Bicycle Mechanics - Correlation between QR Skewers and Cassette Rear Wheels

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ax0n
05-18-07, 10:05 PM
I'm trying to help a friend in TX pick out a decent used bike.

I can spot a cassette rear wheel from across the room based on the lock nut. But he doesn't know what to look for.

Could I safely tell him that if it has a quick release lever on the rear wheel, it's almost definitely a cassette/freehub style wheel? In my experience, bolt-on rear wheels are always freewheels, and QR rear wheels are always freehub wheels.

Is this a pretty reasonable assumption?

seely
05-18-07, 10:09 PM
Not at all, a lot of new bikes with freewheels have QR's. Hell, 20 years ago all bikes had freewheels with QR's.
z415
05-18-07, 10:15 PM
No, you cannot say that. It would be better to tell him to count the cogs in the back, but that isn't entirely accurate in some cases also. I would tell him to make sure there are at least 8 cogs in the back for it to be freehub (which isn't always the case), but its a pretty good indicator and the easiest thing to do.

seely
05-18-07, 10:21 PM
Again, I sell a lot of new bikes with QR's and 7 or 8spd freewheels so not a good way to judge. Best way to judge is the age/quality of the bike, if you can't recognize a freewheel/cassette just by looking at it for the prescense of a lockring.
MattP.
05-18-07, 10:33 PM
Most popular bike at the shop is freewheel/quick release. Tell him to see the bike in person, then tell him what to look for.
http://www.lifecycles.co.uk/bikes/images/trek_3700_.jpg
Sheldon Brown
05-18-07, 11:37 PM
Again, I sell a lot of new bikes with QR's and 7 or 8spd freewheels so not a good way to judge. Best way to judge is the age/quality of the bike, if you can't recognize a freewheel/cassette just by looking at it for the prescense of a lockring.
You might want to refer him to my page about this:

http://sheldonbrown.com/free-k7

Sheldon "Kah Sept" Brown