How to invert bike without brake cables kinking?
09-04-20, 03:59 PM
#26
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Good point. As well, a bike that has been inverted while being worked on can easily be toppled over and just like buttered toast, will fall on the vulnerable side more often than not
09-04-20, 04:04 PM
#27
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You make a good point. I think all these rules, even “The Rules”, and especially my rules, are meant to be taken with a grain of salt.
09-04-20, 04:33 PM
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This will leave me with nighmarish (well .... ) images of bikes falling to the sidewalks onto their drive sides, and fiber rear-traingles, BB shells, and rear derailleurs emerge asploded or on a track to asplosion. And light steel frames needing their derailleur tabs aligned.
09-04-20, 06:48 PM
#29
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Plan A:
Plan B.
If you absolutely must, take a 6 mm allen wrench and loosen the handlebar clamp on the stem. Rotate the bar so the handlebar ends are pointing up. Tighten up the bolt. Turn the bike over, fix what needs fixed.
After you do this, you don't need to rotate the bars back. It's super cool to ride with the bars flipped this way. Old bike racers would do this sometimes.
Plan B.
If you absolutely must, take a 6 mm allen wrench and loosen the handlebar clamp on the stem. Rotate the bar so the handlebar ends are pointing up. Tighten up the bolt. Turn the bike over, fix what needs fixed.
After you do this, you don't need to rotate the bars back. It's super cool to ride with the bars flipped this way. Old bike racers would do this sometimes.
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09-05-20, 01:26 AM
#30
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Perhaps OP doesn't have quick releases and has a bolt on axle?
If so, as Randy said above prepare bike by shifting to smallest cod. Then, simply loosen both axle bolts while bike is still upright. After wheel is loose, lift rear and wheel will want to fall out. Let tire drop and if freewheel still in chain slip it out. Lay bike down right side up. Repair tire. Don't replace tire in bike laying down. Hold bike upright again. Put tire in from underneath. If no helper, may be a struggle to get freewheel inside chain but it'll come. Once freewheel has chain on smallest cog, slip it into dropouts and align and tighten.
Working without a stand makes maintenance harder. If you have room for one and the budget get one. If not a rope to a rafter, a rope to a tree branch etc. Alternatively join a co-op or ask a friend to help.
Edit: If OP knows how to string cables and adjust brakes, the aero levers idea is a good one. For a one bike owner who can't have a stand it makes sense.
If so, as Randy said above prepare bike by shifting to smallest cod. Then, simply loosen both axle bolts while bike is still upright. After wheel is loose, lift rear and wheel will want to fall out. Let tire drop and if freewheel still in chain slip it out. Lay bike down right side up. Repair tire. Don't replace tire in bike laying down. Hold bike upright again. Put tire in from underneath. If no helper, may be a struggle to get freewheel inside chain but it'll come. Once freewheel has chain on smallest cog, slip it into dropouts and align and tighten.
Working without a stand makes maintenance harder. If you have room for one and the budget get one. If not a rope to a rafter, a rope to a tree branch etc. Alternatively join a co-op or ask a friend to help.
Edit: If OP knows how to string cables and adjust brakes, the aero levers idea is a good one. For a one bike owner who can't have a stand it makes sense.
09-05-20, 05:07 AM
#31
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Forgot about this approach! Did this too!
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09-07-20, 12:04 PM
#32
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OP:
Of course at home, you can invert the bike on a table by using spacer blocks under the handlbars inboard of the cables. I have to do this when working on my bike because of the clip-on aero bars, not the cables.
I have a Dahon folder with straight bars (no cable issue) but clip-on aero bars. Hard to explain, but the Dahon handlebars do rotate, but they put the indexing screw in the wrong location so the bars only rotate back (which would cause cable problems inverted) and the clip-ons rotate up (further problems when inverted). I can remove the indexing screw to rotate the bars forward, or simply put space blocks under the straight bar grips to have the aero bar clear the table, or hang the aero bars over the end of the table. Easy at home.
To help you: In the field, I like to fix a rear flat without removing the wheel, as this Dahon folder has the "compact" rear derailleur mounted forward of the axle, and even in the smallest cog, is a ROYAL PAIN to get the rear wheel off, trust me. (I hate that derailleur with the fire of a thousand suns, I've converted my other Dahons to conventional derailleurs using an axle "fork mount", not this one yet, but I digress.) So, I carry two stiff urethane foam blocks to put under the handlebars and invert the bike. Then, I just pull one side of the tire off on the non-drive side, pull out the tube, inspect and repair with sticky patch, put tube and tire back on, inflate.
Years ago I considered buying a Giant Halfway folder, I was impressed with the single sided forks, front and rear, easy tire and tube changes.
Of course at home, you can invert the bike on a table by using spacer blocks under the handlbars inboard of the cables. I have to do this when working on my bike because of the clip-on aero bars, not the cables.
I have a Dahon folder with straight bars (no cable issue) but clip-on aero bars. Hard to explain, but the Dahon handlebars do rotate, but they put the indexing screw in the wrong location so the bars only rotate back (which would cause cable problems inverted) and the clip-ons rotate up (further problems when inverted). I can remove the indexing screw to rotate the bars forward, or simply put space blocks under the straight bar grips to have the aero bar clear the table, or hang the aero bars over the end of the table. Easy at home.
To help you: In the field, I like to fix a rear flat without removing the wheel, as this Dahon folder has the "compact" rear derailleur mounted forward of the axle, and even in the smallest cog, is a ROYAL PAIN to get the rear wheel off, trust me. (I hate that derailleur with the fire of a thousand suns, I've converted my other Dahons to conventional derailleurs using an axle "fork mount", not this one yet, but I digress.) So, I carry two stiff urethane foam blocks to put under the handlebars and invert the bike. Then, I just pull one side of the tire off on the non-drive side, pull out the tube, inspect and repair with sticky patch, put tube and tire back on, inflate.
Years ago I considered buying a Giant Halfway folder, I was impressed with the single sided forks, front and rear, easy tire and tube changes.
09-07-20, 01:10 PM
#33
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I have a Raleigh 1983 Olympian. Whenever I get a flat on the rear wheel, I wish to place by bike inverted on the ground (wheels facing up, bike rested on saddle and handlebar), pull out the rear wheel, and fix the flat. But if I invert the bike, it will rest on the saddle and the 2 points where the brake cables emerge from the brakes (the points where the brake cables meet the brakes are much higher than the stem). This will obviously damage the cable housing and probably the cable as well if done repeatedly (tried and tested). Questions:
1. Is there some technique to dismount and mount the rear wheel without inverting the bike (thus preventing the brake cables from kinking)? I am able to dismount the rear wheel quite easily without inverting the bike, but for mounting the wheel, I struggle a lot to get the alignment right. Inverting the bike would make this much much easier.
2. Is there some accessory which I can install to allow me to safely invert the bike without damaging the brake cables?
1. Is there some technique to dismount and mount the rear wheel without inverting the bike (thus preventing the brake cables from kinking)? I am able to dismount the rear wheel quite easily without inverting the bike, but for mounting the wheel, I struggle a lot to get the alignment right. Inverting the bike would make this much much easier.
2. Is there some accessory which I can install to allow me to safely invert the bike without damaging the brake cables?
1. Pull the wheel out and carefully lay the frame on it non-drive side. Fix the wheel. Raise the frame to vertical, resting on front tire and holding the rear triangle. Insert wheel and lower frame onto wheel. Once the frame is on both wheels and vertical, take your time to get the alignment correct. If your frame does not have built-in spacers, use your eyes or even your fingers to ensure proper alignment. I've seen aftermarket spacers but not recently.
2. Don't buy a piece of junk to fix a non-problem. It costs money up front. Has to be carried everywhere, all the time. Gets used only infrequently, at best.
If you are getting so many flats that this is common occurrence, you have a tire inflation problem.
09-07-20, 01:13 PM
#34
Senior Member
As part of reinstalling the wheel, I slip the chain onto the cogs before putting the axle into the drop out. The chain is just hanging there, loose. Get it started, first. Doing this, I never have to touch the chain.
09-07-20, 03:10 PM
#35
Newbie
inverting is ok
Plan A:
Plan B.
If you absolutely must, take a 6 mm allen wrench and loosen the handlebar clamp on the stem. Rotate the bar so the handlebar ends are pointing up. Tighten up the bolt. Turn the bike over, fix what needs fixed.
After you do this, you don't need to rotate the bars back. It's super cool to ride with the bars flipped this way. Old bike racers would do this sometimes.
Plan B.
If you absolutely must, take a 6 mm allen wrench and loosen the handlebar clamp on the stem. Rotate the bar so the handlebar ends are pointing up. Tighten up the bolt. Turn the bike over, fix what needs fixed.
After you do this, you don't need to rotate the bars back. It's super cool to ride with the bars flipped this way. Old bike racers would do this sometimes.
When moving to a "proper bike" instantly the issue of the protruding handbrake cables was addressed as described above, so in the puncture repair kit, the appropriate sized tool to loosen the handlebars is required. I dont find changing a tight fitting rear wheel/derallieur assembly roadside a very easy task either and its much easier if the whole thing is a bit higher off the ground and gravity does the work for you when trying get it in. I think the original poster here is after a road side solution also, carrying around phone books for a flat is not an option.
There are times also when inverting the bike for servicing is nice too, getting some lubricant into cable housings from the other direction and letting gravity do the work is one of them.
In terms of working on my bike in the garage, took me a while to get there, but the tow ball bike carrier for my car works just as well as any bike stand, just got to have the car there to connect it to.
09-08-20, 05:58 AM
#36
Member
I have a 2 ft length of 2x4 that I put under the bars when flipped upside down-keeps the brake hoods and cables from getting smooshed.
09-08-20, 05:26 PM
#37
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Rae Dawn Chong don't need to flip a bike upside down for a wheel change.
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09-10-20, 04:49 PM
#38
Junior Member
I have a Raleigh 1983 Olympian. Whenever I get a flat on the rear wheel, I wish to place by bike inverted on the ground (wheels facing up, bike rested on saddle and handlebar), pull out the rear wheel, and fix the flat. But if I invert the bike, it will rest on the saddle and the 2 points where the brake cables emerge from the brakes (the points where the brake cables meet the brakes are much higher than the stem). This will obviously damage the cable housing and probably the cable as well if done repeatedly (tried and tested). Questions:
1. Is there some technique to dismount and mount the rear wheel without inverting the bike (thus preventing the brake cables from kinking)? I am able to dismount the rear wheel quite easily without inverting the bike, but for mounting the wheel, I struggle a lot to get the alignment right. Inverting the bike would make this much much easier.
2. Is there some accessory which I can install to allow me to safely invert the bike without damaging the brake cables?
1. Is there some technique to dismount and mount the rear wheel without inverting the bike (thus preventing the brake cables from kinking)? I am able to dismount the rear wheel quite easily without inverting the bike, but for mounting the wheel, I struggle a lot to get the alignment right. Inverting the bike would make this much much easier.
2. Is there some accessory which I can install to allow me to safely invert the bike without damaging the brake cables?
2. flip the qr
3. pull the rear dr back while lifting the frame
4. the rear wheel should drop (assuming vertical dropouts). Otherwise, gently push the wheel forward with one hand while lifting with the other.
5. Set the bike down, dr up and goto work fixing your flat.
once the rear wheel is good:
1 slide wheel mostly in place while holding frame.
2 pull rear dr back and match chain to smallest cog
3 gently lower frame and let go of rear dr. Wheel should slide right in place (assuming vertical dropouts again). If not, gently pull wheel back into dropouts and flip qr.
09-25-20, 03:23 PM
#40
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1. put the bike in smallest cog
2. flip the qr
3. pull the rear dr back while lifting the frame
4. the rear wheel should drop (assuming vertical dropouts). Otherwise, gently push the wheel forward with one hand while lifting with the other.
5. Set the bike down, dr up and goto work fixing your flat.
once the rear wheel is good:
1 slide wheel mostly in place while holding frame.
2 pull rear dr back and match chain to smallest cog
3 gently lower frame and let go of rear dr. Wheel should slide right in place (assuming vertical dropouts again). If not, gently pull wheel back into dropouts and flip qr.
2. flip the qr
3. pull the rear dr back while lifting the frame
4. the rear wheel should drop (assuming vertical dropouts). Otherwise, gently push the wheel forward with one hand while lifting with the other.
5. Set the bike down, dr up and goto work fixing your flat.
once the rear wheel is good:
1 slide wheel mostly in place while holding frame.
2 pull rear dr back and match chain to smallest cog
3 gently lower frame and let go of rear dr. Wheel should slide right in place (assuming vertical dropouts again). If not, gently pull wheel back into dropouts and flip qr.
09-26-20, 07:14 AM
#42
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hang the saddle on the back of your neck
09-26-20, 08:25 AM
#43
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I’ll just say that I prefer installing wheels with the bike inverted. It’s easier to manage the geared bits, gravity helps seat the wheel, and it’s easier to check alignment. I’d bet that many folks are riding bikes with wheels that aren’t aligned in the dropouts. Present company excluded of course.
I don’t invert bikes with non-aero levers.
I don’t invert bikes with non-aero levers.
09-26-20, 04:29 PM
#44
Newbie
1. put the bike in smallest cog
2. flip the qr
3. pull the rear dr back while lifting the frame
4. the rear wheel should drop (assuming vertical dropouts). Otherwise, gently push the wheel forward with one hand while lifting with the other.
5. Set the bike down, dr up and goto work fixing your flat.
once the rear wheel is good:
1 slide wheel mostly in place while holding frame.
2 pull rear dr back and match chain to smallest cog
3 gently lower frame and let go of rear dr. Wheel should slide right in place (assuming vertical dropouts again). If not, gently pull wheel back into dropouts and flip qr.
2. flip the qr
3. pull the rear dr back while lifting the frame
4. the rear wheel should drop (assuming vertical dropouts). Otherwise, gently push the wheel forward with one hand while lifting with the other.
5. Set the bike down, dr up and goto work fixing your flat.
once the rear wheel is good:
1 slide wheel mostly in place while holding frame.
2 pull rear dr back and match chain to smallest cog
3 gently lower frame and let go of rear dr. Wheel should slide right in place (assuming vertical dropouts again). If not, gently pull wheel back into dropouts and flip qr.
Yes, some have quick release brakes, that allow you get the wheel out/in without deflating the tyre, and many don't.
I have a bottom bracket dynamo fitted on my tourer + mudguards, and "dropouts" that go towards the seat post. Even with the tyre deflated and ideal conditions(on a workstand), it still takes quite a bit of manipulation to get the wheel in, not something one can do with one hand while the other holds on to the derailluer and the bike at the same time.
Last edited by sacr; 09-26-20 at 04:47 PM. Reason: clarification
