Hardinsky24

Hi all.

I recently bought a Trek 520 disc. I am new to cycling, and have had real challenges doing maintenance on the bike when needed, although am making slow progress.

I shipped my bike to London recently, and had to take the front wheel off in order to do so. I'm now trying to get the front wheel back on and cannot for the life of me do so. The wheel does not seem to fit into the front fork, even when I align the disc brake with the slot it fits into.

I can't find any good tutorial videos for this or a similar bike, and I am at my wits end. I'm very angry at the company that sold me the bike (Wheelbase), as although they provide an assembly video, it is for a different type of bike to the Trek 520, and uses a lot of jargon that I as a beginner do not yet understand (e.g. Drive side of the wheel).

Please for the love of God can someone help me understand why the wheel won't fit, and what I can do to solve this?

Thanks, Andy.

Crankycrank

First thing that comes to mind is it possible that the fork legs were bent inward during shipping? Did you use the axle or a dummy axle in the dropouts to prevent this when it was packaged. Not unheard of to have a boxed bike crushed during shipment.

shelbyfv

Also, that bike uses a strange captive quick release they call "ThruSkew." Google that to get an idea how it's supposed to work. Good luck!

Hardinsky24

Hi crankycrank, thanks for getting back to me! You were right! Not majorly (I couldn't tell by looking at them, but it was enough to have an impact). I prized them a little wider and was able to get it in. Is doing this repeatedly a risk in the long term, and if so do you know what I can do about it? Thank you for your help

Andrew R Stewart 

If in doubt about fork alignment and wheel placement I would seek someone who can place their hands and eyes on your bike. Yes we could give you a tutorial on how to preform alignment checks and corrections but these have been covered many times (and are in the archives, search for my posts on Fork alignment and simple alignment) but do know that reading is no substitute for actual experience. It's easy to mess up aligning and do more harm then help.

If the bike was bought from a bike shop they have the obligation to show you how the ft wheel and QR works. Or at least here in the US there have been lawsuits doe to the lack of instruction. Andy

Crankycrank

It could be a problem over the long run as you're putting a constant stress on the fork. Take it to a good shop that has some experience straightening frames and forks. If it's just a small bend as you say it should be fine once straightened. And as mentioned whenever you're shipping your bike put some plastic dummy axles in the front and rear dropouts if the wheels are removed. Bike shops have tons of these and often just give them away as most of their new bikes come boxed with them.

Andrew R Stewart 

If one will be removing the ft wheel and transporting/shipping the bike often these plastic fork end blocks suck and in time don't stay put. better will be an axle with nuts located on either side of the drop outs. Stronger and now bolted in place. Better service focused shops have boxes of used parts to play with. Andy

Crankycrank

Agree, but you can use zip ties to keep the plastic blocks in place.

Andrew R Stewart 

Agreed but zip ties are not very fool proof. They are a band aid for a less then ideal device, the plastic block. The other way I do it often rnough for one time shipping is to cut a length of box cardboard the same width as the drop outs are. Roll the cardboard into a dowel about 1" in diameter. Tape it down and tape it in place. I have also taken a second length of boxing cardboard that is the shipping box's interior width and fold it around the drop outs (after their being blocked somehow). This strip will be wider then the fork is and when taped in place add both paint protection to the blades, a second securing of the drop out block and be less likely to get poked out through the shipping box when the gorillas toss the package about. Andy