neilfein

this is embarassing, but I tell myself I've had the bike for less than a week.

I got a flat on my Curve D3 on the way home from work today. I had a spare tube, tire levers, and a seatpost pump with me. I was all set the change the tube, when I realized... the Curve doesn't have quick-release wheels, I'm gonna need a wrench to get the wheel off. Grumble grumble.

One cab ride later, I've got the bike on my living room floor and what looks to be the retaining nut off ofthe axle, and the wheel still won't come off. What looks to be a threaded washer is holding the wheel in place under the nut, and I have no idea what to do from there.

The net has yielded no solutions, and I can't find anything by searching BF either. I assume somebody here with a D3 has had to change a flat tire! Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks!

Caaah

Are you having problems getting off the washer that looks like this?:

https://www.thorusa.com/dahon/accessories/special.htm
(The lock ring)

If that's the one, its not threaded, its probably just on there tight and wedged against the frame. Just give it a little tap from behind.

BruceMetras

Loosen both nuts on either side using a 15mm wrench (box/open end).. pop off plastic shroud covering shift cable... disconnect the shift chain at the connector (probably only hand tight).. disconnect rear brake cable from brake arm (shouldn't need tool) might have to turn in adjuster at rear brake hand lever to get enough cable to disconnect.. whack wheel with hand it should fall to floor... look for object on inside of tire that caused flat.. the washers you question are anti-rotation washers, not threaded and need to engage the dropouts on reassmembly..

neilfein

Thanks; I'll try that tonight. It's frustrating because I'm hardly a stranger to changing flats, I just couldn't get the wheel off!

rhm

Neil,
do you patch, or replace the tube? If you're used to patching anyway, try patching the tube without taking the wheel out of the frame. It's easier than you'd think! You take one bead of the tire off the rim, as usual; pull the tube out most of the way (leave the valve stem in, for now); inflate enough for the hole to reveal itself; patch it; check the tire for glass, staples, &c; and put it all back together. I never used to do it this way, but since I've been on internally geared hubs, it's become a routine.
Rudi

Caaah

Duh. I forgot about the cable (I switched to the 8 speed hub which has the cable under the frame). Just remember, when you reconnect, to finger tighten the cable then back it off a half turn. When I changed my first flat on the Curve, I didn't know this and really did a number on the hub by riding with it tightened incorrectly. There are a couple threads on here about reconnecting the shifter cable properly. I'd hate for you to make the same mistake I did!

neilfein

I was planning on replacing the tube. There's nothing in the tire that shows what kind of a flat it is - no thorns, nails, glass, etc. Maybe a pinch flat?

I'd like to actually take a look inside the tire and see what's going on.

neilfein

Thanks! It worked fine, although I was hesitant to use enough force to tap the washers out. I brought it to the shop I bought it at and they walked me through it (after figuring it out themselves). I ended up using the shop tools to change the tube myself, making sure I knew how to do everything before waking out. Even if not for that. I needed to get another tube anyway, once I used the spare I had in the saddlebag.

There was indeed a small hole in the tube, but no foreign objects. Something poked through the tire and was pulled out after piercing the tube, I'd venture.

I will say this, 16" tires are relatively easy to get off the rim. I used a tire lever, but I probably could do it without one in a pinch.

neilfein

The one I was referring to is round, but there is one of these on there as well.

BikeLite

Why can't hubbed bikes have quick release back wheels?

rhm

Quick release spindles go through a hollow axle; some internally geared hubs (like the old Sturmey Archer hubs) shift through a hollow axle; you can't do both. Some of the newer hubs probably could be built with QR, though; and it might be a pretty good idea, as long as the QR holds the wheel as securely as nuts do. My impression is that they do; and at any rate, a stripped or broken QR is easier to replace than a stripped or broken axle.

bikebikebike

I don't mean to necro this 11-year-old thread but I have to admit that the 0P had a surprisingly legtimate issue.
Reminds me, no question is a bad one.
I bought a 2007 curve D3 in superficially good, pristine, little used and in original shape, but with lots of needs.
The rear wheel apparently had never been removed and the non-drive side washer was not slotted and driven on to the rear axle to a point where the wheel required a hammer to remove (!).
The bearings were all very gritty in both the rear and front hubs.
I have had older Dahon bikes and never had anything that appeared to be as poorly assembled as this one.
Its poor assembly caused it to be set aside and not ridden for a looong time.
11 years ago, but a heads up. May have been a specific and local problem , but a real one all the same,
and I found others with the same problems.
The bike is strikingly unimpressive, though I bought it for pretty good price and mostly out of curiosity.
It is my first SRAM three speed and after the Sturmy-Archer hubs and Dual drives I am extremely unimpressed.
Oh well, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the princes.

tcs

Alfine 11 w/ quick release.

tcs

Fun fact: The Curve D3 has been offered with the Sturmey-Archer SRF3, Shimano Nexus 3 and the SRAM iMotion 3 in various markets in different model years.

BromptonINrio

how? any walkthrough?

tcs

Rohloff IGH offers a quick release model from the factory:

tcs

These are "Axle Release Pro" quick release adapters.



They replace the axle nuts on both sides of the hub. There's also a 'Classic' version with more traditional aesthetics. They are available in the 3/8 x 26 thread size that fits Shimano IGHs.

Nuvinci/Inviolo offered these (or an equivalent) from the factory.

These are widely available on the internet, but - and it's a big but - I can no longer find a 'net presence for the manufacturing company.

An internet IGH guru told me to never secure an IGH with a quick release - it wouldn't hold, not even in vertical dropouts. Then he started selling the quick release model of the Rolhoff uber-IGH to customers.

bikebikebike

Appreciate your posts. You have been a valuable guide in to my entry into Brompton land


I ended up having to cut the hub washer off of the axle, having removed the hub.
Cleaned and greased the hubs are working well though the axle bearing on one of the front axles was notched possibly from condensate corrosion on the bearings
Lubed up, with the cones adjusted front and back, it is a happy bike.

It folds like a Dahon and sure ain't no Brompton.
A bit flexi and with a very cramped cockpit, which if enlarged, impacts on the fold
Requires realignment of steering and seat with the folding/unfolding
Sachs T3 hub is not designed to go very fast but is not unpleasant within its range
And (surprise surprise) it had a recall on the steering tube that had never been acted on
And Dahon has been nice about it.


I am proposing Richard's Foldy Index: a ratio of the time spent folding/unfolding it to the time spent riding it
this one won't get ridden far at a time

I have a Rollie with a quick release, for the time that I have to take off the rear wheel which is what? every other year?

Thanks for the intro to the Alfine I must look into it when both it and I lose a few cm