- Removing a wheel from a bike
is something we all need to do at some point,
whether that's just to fix a puncture,
or perhaps if you wanna put your bike
in a car and transport it.
Now, removing wheels is a very easy thing to do,
but it's also easy to make a few mistakes.
So this is the best and safest way
to remove and replace your wheels.
Now first up, before you remove your wheels,
you need to understand which type
of axle fastenings you have.
Now on most mountain bikes these days,
you have what's known as quick-release thru-axles.
They're basically a bigger version
of the classic quick-release.
Now for this video, I'm gonna show you how to use those,
gonna show you how to use the allen key version
and also the classic quick-release.
(light music)
Now none of our presenter bikes here at GMBN,
actually have quick-releases anymore,
because you don't often see them.
However, I've just borrowed Dan the cameraman's bike,
just to have a look at this.
So he's got an old Giant here
and this has got quick-release levers on it.
Now, a quick-release lever is a cam-operated lever,
it's very easy to undo, but there's a couple
of little details you need to know.
On the bottom of the fork, or the rear of the frame,
there'll be little safety tabs.
These are to ensure that if the lever comes loose,
the wheel won't fall out.
So, you have to undo the lever enough,
in order for the wheel to pass through that.
So quick-release itself is a very simple thing,
so cam-operated lever on a bar,
with a thread on the end, a spring and a nut.
All you need to do, is make sure it's sufficiently tight
and you should be able to close it no problem and open it.
That's all there is to it.
But you don't tend to see it
on mountain bikes that much these days.
So I'm gonna show you the two common versions right now,
that you'll see on most modern mountain bikes.
Now with most modern mountain bikes,
you'll find they either have
the quick-release style thru-axle system,
like you see on my Scott here,
or you're gonna have the allen key version,
which you'll see on my Nukeproof here.
So to make it super easy for you,
I'm just gonna show you one of each,
nice and simple, but the process is exactly
the same no matter what axle you have.
(light music)
Most mountain bikes today have disc brakes
on them, even the budget bikes,
but occasionally you're going to get one
that has regular v brakes or cantilever brakes.
If that's the case, then you need to loosen the cable first,
before you can remove the wheel,
to enable the tire to pass the brake pads.
In this case, it's a conventional bike,
that has a disc brake on it
and I'm gonna need a six millimeter allen key.
So you either want a multi-tool for that,
or a good old-fashioned allen keys.
So, just gonna get my six millimeter allen key,
nice and simple, put it straight into the end there,
into the head and you wanna loosen this
anticlockwise or counter-clockwise.
Nice and easy.
And because it's a thru-axle,
the threads are actually on the fork ends,
so you just wanna completely remove this from the bike.
When it comes loose, you can slide this straight out.
Now there we go, there is the axle.
Nice and simple now to remove,
fork goes up, wheel comes out.
Now, something to pay attention to,
when you are removing your wheel from the bike,
is if you accidentally press the brake lever,
you can squash the brake pads together.
So a little handy tip for you,
if you're putting your bike in a car perhaps,
is to get a bit of cardboard, fold it in half,
wedge it in between your disc brake pads, just like so.
And that basically takes up the same void
that the disc would.
So if your brake lever is accidentally pressed,
nothing is going to be affected
and when you go to put your wheel back in,
it's gonna work perfectly
and you won't have to prize them apart.
If unluckily, you do manage to squeeze the brake lever
and your pads are drawn together,
a flat-bladed screwdriver will be fine
to just prize them apart, just be careful when you do that.
And for putting the wheel back in,
you just need to make sure it's orientated correctly,
so the disc rotor is on the same side as the caliper.
Then you wanna line it up, use line of sight there,
just to make sure it slides in between the brake pads
and then it will sit home nicely.
And then it's a case of sliding that axle
back into place and tightening up.
Once that wheel is in place,
all you need to do is slide that axle back in
and make sure that the threads on the end,
bite on the threads in the end of the fork there.
Now sometimes, you might wanna just stand over the bike,
just to make sure it lines up correctly,
so you can get a good line of sight.
There you go, I can feel it going into the end there
and then simply tighten up that allen key on the end,
to make sure that the wheel stays nice and secure.
Job done, ready to hit the trails.
Now the good news is, if you have any sort
of quick-release lever on your bike,
like on this quick-release 15 here,
you don't need any tools to remove either of your wheels.
However, you do need to pay attention
when putting them back in again,
so there's an important safety feature I'm gonna show you.
To remove the wheel, sometimes you'll find some brands,
the lever will be on the non-drive side of the bike,
other brands will be on the other side.
The principal is identical and you need to undo them
in a counterclockwise or anticlockwise movement.
Same as before, with the quick-release,
literally undo the lever, it's a cam-based lever
and then simply unwind
until the threads aren't unwinding anymore
And then slide the axle straight out
and then the wheel is ready to remove.
Nice and simple.
Same thing applies to put the wheel back in.
Make sure it's orientated correctly
and then using line of sight,
line up the disc rotor in between the brake pads
and then sit it home.
And you simply wanna replace that axle,
make sure the threads grip at the end
and then wind it back into the bike.
Now the idea is that you tighten this up
and the lever needs to be facing in a safe orientation.
In this case, it's completely upright with the fork.
And the reason for that is,
if you tighten it against the fork,
the cam can't actually tighten sufficiently
and it could come undone.
If you wanna know a bit more detail
about all the different types of axle out there,
there's a link below this very video,
in our new Essentials series on GMBN Tech
and that will detail the very specific things about them.
But the fundamentals are the same,
just use your common sense,
make sure it's in a safe position.
Make sure the lever is closed properly
and make sure it's not in a position
like for example, facing forwards like this.
If it's facing forwards and you ride along
a trail with lots of brambles, that could unflip it
and of course, with the rattling over time,
the lever could undo and that axle could fall out.
So make sure that you do it nice and safe.
Get it done right.
(light music)
Okay, now it's time to look at
removing and replacing the rear wheel.
Now regardless of the type of axle you have,
it's the same principle.
So if you just take note of what I said earlier in the video
with the allen keys or the levers
and you apply that to this, it's no problem.
Now all bikes will have gears on the rear.
Now you wanna make sure that your gear is shifted,
so the chain is in the smallest sprocket.
And the reason for that is if it's in a bigger sprocket,
there'll be a lot of chain tension
and you'll be fighting that when
you remove and replace the wheel.
So make it easier for yourself to start with,
put it in a small sprocket.
So this particular bike has a Sram derailleur on it,
so you wanna swing that lower cage all the way round
and engage the button which locks the cage.
This basically makes the chain nice and slack,
so it makes it very easy to remove that wheel.
If your bike has a Shimano derailleur on it,
chances are it might be a clutch derailleur,
in which case you need to just move this little lever.
So now it's time to literally undo the axle
and let the wheel slip out the bike.
So depending on your axle type,
you need to loosen that axle and unwind it from your bike.
So mine has unwound now, so I'm just gonna
slide it all the way out, just remove that.
Now lift your bike up, now carefully,
you need to just move the rear derailleur backwards slightly
to allow the chain to release the rear wheel
and you're done, nice and simple.
So unlike replacing the front wheel,
on the rear wheel you have to line up
both the disc rotor in the pads and also the chain.
So my advice is to line up the chain first
because it's further away.
Just get it onto that small sprocket,
then line up the rear disc rotor in between the pads
and put the wheel in place.
Then it's a case of running that axle
straight back in again, tightening sufficiently
and also making sure that the lever itself
is in a safe position, just like with the front wheel.
Something to take into account with the rear,
is make sure that your ankle or your foot
can't accidentally strike that lever,
with the position it is on your bike.
Get that tight and safe.
Then it's simply a case, on this bike,
of pushing the cage forwards
and that will disengage that lock.
There we go and let it back.
If your bike has a Shimano derailleur
and it has a clutch on it, this is when
you just reengage that clutch and you're good to go.
So there you go, that's the basics
of removing and replacing your wheels from your bike.
Don't forget those little safety tips,
with the lever accidentally opening.
And the little handy tip with
the cardboard between the brake pads,
that's saved me on many an occasion.
If you wanna know a bit more about different types
of wheel axle and how they actually work
and all the features, click over here
for the first in our GMBN Tech Essentials series.
There's a whole series of stuff,
teaching everyone everything about fixing your own bike.
As always, click on the round globe
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