What size and kind/brand of rear QR skewer for a Surly Cross Check?
 

I finally bought a CC after years of being interested in them. I'm told it's a 2013 model and it looked barely used when I bought it. I've since gotten it pretty dusty on Colorado gravel and I like it very much.

Just realized something, though...and sorry for no picture of it, but there's no quick-release skewer lever on the rear wheel. I'm guessing it snapped off somehow and I didn't notice when I test-rode the bike. Shameful...I know. That's like buying a car without kicking the tires.

There's not a skewer on the drive side either - that was the first thing I checked. But, the wheel still has a dork disk, so I'm guessing it's whatever size Surly sold with 9-speed CCs - 135mm, perhaps?

From their website, the newer 10-speed CCs come with a Shimano Deore T610 rear hub, 32h, 135mm, w/QR.

Can I just buy any 135mm QR skewer and assume it will fit, or are they more complicated than that? I've never had to buy one.

Maybe this one? https://bikeparts.com/BPC388525/sals...f-skewer-black I don't really care what brand but everything is black on the bike and it has a Salsa seatpost and stem already, and that one's in stock at my local supplier. Lots of stuff isn't these days, as I guess we all know.

Below is a picture, which I know is the cost of admission. I can take good pictures of the existing axle later if that would help.

Thanks for any advice.

https://i.postimg.cc/8kmtpdXS/IMG-3776.jpg

Any standard skewer long enough for a 135mm rear hub will work fine. Be sure you get an "internal cam" type with a steel shaft such as a Shimano or Campy. The Cross Check has horizontal dropouts so you need the high clamping force these skewers can provide.

Thanks, @HillRider. Perhaps something like this is more appropriate?

https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-Ul...-Quick-Release

They're out of stock, of course, but I'll keep looking if that's what I need.

That's the right design but the 6800 is a road skewer and probably sized for a 130mm hub. You need an MTB length skewer like this one:
https://www.jensonusa.com/Shimano-XT...-Quick-Release
Which, of course, is also out of stock as are so many bike items these days.

From your description, it might already have the bolt-on skewer because it enables you to clamp down harder than any quick release. I wound up having to do that on a bike with a horizontal dropout. Another option is the DT Swiss skewer, which is sort of like a thru-axle for quick-release.

Thanks @wgscott. I think I'll post a picture when I get home. I noticed it last night, forgot to take a pic this morning, and now I'm at work.

As always, I'm very grateful for the help at this forum.

Something like this?


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4b09742831.jpg
There is a hex bolt head where one might expect to find a quick release lever. If you get an all-steel one, you can really crank the thing down hard, which I suspect is what the previous owner was doing, if I am guessing correctly from your description.

My favorite skewers are Paul Components or DT Swiss RWS but if I was looking to save money Shimano is fine and really anything in the right width that is an internal cam is going to be better. Our good friend Sheldon Brown explains everything quite well here

I like Salsa and Phil Wood, they make some great parts and frames and such (I know a bunch of their stuff) but when it comes to QR skewers they make crap. pretty crap but crap.

Nice thing with Paul skewers is they are probably in stock and if they run out they can make more easily without the COVID delays in Asia. I mean in addition to them being fantastic levers, having some different colors and working extremely well.

You're exactly right. I should have examined it more closely but I wasn't riding when I noticed it. I just looked down and happened to see it in the garage and thought "that's not right!"

@veganbikes, thanks for the links. I will check those out as soon as I post this message.

Here's what I have. Thanks again to everyone. Perhaps others will learn from my ignorance.

I saw this at first and thought the lever had snapped off.

https://i.postimg.cc/V6zQBrhp/IMG-3901.jpg

Now I see that nothing is broken and that's a nut with flat sides for a wrench to grip.

https://i.postimg.cc/8CRg6BZL/IMG-3903.jpg

And a 5mm wrench fits in here nicely. Mystery solved!

https://i.postimg.cc/0NRqjH08/IMG-3909.jpg

Delta AxleRods.

Also happy to help. I love a good skewer.

Who makes the all steel ones. I've got a disc brake front wheel that creeps out of the dropout over the course of many miles, and it's mainly just an annoyance, but this might be a good solution.

The Hub comes with a skewer, so they are the source of the originals..

what ever hub supplier they used..

Good question. Mine came with a steel bolt and an aluminum nut, but I had a quick release with a steel nut sitting in a drawer, so I combined them. (The problem with the aluminum nut is you are more likely to strip it when you crank it down hard.)

For my disc brake bike, I bought Dura Ace internal cam quick release levers (for a mere $50 each) and that completely solved my front wheel creep problem (Enve Carbon fork, first generation CX disc. I initially had Salsa's external cam QR levers. They are pretty, but the wheel creep creeped me out.) I've also got the DT Swiss ones on the way for another bike (same issue, same Salsa levers). I'll let you know if those work ok. They are marginally less expensive ($33 each). I can see why the industry evolved to thru-axles for disc brakes.

Hm, that gets me thinking, maybe I just need to find a higher quality nut in my bin. The lever is on the other side, and doesn't experience as much torque. Much as I prefer nutted axles, I'd also like to settle this matter without bringing more stuff into the house. Especially since it's not earth shattering, but only evolves slowly when I'm on a hilly ride.

Just for completeness, the DT Swiss levers arrived today. I haven't ridden the bike yet, but I am extremely impressed with how tight one can tighten it down. My guess is these will work even better than my Dura Ace QR levers.

About a year ago I saw a Youtube video review that showed it stripping out, so I was put off buying these. In retrospect, I think I gave that far too much weight. You would have to be a total ape to strip these out. The nut is steel, as is everything else but the lever (which doesn't need to be).

I have been looking ofr a nice set of internal cam Shimano QR skewers (100 front / 130 rear) for quite a while before COVID and could never find a matched set, either the front or rear was out of stock. THe vast majority of used skewers I find are the exposed cam, which I do not want.