Bicycle Mechanics - is this normal?

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swaggeringcuban
03-11-09, 08:17 AM
Got this bike mail order, trying to put on front wheel and....

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2421/p1010070n.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1671/p1010069l.jpg


Are you supposed to squeeze it together or something?!

frankenmike
03-11-09, 08:27 AM
Yes. What kind of bike is that?
swaggeringcuban
03-11-09, 08:32 AM
its this

http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/HYBRID/urbanCOMFORT.html

seems a bit stiff to bend like that, and it's a long way off.

Lawrence08648
03-11-09, 08:46 AM
If I see in the picture that one fork is on the wheel axle and the other is 1/2" to an 1" away from the other end, this is wrong. The fork is suppose to drop onto the axle. Plus that axle takes a skewer which goes through the axle and stays their permanently and the wheel with the skewer slips into the fork and then you tighten down the skewer but turning the handle a 1/2 turn or so. If the skewer is too loose, you turn the axle nut until the skewer is rather tight, not loose, but not incredibly tight.
JohnDThompson
03-11-09, 09:03 AM
its this

http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/HYBRID/urbanCOMFORT.html

seems a bit stiff to bend like that, and it's a long way off.
Alas, how the mighty have fallen (http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/claud_butler.htm).

It looks like your fork blades got spread. Was there any shipping damage evident? Contact Falcon and see if they'll replace it.
CACycling
03-11-09, 09:21 AM
OK boys and girls, you're missing the main point here. This is a hollow axle for a quick release and the OP is trying to secure it using the lock nuts. The lock nuts on each side need to be secured with the wheel out of the forks which may (most likely will) require adjusting the cones. Then the wheel can be installed using the skewer which will probably eliminate a great deal of the gap.
swaggeringcuban
03-11-09, 09:50 AM
Ok thanks. The sweker was in the box, I didn't realise what it was and there were no instruction for the front wheel. I left the nuts right up against the cones with the forks on either side, and the skewer was secured with its own nut at the end.

I think next time I'm just going to a bike shop, I had no idea it would be this complicated.
1fluffhead
03-11-09, 10:08 AM
Make sure your wheels are straight and trued. A lot of times they aren't right out of the box on new bikes.
CACycling
03-11-09, 10:10 AM
I think next time I'm just going to a bike shop, I had no idea it would be this complicated.


I agree going to a bike shop is much better, especially when you're just getting started. But learning about how your bike is put together is a valuable thing to know. Check out the Park Tools (http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp) web site for good info on all the parts of your bike.

And once you get it together, get out and ride it!