Originally Posted by
Eric0053
OK...to put an end to this argument. I was never looking for fault. I was seeking understanding. In my line of work understanding is more important than fault. This way I can not have it happen again. Yes, the loss cost me some funds. No biggie there. I am very happy that the wheel did not hit another vehicle. I saw the damn thing bouncing in front of the utility truck doing work. I talked to the guy to make sure it did not hit any one. I thought I had used the QR in the correct manner but it is possible I did not. I make for damn sure that I do now. Lesson learned. I even learned there are different QR's of different quality. My LBS guy and I looked over the busted QR and I just shrugged and said "Oh Well" it happens. End of issue. I never asked for anything from him other than knowledge and a professional opinion. I do appreciate advice on this forum and the riders who welcome newbies into the adventure of riding a bike. I am a runner and know a ton about shoes, training etc. I enjoy helping new runners and slow way down and shorten distance if a new runner wants to go for a run. I always say a mile is a mile no matter how fast you go. Kind of relieves the pressure on a newer runner. I am enjoying riding and have met some really good people on road and trail. Now I need to figure out how much to spend on a rode bike. Thanks everyone for the advice and help. Hopefully someday I will know enough to help others.
And...yes....a tire is rubber....wheel is not rubber. Wheels have axels and hubs. I apologize to those that I may have offended with my incorrect use of the velocipede parts.
Before putting the argument completely to bed, understand the issue from my point of view. Your post was, by your own admission, a "rant". You were upset at something that happened to you and you
seemed to want to affix blame. You
seemed to be looking for sympathetic ears. You provided us with little to no detail and then, when it was pointed out
based on that detail that it was likely user error (i.e. your fault), you got hotter under the collar. Those aren't the actions of someone who is "seeking understanding".
In the bicycle industry they even have an acronym for your kind of problem. It's a JRA or "just riding along" which is short hand for the customer saying, for example, "I was just riding along and ..." The customer will say that they never touched anything on the bike but they may have been doing 3' drops on a mountain bike or hopping curbs on a road bike or not understanding how to use the quick release or, my personal favorite, "adjusted" the derailers by getting out the screwdriver and having a go at the limit screws. JRAs do happen but more often than not, they have some help.
As to your specific issue, part of the reason for my response is that quick releases simply don't fail
if used properly. I'm not saying that yours
couldn't have broken but that event is so rare that it's never been posted on the BikeForums to my knowledge nor have I ever broken one in 40 years of using them nor have I seen a broken one at my local co-op. And trust me if it can be broken or messed up, I've seen it at my local co-op.
There is also the issue of nomenclature. Since you are a runner, what would you say to someone if they came to you and asked advice about tennis shoes? Would you let them continue using an improper term or would you correct them? Maybe they
are looking for shoes for tennis or are they looking for shoes for running? Does not knowing the proper nomenclature help you help them? If you had a problem with the brakes on your car would you tell a mechanic that the tires aren't stopping the car? Being clear about the problem and knowing how to converse with others about it goes a long way towards understanding.
Finally to get back to your initial problem, people do lose wheels off cars occasionally. But it is a rather rare problem and 99.999999999% of the time it is due to user error. Occam's razor says that the simplest explanation the best place to start.