Originally Posted by
v70cat
Yesterday I was on a group ride and was watching the bikes while the others were going to the bathroom. One of the bikes was not in the bike rack and fell down when a gust of wind hit it. I went over and pick it up and put it in the rack front wheel first. The owner comes back and is pissed who moved my bike and who put it the rack with the front wheel. She further explains that putting it in the rack with the front wheel can bend the wheel. I think she is a nut and nothing happened to her bike and other riders with nicer bikes had no problem using the rack with the front wheel.
So my question is should you put a bike in the rack by the front or back wheel? Does using a rack potential bend the wheel? Do you use bike racks?
Back wheel, always. She is correct that the front wheel can be bent in a rack. Not the act of putting it in the rack but if the bike is knocked over - by wind, other cyclists, gravity, etc. - it can twist a wheel in to a taco.
Now going ballistic on you for moving her bike is a bit much. Her own carelessness could have damaged the bike just as well as you parking it by the front wheel...maybe worse. Just remember that no good deed goes unpunished
