There is a plastic lock of some kind on my new bike the shop sent to me. I do not want to break my carbon fork which flexes something awful if I try to bend the center of it. I cannot tell if the inside or the outside is the less deep plug in the dropout. It will not easily pull off like a wheel. please help

You are going to have to send a picture , since I have no Idea what you are talking about .


a Lock Where ?
this the plastic piece that keeps the tips spread, in shipping?

hopefully this worked

yes sorry about being vague, my hand were half full of stuff and this keyboard sticks

Just pull it off, it only use in shipping to keep the forks from going thou the box. Remove it and put on your wheel.

no, really it does not just pull off. I know what it does just not how to get it off without breaking the fork

holy crap that thing was tight. I hurt my arm when it snapped out. thanks

A swift chop downwards with your fist usually pops it out of the dropouts. It's there to keep your fork from breaking in transit.

Hang on to it in case you need to ship the bike.

I usually just tap pretty hard it with the handle of a hammer or a stout stick or dowel - something that won't harm the fork (i.e. I don't use the hammer head or anything metal).

Yes, those things can be really stuck in there.

Enjoy your new bike.
At least, I assume their was a bike attached to the other end of the fork.

I keep them for packing a bike or traveling with the bike in the trunk. that way if I just toss something in the trunk the fork won't bend or break

I will nominate that for the quoat of the year.

I've made dedicated "travel axles" by taking the axles, cones and locknuts out of defunct or damaged hubs (free at your LBS if they like you). Thread on the cones and locknuts and adjust and tighten them so the OLD is correct (100 mm for a front and 126, 130 or 135 as needed for a rear ). They stay in place using your qr skewer or axle nuts.

That sounds like a good idea, if my LBS liked me. Maybe I can find some at the bike co-op. I just assumed that if the plastic pieces were good enough for the mfg they should be good enough for me.

I considered someone with a dirty mind might be able to put it to good use.

Holy moly......geeeze!

Most of the plastic dropout protectors I've seen aren't very durable and don't stay in the dropouts securely (despite the OP's experience) unless the are taped in place. Also, most new bikes come with only a front dropout spacer since they are generally shipped with the rear wheel in place.

I have an S&S travel bike so the travel axles were needed at both ends and had to be durable enough for many uses.

If the dropout protector was that difficult to remove, you need to check the dropouts for impact damage. While many times the protectors are tight, given that the tolerances for the plastic mold might be a bit off, it is very possible that the frame/box/fork was dropped. This would cause the dropout to close slightly.

This is not likely to be a safety issue, but why take the chance?

Does a normal axle fit easily into the dropouts?

That's true, but I think that I have front and back from when I purchased frames.