Installing Front Wheel on Track Frame
 

Hello all,

I know this sounds like a simple thing to do but I am having trouble installing my front wheel on my new frame. First off the frame is a 2012 Look 464 Track frame, so it is a decent quality track frame (hoping to get it on the track this weekend). The frame is drilled for brakes in the rear and on the front fork which is the original full carbon fork and steerer that was made for the frame. I believe I have a decent knowledge of bicycle mechanics, so posting this seems an quite embarrassing task.

Now trying to put the front wheel on the fork. I have put the wheel into the fork ends and started to tighten the nuts to secure the wheel to the frame. The nut on the right side comes to a complete flush close but the nut on the left side will not come completely closed because it is hitting the "lawyer lips" (what I believe they are called?). I do not want to over tighten the nut and ruin the fork end or something else. I did take this to a LBS and the mechanic said that the fork was designed to only accept quick-release. This is something I find hard to believe due to the fact that this frame is a true track frame and where quick releases are not even allowed in track racing. If anyone could enlighten me on this issue or let me know a solution to the problem other than changing the axle out for a quick-release it would be appreciated.

thank you.

File the lawyer lip down?

As said above that is what I would do. A file will solve your problem. Roger

I can do that, but I was worried about the integrity of the fork. I have never owned a full carbon fork, I am assuming that the fork end is aluminum? Would filing the lip down be safe?

Also I just don't understand why/ how this happened. The frame/ fork is hand made by a reputable manufacture.

If you are that worried call Look or whomever made the fork and ask what is going on. They are the one that would know. To me it looks like a road fork made to fit a quick release wheel not a nutted wheel. That is the problem. Roger

Alrighty and thank you.

Can't you find a nut with a smaller diameter flange, or use a washer as spacer? I wouldn't modify the fork.

Filing the lips down is perfectly safe .... except for people who do not know how to properly attach a front wheel.
Maybe your bike came with the wrong fork ? Or are "lips" required on all bikes, even track bikes ?

I am of the you have a larger flange around the bolt holding the fork in camp you dont Need it so huge ..

To sell bikes in the USA the CSPC features may be required and US being such a huge consumer market, they do that as a rule .. for world production..


'Perfectly safe' assumes no user error, I wouldn't guarantee people are that conscientious ..

As noted above; get some nuts without flanges, and some smaller diameter washers - no modifications, and easy to return to original.

The UCI is requiring them on road racing bikes too so maybe it's spilled over to all racing bikes. Team mechanics have been getting qr skewers that open wide enough to clear the lips to speed wheel changes.

The lips on the fork ends are the result of paranoia about legal liability on the part of the fork's maker, or simple laziness in using the same dropouts as they do for the rest of their production.

Since the dropout is a cast or forged aluminum part, you can file it as you would anything else without concern about the carbon part. Or you can shop for track nuts with smaller flanges. For my part, if I found nice track nuts that fit I might go that route, but most likely would file the dropout, as I have all my road forks.

BTW- there's no regulations on track bike forks, either by the CPSC which deems them "special purpose" and exempt, or by the UCI, which adopted their own "lips" rule as an interpretation of their general rule that raced bikes must be stock and available for sale to the general public. Since the bikes are sold with lips, they must be raced with them. By the same logic, since track bikes are sold without, none are required for competition.

Meanwhile, the popularity of SS fixies as street bikes raises a legal question. Is it still a track bike if it's sold for general street use? This may be why you have lips on a "track" fork.

a flat washer behind the bolts You have would do but the machined ones do look pretty

then you could file the flatwasher instead , and they are cheap to replace .

Is the fork drilled for a brake? It's not totally clear in your post.

Is the right nut the same as the left one? What happens when you flip the wheel around?

Yes, the fork is drilled for a brake. and when i flip the wheel the same thing happens, fits on the left side and not the right. Also the nuts are the same. Which brings up the question for me, why it fits on one side but not the other?


But, that is neither here nor there now. I ended up calling the Look and they let me know to just get a smaller nut diameter therefore that is what i did.

Thanks for all the responses and I have now a pretty good knowledge of lawyer lips, front wheel nuts and axle romances. It is also nice to know that I can file the lawyer lips down a bit if it were to come down to it.