thing so simple on today bicycles, but as you had said many of us are doing wrong.. You could had started off about the history of this great and very important component. Maybe had talked a little about Tullio Campagnolo and that cold day in1927..

[@JimS870]

I wish I knew the spring position before. I put the wide end of the spring in first and got it jammed in the dropout area. That was fun lol

[@bondy284]

Always learn something watching these videos. Mine point backwards👍🇦🇺

[@gcntech]

Glad to hear it Bondy!

[@Zeben84]

Hey Jon, i wish the thru axle standard would come for rim brakes wheels too, it maybe a little bit slower to undo, but man it's simple, secure and you wont ever have any misalignement !

[@JonCannings]

Zeben84 true, but then they aren't quick release any more 😉

[@mattadams6641]

Great video now I can tie my wheels down properly thank you

[@jeffhayes2288]

Should you have play in the axle so when you close the skewer, it takes the play out? Play is when the cones are not tight enough against the bearings.

[@adithyaraman806]

DT swiss ones are awesome, with their torque mechanism.

[@terenceau11]

Ok so, I was following the instructions of the video and install my skewer to the bike, awesome. Only at the end you mention the information "Put some grease to the skewer".... Hello Bro? Now I gotta detach it,grease it and do it all over again?

[@easyasabcand123]

Hi, GCN Tech. Great program. I would like to request you making a video featuring how to solve disc brake noise. I have been annoyed by hauling sound. It sounds like a violine but not pleasant at all.

[@ridesofjapan]

Awesome retro tech ... I remember back in the day when we used these primitive devices, the nostalgia! 👏

[@stephenauckly]

Rear skewer pointing forward? I always thought the front tire could kick something up and release it? Your point about another bike hitting it from behind seems logical too. What to do?

[@toxicfarts8820]

I lost the spring.. is it improtant? and can i just screw the wheel on without the spring and ride it?

[@shirleybrand9643]

What do you suggest for on-bike supplies to carry, tools?, tube, screws, which airpump, springs for skewer, etc.

[@midomarvin8793]

Many thanks for this

[@fluorescentblack4336]

Thanks for this! Good, straight forward video. At 5:38 the guy riding reminds me of the gremin in that busta rhymes film clip for gimme some more. haha He's really going for it! Impressive!

[@nighttime9539]

Great tutorial, thanks.

[@grwuk]

Excellent video very informative thank you.

[@SimplePleasuresMTB]

Can placing your rear skewer lever pointing twords the rear of your frame be wrong, like directly out the back, or should they flip closed forward facing like in this video? Only reason I ask is I keep having an issue with rest brake rub and I know it's not a bent rotor, or unaligned brakes (I've got new rotors and new xt brakes) and the rubbing only shows up sometimes, it's not constant. Anyway I'm going to give my rear quick release position a try to see if the brakes stop rubbing. Great video

[@ianhill4585]

Must admit only had QR wheels a year now, must admit good 'ol nuts seem so much more easy

[@joshua7122]

Thank you very much for this video for a noob like me.

[@MrRichardsnj]

can't believe i just watched that.....and enjoyed it!

[@gcntech]

Good!

[@nw5835]

I still didn't see which side of the forks the cone shaped springs go, do they go inside the fork or outside of the fork, apologies if its a silly question, I'm trying to put my bike, not used for a couple of years, onto an indoor trainer in my garage and didn't even know you had to change the skewer to fit into the trainer. Good video thankyou.

[@TheJosa007]

AWESOME video. Thank you very much

[@QoraxAudio]

I used to mount the quick release skewer too loosely and wondered why my disc brakes always went out of alignment.. lol I still do have a front brake that starts making a sound every now and then, but that's because the calipers won't go back properly for some reason...

[@gethind-j2390]

Thanks JonnyTech, simple stuff simplified!

[@JonCannings]

Gethin D-J cheers mate

[@al-du6lb]

from my mtb days, I always faced it the other direction bc I always thought a twig would undo it as you're moving forward.

[@Benri05]

My rear wheel gets off-center after some usage if I have the quick release adequately tight, I overtighten them and it prevented the wheel from going off center. Will overtightening damage anything? Like the hub axle or the bearings?

[@orangestoneface]

older common iron scewers can not take overtight chrome ones

[@jerryjin3427]

I always misaligned the wheel while installing it on my fork... The accurate positioning without getting stuck on the brake was really hard to me...lol

[@frankgambrel1683]

ive got that problem

[@lmc333]

I have a canyon ultimate and I have my rear quick release on the left side point to the back. It is the most logical way and i tell you why. I have disc brakes and in doing so, the rear quick release lever is actually protecting my brake disk from damage and risks of bending if the bike was to fall over on the left side... The chances of anyone opening with their front wheel from the back is very slim since I doubt anyone is stupid enough to try to damage their own bike in order to prove me wrong...

[@garethhelliwell9736]

Lawer tabs or lawers lips as I call them, I've not heard that years. Gotta thank the Americans for that invention, scared of getting sued. In the 90's when they become the norm on bikes I would file them off just for ease of use. I'm now now on thru axles, how times have changed.

[@pyroromancer]

quick release terrifies me for some reason

[@Dhungerf60]

Wow, you explained the hell out of that. Good job

[@archetypex65]

5:06 the most important reason not to line the skewer lever up with the fork, is that it is not fully closed in that position. Always in front or behind the fork leg. 😉

[@misconduct6845]

I usually drop my bike 1 inch off the ground to check for any sound and today my fromt wheel is loose side to side, yeah I tightened it and did everything I cant figure out to fix it, noticed not only by noise upon dropping but the bike is dangerous to take hands off anymore

[@smb7647]

Should QR skewers be released when the bike is not in use, say from week to week or over the course of a couple of months

[@paulhowell7103]

cheers jon and mr campagnolo

[@klaxxon__]

I've been cycling for years and still have learned a few tidbits from this

[@gcntech]

Great stuff!

[@richard21109]

Great video.many thanks

[@hassanfidaa580]

thank you so much

[@leftymadrid]

My question is I'm running 5mm QR axles, I've purchased some Mavic Ksyrium S rims and I believe they come with 9mm QR axles. Will the 9mm work on my 2016: Tarmac Specialized which is not axle through? I mean will 9 mm axles fit? I can see that the 5mm have wiggle room still... So really the question is 5mm to 9mm works?! Thx in advance! Thx in advance

[@feliperenaultcsp]

Hi folks! Last week I had a very annoying accident in which my derailleur hanger broke and suddenly the derailleur ended up between my rear spokes, blocking the wheel and sending me to the tarmac. I was riding my brand new Merida Scultura (only 172 km ridden) and haven’t been able to determine whether the broken hanger was actually the cause or a consequence of other mechanical problem. Could it be due to a super tight quick release? Could you shed some light at any other potential causes? Thanks! #torqueback

[@JMise]

On a brand new bike it might be a defect. Just look at the part and see what point it is broken. I would contact the seller. One thing that could happen is derailleur limit adjustment. If the inner limit is not correctly adjusted, the derailleur might move to the spokes when trying to shift beyond the smallest gear.

[@nicolhalcrow1057]

other than the common thought of the limit not being set properly, you may have been cross chaining at the time (Big & Big). Cross chaining can cause the mech to move slightly closer to the spokes enough to cause the cage to be caught in the wheel. your hanger may also have been bent.(sometimes bikes come like that from the factory but less common)

[@oreocarlton3343]

You can flex a frame slightly by overtighting

[@JS-tb9hu]

Was the bike dropped or anything? This could have bent the hanger

[@christianrosado731]

Are they all the same size even for a front Electric bike 4 inch wide wheel ?

[@ANonymous-xj3pf]

hello, my rear skewer broke. It looks like the frame sliced it off. I bought a new one and same thing, it sliced it off. Should the tire be resting on the skewer? Or maybe my frames cricked

[@anabash82]

If do not have installed either sprint is it dangerous? Can causes any problems? Thank you

[@KennyMinigun]

Is there any reason behind the rule of putting the lever on the left hand side? (except for the cases when frame/fork design would not allow otherwise)

[@JonCannings]

KennyMinigun I think the reason is that it makes more sense on the rear to have the lever away from the derailleur. So makes sense to have the front to match it. Jon

[@Wildschwein_Jaeger]

Or the way the old school Campagnolo were designed. The lever comes out the side and the handle is 90 degrees. It seems to be made that way so that it would be on the side of the fork or down tube when tight. If you put the old school handle on the right it will be in front of the fork and not behind as when on the left.

[@rogerwatt3154]

That's my understanding too, Jon.

[@TomWilson8003]

Great video. Thanks. I learned alot.

[@reddevil211287]

Are QR skewers compatible with horizontal drop outs? Thanks

[@iberiksoderblom]

In 50 years of riding, I've never experienced anyone using the QR wrong. It's a simple and well made system. Aero is the only thing you can say anything against. But thats just a design issue.

[@ungarlinski7965]

@4:19 I don't see the springs. Are they inside or outside the dropouts?