Hey Guys,

So my new road bike has a quick release front hub, but doesn't have a quick release rear hub. Can I just buy a skewer for the back, or do I have to buy some sort of conversion kit?

I'm new to cycling and really enjoy it, but know almost nothing about maintenance, trying to teach myself so I can maintain my bike between tune ups.

Thnx guys

Assuming you have a threaded steel axle, which is very likely, you'll need to replace it with a hollow one so the skewer can pass through. It isn't an expensive conversion, but will be roughly double the cost of just the skewer, plus some labor if a bike shop does the job.

You may also need a cone spanner to remove the bearing cones from the old axle, which will add more to the price unless you have a shop do it.

How do I know which axle I will need to buy?

Found this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Master-Q...d_sim_sbs_sg_3

What should I measure to know what I need? I have a 7 cog cassette.

Add this in and I'm in it for less then $20:

https://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Quick-R...k+release+axle

You have to verify the thread, which is most likely 10x1, rather than 10x26. Then the length, which is 9-11mm longer than the inside width of your dropouts, Measure in mm with a ruler). One way to verify the thread is to bring an axle nut to the bike shop and try on the axle, otherwise you can use a thread pitch gauge, but the difference between 10x1 and 10x26tpi is small so measure carefully.

If this is going to be DIY, you'll need cone wrenches (usually 2, sometimes only one), and some grease. They you'll find a tutorial on adjusting hub cones.

note that the axle for QR's has to be shorter than the axle for wheel nuts, as the QR axle /can't/ stick through the dropouts... as FBinNY says, it has to be slightly less than the outside width of the dropouts, or about 10mm wider than the inside width aka nut-to-nut width of the rear hub. a 7 speed road bike could be 125 (if really old) or 127 (medium old) or 130mm inside width aka nut to nut width. it also could be a 'hybrid' which usually uses a 135mm mountain bike hub.

a road bike that didn't come with QR rear wheel is raising an eyebrow here. what exactly is this?

Good to know, I'll probably buy the parts on Amazon and take them down to the local bike shop, so I don't screw them up.

This is my first bike, so I didn't want to spend too much money. I went with this bike off the shelf:

https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Mens-P...eywords=phocus

will likely be significantly cheaper if you just bring them the wheel as they won't have to tie up a work stand with your wheelless bike while they do this.

but, for SURE, measure the inside width of your rear dropouts before buying the axle, like so
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sp-ss.html#spacing

and add 10mm to whatever you get, thats how long the QR axle should be. if you use an imperialist ruler, try and use one with 1/32nd inch marks, then convert to metric. dirty trick, google does conversions, so if you measure 5 and 4/32, put... " (5 +4/32) inches in mm " into google, and it will tell you thats about 130mm.


edit: btw, I expect 130mm is what you'll find, but its still good to check.

Buy your parts from the local bike shop. They'll know what you need and they could use the business.

You might just check with a few local shops and see if they have a used "Take off Bin". I have one that sells used hubs for $5 a whack, so if you can match up your bike's axle length and thread to a QR one, shuffle the cones over and throw in a QR skewer and off you go, save a few bucks

Cool, called these guys up to see if they would have the parts: https://www.recycledcycles.com/

I'll take it this weekend

I agree with buying the parts from the LBS. If you have an inexpensive bike and are learning about bike stuff you'll be needing more help in the future. Nows a good time to establish the relationship that will give you help. If you buy the parts on line then go in that's kind of like bring your own steak to the restaurant and asking the chief to serve it to you. Andy.

If you do the work yourself be sure that you properly adjust the hub bearings. First tighten the right side cone and locknut. Install everything and adjust the left side so that there is a small amount of play in the bearings. This will go away when the quick release compresses the hollow axle.
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

Whitenheimer, recycled cycles sounds like my kind of business. They should be able to set you up with a quick release axle for cheap. Most bike shops throw five a day into their dumpster

I agree with all of the other posters here and strongly recommend that you do this work yourself.

The job entails:
1) unscrewing the locknut and cone from the non-drive side of the hub
(this is easier w/ a cone wrench, but can be done with an adjustable wrench)
2)removing the solid axle from the hub
(your bearings are probably in cages, but they may fall out when you take the axle out. Don't do it over the trash can...)
3) placing your properly sized QR axle into the hub
4) tightening down the cone and locknut
(this is where you need a cone wrench. The cone should sit just on top of the bearings and be able to spin freely with the slightest amount of lateral play possible. You secure the two in place by tightening the locknut while holding the cone in place with the cone wrench)

No sweat, and you can buy the wrench you need from REI or any bike shop for about $7. Bonus: being able to take down and grease a hub will save you hundreds in the long run.

See Also:https://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

I've been in there. They have bins and bins of parts. My daughter says they aren't all that helpful, however. She really likes Counterbalance Bicycles, 2943 Northeast Blakeley Street. It's a pretty good shop right on the Burke-Gilman.