2 wheeler

How many of you have ground off the safety nubs on the front fork of your bike?

I've ridden at least 38 years without them. I just got a new bike and as on my previous bikes that had them, they're coming off.

They turn your quick release into a slow release. They make your roof rack a torture rack. I'm sure there are other drawbacks. Perhaps there are some benefits for the absent minded?

Is the presence of these protrusions the result of our litigious society?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

MudPie

I've been riding 20+ years and always kept the safety tabs on the forks. I agree it's takes extra time to install/remove a front wheel. However, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I mountain bike and a couple of my riding partners had their front skewers loosen (both times on single track descents) and no doubt the safety nubs prevented a nasty crash. Perhaps they didn't tighten the skewers properly, but regardless of the reason, the safety tabs prevented the purchase of new front teeth.

urban_assault

Yes, they are also called lawyer tabs. I grind mine off.

Raiyn

I leave mine. They don't cause enough of a "slow down" to bother me.

LóFarkas

If you remove the wheels daily, grind them off and be very careful to tigten the ***** out of the QR every time. I take my wheel out ~10 times a year... Not worth uglyfying my fork.

HillRider

I used to grind them off routinely until I got a Kestrel carbon fork. It has a lifetime warranty but Kestrel won't honor it if the tabs are removed. I put up with them.

Yakima makes roof rack fork holders that open wide enough to clear the tabs so they have gotten around that problem. I expect other makers have similar clamps.

'nother

Grinding them down is a pointless waste of time and great opportunity to potentially ruin your forks/dropouts. I could see a possible exception if you race, but come on just turn the frickin' skewer a couple of extra turns? It's really not that big of a deal unless you are just a real lawyer/CPSC-hater. Get over it.

slvoid

I rode a bike with disc brakes where the QR became loose. The wheel rattled when I stopped and that made me aware of the situation so I could tighten them. If the guy grounded the tabs off, the wheel would've probably popped out.

How lazy can someone be that they can't take the extra 2 seconds (literally) to spin the QR lever around a few times?

urban_assault

<<< lazy nub grinder.

'nother

<<< CPSC shill

HillRider

Front disk brakes are a special situation. The torque reaction to applying the brake results in a strong downward force that tries to eject the front wheel. A very strong and tight QR is essential and fork tip nubs are very helpful unless the bike has a through-axle front hub and fork. You were extremely lucky you found the problem when you did.

roadrasher

Race bikes, yes. others, no. Quick wheel changes are a must when your racing.

'Rasher

Bluechip

I took them off my 5900 but none of my other bikes ever had them to begin with. I have never had a problem with them not being there. The roof rack is major pain with them on. My wife's bike still has them and I will probably keep them on because I don't always trust her ability to put them on securely.

roadfix

Disc calipers mounted on the right front side of the fork would solve that problem.....if the manufacturers are willing to mount disc tabs on that side...

Raiyn

In theory that seems like a solid idea as it would reverse the force that drives the problem.

HillRider

That topic was beaten to death here a few day ago. Suffice it to say they don't and there are several reasons why not.

roadfix

Hush! I know that & I was trying to get credit for the idea here....

madhouse

When I routinely used my old roof rack I ground the tabs off. Now that I only remove my wheels once in a blue moon I don't bother.

Bekologist

I've seen bikes up at the community college with the QR reversed on the wheel instead of clamped down, and the tabs were the only thing keeping this kid's front wheel on there!

Maybe they are only a nuisance if you recognize what they are to begin with.

Boatdesigner

I seem to remember seeing some QR levers that were shaped so they opened further, thus allowing you to pull the wheel off without unscrewing the skewer. Does anyone know who made these?

cydewaze

They're an annoyance that doesn't really add any safety, at least for me. If you have to loosen the QR enough to clear the tabs, it will still be loose enough to clear the tabs if you forget to tighten it.

My last bike went from 93 to this year tab-free, but now the new one has tabs. Ugh.

Raiyn

Link?

HillRider

Do a search for "wheel ejection" Here is the reference I found:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Wheel+ejection

sch

I always felt they were a real PITA when mounting the bike in the car rack, until the day my Teledyne
Titan fell over in back of the van bending the forktip and breaking it. Clamp was a bit loose. Lawyer lips would likely have prevented the bike from falling over. Nashbar carbon replacement was $110, I will leave the lips alone. I keep the original CP titanium fork where I can see it for a reminder.
Steve

HillRider

A Teledyne Titan that's still in service? Wow, you have a real collectors item. They had a well deserved reputation for breaking after relatively short lifespans. CP Titanium and "standard diameter" tubes were a bad combination. CP grade Ti by itself isn't very good either, having poor fatigue life.

Also be grateful your "CP titanium" fork broke where and when it did.