Remove the ridge that defeats Quick Release Wheel?
 

My new bike has that ridge that requires one to unscrew the "nut" opposite the quick release skewer. My older custom bike does not have this and is clearly easier to mount/unmount from a roof rack. With that ridge, it is anything but a "quick" release.

First, I realize that removing this would probably kill any warranty associated with the fork.

But are there other issues? Such as strength - does that ridge add to the strength of the dropout? Filing it off using a power tool might generate heat which could affect the temper or strength of the dropout?

Other issues?

The bike in question is a Trek Madone and the fork is Bontrager.

Thanks in advance

Why is it that big of a deal to you?

I've wondered about shaving the "lawyer lips" also. Although, it's not a problem on my road bike (but it's terribly annoying on my MTB).

You might look into QR skewers with a longer throw. Maybe:

http://www.amclassic.com/Skewers.html

I used to file off those lawyer lips from all my forks because the pros didn't have them but the last few years I've come to the realization that it only takes me only 10 seconds longer to remove/install the wheel so why bother. I'm not a racer and have never been one so fast wheel removal is not essential.

The Fixer has it right. If you don't race, little need to file off the lawyer clips. I race so it is the first thing I did. The last thing you want in a race is to waste time with those things or have the support guys shouting or glaring at you!

Because it serves no real purpose. You throw the quick release and now have to unscrew the nut to free the wheel. And then unscrew some more till the "quick" release does release.

You have to do this for flat tires, too.

But then you have to fiddle with the nut and refiddle to get the tension right for the quick release to hold properly. On the ground it's half bad, on a rack it is more bad.

So what purpose do those ridges/clips/lips serve? None. If I put the wheel back on and absentmindedly forget to tighten the nut, it is just the same as if I had placed a fork with none of that onto a wheel and forgot to flick the quick release.

Oh, I guess, if the quick release accidently opened....Not in all the years...

Oh, well, I may wait out the warranty period before removing the label from my bedding.....

I thought about doing that at one time.

Later that day, I picked up my bike to carry it up to my apartment, and the front wheel rattled. Lo and behold, someone had undone my QR while I was in class. Now, I have no urge to file them off.

+1 of what "kahn" said and I don't leave my bike out in front of my class.

I file mine off because it just drives people crazy and because of the absolute stupidity of defeating a great invention to please a lawyer.

Ralph

Sheldon has this to say:

'Because some bicycle users are competent enough to remove their front wheels but not competent enough to secure them properly when they reinstall them, virtually all new bike purchasers have been deprived of the handy function of quick-release front wheels.

This has been done by encumbering fork ends with extra hardware, ridges or lumps that keep the wheel sort-of attached even if it has been installed by someone who doesn't know what he or she is doing. Unfortunately, this means that the quick-release mechanism must be re-adjusted each time it is used, seriously slowing down the operation.

Since this extra stuff was installed as a defense against frivolous lawsuits by ambulance-chasing shysters, the extra bumps are sometimes known as "lawyer lips" or "lawyer tabs." '


I say, if you're annoyed by them half as much as I am (try mounting a MTB with these suckers onto a vertical yak rack), then ditch the lawyer lips.

But for god's sake, keep that mattress label.

these tabs are the dumbest things yet. It is soooo annoying! I'm not a racer, but when I take off a wheel I like to lean down with one hand, flip the quick release and pull the bike off the wheel. I bugs me because if I want to spin the qiuck release, I would just use wing nuts!

the question I have is, if someone is too dumb to close the quick release, and they spin the quick release to take the wheel off, what do they do when they reinstall the wheel? do they just put the wheel on and leave it loose? which is no safer than without the tabs. or do the spin the quick release until tight?

Any tips on how to de-tab a nice painted carbon fork?

Install normal old fashioned 15mm nuts. Then in about a month, try to take the wheel off. Spend 15 minutes trying to determine what size the nut is, then another few minutes trying to find the damn wrench. Then once you've found it, struggle for a bit longer with two obnoxiously siezed nuts.

Once you get the wheel off, go ahead and reinstall your quick release axle and skewer.

At this point, realize that lawyer tabs or not, your quick release is a helluva lot faster than the old method of doing things.

Depending on the steadiness of your hand, a small abrasive disc on a dremel would be best to avoid marring ajacient surface area. Use you judgement, as you don't want to create stress risers. The alternative is a flat file.

Must be a disease, because that's why I do it, too. :)

For a steel, aluminum or Ti dropout just file it off with a flat file and you're done. It doesn't have any structural purpose. I'm not sure what to do with a carbon dropout. Maybe applying a layer of household epoxy to the filed away area would be smart. Hopefully the makers of full carbon forks aren't molding those stupid things in. They should only be on bottom end bikes bought by casual bike riders.

Is it ALL carbon? Or is it like my carbon bike and has Aluminum drops that file off easily?

Ralph

First thing I do is file off the little 'nubs'.

I'm a law student. I have lawyer clips on the racer, none on the MTB. It IS so much easier to use the MTB QR.

I don't see why the lawyer clips were invented though. They can't be any safer because if the wheel was going to come loose, it would still wobble and be a hazard to the exact same degree as without the clips.

Why wait********** OK, so you're willing to be a bit inconvinienced during the warranty period. You want them off NOW, don't you? You'll be much happier and will enjoy your bike even more. At least I used to feel that way a few years back....;) :)

Not all bike riders are mechanically inclined, and most don't even know how to remove a wheel.
However, I know of one 80s bike race in which six riders crashed, four quickly got up and recovered, but one rider did not see the flipped skewer and the wheel dislodged on a pothole sending him over the bars to break his clavical.

In the era of superlight skewers, I'm kinda glad those little nubs are there.

There have been some reports of quick release mechanisms failing under disc brake pressure on MTB's. I don't know whether these failures occurred before or after the filing of a "lip". For what it's worth, you may want to relegate filing to your road bikes, and leave any bikes with disc brakes as they are. James Annan wrote more info on this topic: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames...quick_release/

There will always be anecdotal evidence from someone.

Ralph

this thread is evidence that you're all just a bunch of impatient lazy a$$es :p

The time it takes to file 'em off and re-paint is greater than the time you'll save (you'd have to change a heck of a lot of wheels to make up for it anyway).

So the only reason to do it is if the lawyer tabs really bug you. Sure, if you know how to work a QR, they serve no purpose other than to make the lawyers happy. :)

dog hair...you've got me pegged!

By the way I'm bummed I missed the ride Saturday. I have the same jersey you have, but in red, we could have posed.

Ralph

I do it for the weight savings . . . . . oh hold on, another donut, yes please. . . .

ha! i knew it!

yeah, too bad you and several others weren't there. it was a blast and nice to meet a bunch of people from the forums.

i love that jersey. actually, i like all of their stuff. nice and comfy. made with the perfect material for posing ;)

For whatever reason I have almost all Descente stuff; jerseys, bibs, socks...the stuff just lasts forever, fits me perfectly and like you said, is SO comfy. I have a Descente jersey that's about 15 years old, now if I could just put it on over my gut.

I'm sure the ride was fun, but I had a much better time with my daughter while she was throwing up all Friday night and on Saturday afternoon, so there.

We need to start planning another one right away.

Ralph

i'm not sure when the next OC ride will be, but we have something in the works right now for the san diego mountain area - it's looking like a century, though.

try getting ahold of OCRoadie for OC ride info.

With enough advanced notice I can switch days with the X for my daughter. I will be there this time...I hope!

Ralph