Removing rear bike wheel help!

Those are called horizontal dropouts and they are the DEVIL.  I've had my bike for two years and I just finally have the hang of it.  But I should still practice more.

You need to be in the smallest cog and you need to have a rag or something to grab the chain with.  It's really impossible to take a wheel off a bike with horizontal dropouts and not touch the chain.  Once you are in the small cog you just pull the chain off the wheel and to the outside...should be able to side the wheel out at that point.  Getting it back in is a little trickier.  You have to hold the chain back and put it back onto the wheel then let the wheel slide forward.  Sometimes you'll have to mess with the rear derailleur to get everything to fall back into place properly.

It's best to practice on a stand at first...it's a LOT easier if something is holding the bike up.  Get the hang of it and then try it without the bike supported.

I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER BIKE WITH HORIZONTAL DROPOUTS!  I hate them that much.

this but also the small in the back also....you will get your hands dirty....but pull chain off the cassette and slide wheel out and let the bike and rear deraullier down gently...then when you put it back on you need to pull the chain back over to the same cassette/gear that you removed. Thats why its easier just to know you will put it on the small one

I have never done this without getting my hands very dirty.

My P1 is the same way with horizontal drops.  As everyone else said, just put it in the small cog, grab the chain and pull the wheel out.

Getting it back in is more of a challenge I've found. But after 10 months I have the hang of it.

Removing the wheel shouldn't require you to touch the chain.  Go into the small ring up front and smallest cog in the rear and that should give you enough slack to pull the wheel backwards out of the dropout.  Then it's just a matter of pushing the derailleur down to get the cassette out of the chain.

Same goes for putting it back on...although a little more tricky.  Sometimes it's easier to just grab the chain, but not necessary.

cgregg - 2012-09-18 3:56 PM

djastroman - 2012-09-18 4:41 PM

My P1 is the same way with horizontal drops.  As everyone else said, just put it in the small cog, grab the chain and pull the wheel out.

Getting it back in is more of a challenge I've found. But after 10 months I have the hang of it.

I have a P1 as well, and when doing long drives with the bike (travelling to races), she rides inside the car with me, and this is the only way to get her in there.... I've learned it the hard way. Never bothered trying to keep my hands clean doing it. I just keep a rag with me when I know I'll be having to do it. Also never thought to go into the small chainring up front (duh!)... that should make life a lot simpler

What is your bike doing OUT of the small chain ring in front?  my bike lives there....