The situation

Ok so this morning I wrecked. I was tired and running late for work and my focus wasnt what it should be and bumped off a curb only I happened to choose where a gutter was due to lack of attention. Grabbed the front wheel and tossed the bike up and me over the handlebars bike falling over in the process.Afterwards it was riding like the brakes were dragging. Rode it that way to work because I didn't have time to mess with it. So I get out of work, go to adjust the brakes before I rode home got them straight (they were dragging) and went to spin the front wheel and it acted the same way. I loosened the nuts on the for that hold the wheel and boom it was spinning freely again. The wheel doesn't look bent or anything that hit might have made it out of true but it doesn't visually look bent or anything of the sorts. Could that hit have somehow tightened the bolts enough to cause it to bind or what do y'all think would be the cause of it. It rides fine now but I'm curious

Tl;dr version
Wrecked. Front wheel felt like it was binding. Loosened the nuts that hold it to the fork and its solved. What would cause that

TMI at once and all jumbled together Break it down
to a simple question.
double spaced lineas with bullet points

Hard to read or understand. Make it like Twitter.

I just edited a tldr version for ya. The main reason I wrote it all out is maybe the way I wrecked would give some insight to the issue

I Think the word Wrecked is important, go have a Shop look at it .

Impact probably caused it ..

Axle probably got shifted in the drop outs causing tire/fork or brake shoe/rim rub or maybe kinda possibly, putting a "bend" in the axle??
Loosening the front allowed it to shift back in place.

Thanks. I haven't snugged them back up all the way but I think I'll try that and see if it binds again just to see

Or possibly bending the fork leg(s).

Also, does it bind evenly all the way around.
Intermittent binding indicates a bent (almost for sure) axle.
Usually, it's just easier is to hold the wheel in your hand and rotate the axle with your thumb/finger for a better feel.
That will give you a better sense if something is wonky.

Yeah it binded pretty hard full rotation. I didn't feel it give any or get any harder

But how is it now? Unless that doesn't matter.

I haven't gotten up to tighten the nuts yet give me just a few to get off my lazy butt. Also if I haven't said it already. Thank you for the help

I tightened it all up and its still perfectly fine. No binding or anything. Like nothing ever happend

So.... I am guessing it's bad for your bike to run into curbs hard enough to throw you over the bars so you might want to not do this as it might make your loose front axle that you have never tighten correctly come loose and rub your brakes causing you to think there is something wrong with your own ride when in fact a tighter axle might have prevented it.

Excellent advice and I'm sure the OP is very grateful for your insight.

1. The important thing is that you were not injured too badly.
2. Maybe just me, but I've never had a mechanical problem fix itself, there was always some intervention involved and my conservative advice is for a thorough inspection.

Brad

Nothing to see here.....move along......

I didn't run into the curb I hopped down the curb I just happened to pick where a gutter was. I know better than to try and blast up curbs

Yeah I'd rather harm the bike than myself. Bikes are replacable. If it was worth a Damn I'd take it to a shop and get it inspected but it's a Takara kabuto I snagged off someone for 20 bucks just so I can get into fixed gear riding before I'm done with the bike I'm building

Usually where there is a curb, there is a gutter. They sort of go together.

Not necessarily. Gutters are where curbs are yes but not everywhere where a curb is is a gutter.

Agree. Take the wheel off. I you have a quick release, see if you can pull the skewer out. If it's hard to do this, your axle probably got bent. If you have solid axles, probably best to have the shop look at them.

Even if you can get the wheel to run without any "catches" or slow spots, the bearings will degrade rapidly and the wheel will be a bit loose. Cheap enough to replace an axle.

Didn't you both just disagree and say the very same thing?

Maybe the OP hit a storm drain that somehow threw things crooked.

Apparently hitting hard enough to shift the wheel in the dropouts, but not doing any real damage. Perhaps the wheel was already loose. But the repair was easy enough.

That is what seemed to happen. All seems fine. I'm only stuck with this bike till I decide on what crankset to get for my project and then I'll have everything I need for it. As I said I got the bike for 20 bucks so I don't really care what happens to it although I'm glad it seems unharmed.