madmike2010

First, a bit of an introduction.
After years of riding my derelict old big box store mountain bike, I finally decide I am going to purchase a real bike. I spend months lurking, searching all the entry level bike threads. After narrowing down down my choices to a few entry level models, thoroughly test riding all of them, I eventually settle on Giant's Defy 3, despite my misgivings regarding the thumb shifters on the entry level Shimano. While I am on my way to hand over six hundred fifty dollars of my hard earned cash I, on a whim, go to another bike shop to check out the competition one last time. As I enter I see something that was absent just a week earlier when I tried out the Trek 1.2 and the Felt 95. A beautiful Trek 1200 is standing in their used rack. Fully Tiagra equipped, perhaps the most appealing aspect is the price tag, a measly $375. Needless to say I have been enthused since purchasing and ride as often as weather permits.

Now the embarrassingly simple part.
Last night I tried to put the bike into the back of my friend's car after riding. I had assumed that taking the wheel off would be a piece of cake, but found myself quite mistaken. While the wheel does have a quick release bolt, I cannot figure out how to open the dual pivot brake caliper. the tire is fairly wide - 28mm - and will not simply fall out from between them, as most photos I have seen would suggest should happen, when it is released. So, simply put, I'm wondering how the hell I can get this wheel off, and if it can even be done without tools.

Thanks for the help,
Mike

PS - I would add photos if i could find my camera. Maybe later tonight if in the unlikely event they are needed.

banerjek

There's a decent chance you haven't noticed a little lever on your brakes that allows you to create a bit more clearance, but just in case you have, just let the air out of the tire since that will allow you to compress things to the width of the rim which you know you have clearance for.

If your cable is already let out all the way and you can't remove the wheel after letting the air out, you'll need to disconnect the cable. That will require a tool, but when you reconnect it, don't connect so tight and set the cable length so you can adjust it to release the wheel without letting the air out.

AngryScientist 

as bj up there said, there's a quick release. if that doesnt give you enough clearance, i wouldnt monkey around with anything on the bike, just let the air out of your tire and keep a floor pump in your car/house. easy stuff.

AngryScientist 

see the lever on the left side of the pic, flip it up.

khatfull

Dang, when are we going to quit the "flip it" stuff for newbs?

DocM

I wonder if you might also be experiencing "lawyer tabs" in addition to tight brake clearance. Fork dropouts have a small ridge on them so the wheel cannot fall out even if the qr is open. You have to loosen the qr bolt a bit to get past the tabs.

madmike2010

I did see the lever, but it didn't create anywhere near enough clearance. Letting the air out did the job. Thanks for the help.

AngryScientist 

'lawyer lips"

Chandne

Hey, I just noticed my bike has that lever too. Great tip- now I don't have to yank that tire through anymore.

DieselDan

Along the lines of buying the bike, I did the same thing and have never looked back. I bought a used Cannondale R500 with RSX for $300 instead of putting the money toward a new Specialized Allez with Sora. I bought the C'dale, put air in the tires, and rehabed the shifters with Tri-Flow and could ride that day, instead of coming up with another $325 for the Allez. Since then, May 2003, I have maintained and upgraded that bike and I still ride it as much as I can.

Don't ever regret your purchase.

RacerOne

No shame in posting the questions, looks like you're pretty well lined out now. I would caution you to go ahead and adjust the cable to the point where your quick release will open enough to get your tire through. You don't want to be stuck out on the road with a freshly inflated tire that you can't get back onto your frame.

Retro Grouch 

Yup. 28 mm tires are right at the margin for squeezing through road calipers even with the caliper QR open. It helps if you adjust your cable tension so that the brake lever ALMOST bottoms against the handlebar when you brake.