Rear wheel QR: what wins races?
01-31-24, 02:23 PM
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Rear wheel QR: what wins races?
A while back I saw a picture in which Fausto Coppi had his rear wheel QR the "wrong" way around:
Today I saw another picture, of Benoni Beheyt, with the same phenomenon:
Intrigued, I spent some time on the 'net and found this wasn't a coincidence.
More Fausto Coppi:
More Benoni Beheyt:
I even found a third former World Champion with the QR lever on the drive side: Briek Schotte:
Any idea why? Is there a practical reason? Why only the rear skewer?
Today I saw another picture, of Benoni Beheyt, with the same phenomenon:
Intrigued, I spent some time on the 'net and found this wasn't a coincidence.
More Fausto Coppi:
More Benoni Beheyt:
I even found a third former World Champion with the QR lever on the drive side: Briek Schotte:
Any idea why? Is there a practical reason? Why only the rear skewer?
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01-31-24, 02:48 PM
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I think that it's the mechanic in charge of the bike that's deciding what side to put the QR lever at.
There seems to be some logic putting it on the drive side as operating the lever and managing the chain at the same time with the same hand when removing or installing the rear wheel might be easier to do for some people.
There seems to be some logic putting it on the drive side as operating the lever and managing the chain at the same time with the same hand when removing or installing the rear wheel might be easier to do for some people.
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01-31-24, 03:03 PM
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-----
at one time it was fairly common for Italian manufacturers to illustrate their machines in catalogues with this configuration
have an Ideor Asso catalogue from roughly 1960 where all the road models are shown exhibiting this arrangement
in my own work have always put the lever on the NDS and never had a customer who requested it otherwise
-----
at one time it was fairly common for Italian manufacturers to illustrate their machines in catalogues with this configuration
have an Ideor Asso catalogue from roughly 1960 where all the road models are shown exhibiting this arrangement
in my own work have always put the lever on the NDS and never had a customer who requested it otherwise
-----
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01-31-24, 03:09 PM
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Seeing the set up of those bikes and the positioning of the riders, makes me cringe. I certainly remember them, do not miss them.
01-31-24, 04:52 PM
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Not so New
Maybe habit going back to the Cambio Corsa derailleur witch used the QR on the gear side.
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01-31-24, 05:06 PM
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01-31-24, 10:01 PM
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Maybe the question should be "why did some riders/mechanics stray from the well-established (and blessed by Tullio) practice of putting the lever on the right side?"
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
1955 cat.#13
1960 cat.#14
1967 cat.#15
Notable in this one, the hub in the lower-right is a Pista! (Note curved levers)
1974 cat.#17
1982 'Olympic' catalog
1984 cat.#18
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
1955 cat.#13
1960 cat.#14
1967 cat.#15
Notable in this one, the hub in the lower-right is a Pista! (Note curved levers)
1974 cat.#17
1982 'Olympic' catalog
1984 cat.#18
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
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01-31-24, 10:16 PM
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Maybe the question should be "why did some riders/mechanics stray from the well-established (and blessed by Tullio) practice of putting the lever on the right side?"
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
.....
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
.....
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
I was going to mention that even my old mid-70's Cyclo-Pedia catalog used drawings by Rebour that showed the lever on the right....
but my Raleigh catalogs of the era show the QR lever installed on the left.
Maybe someone has race photos from earlier that indicates when the transition occurred?
Steve in Peoria
(nice to see a new issue/question pop up)
02-01-24, 03:56 AM
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Maybe the question should be "why did some riders/mechanics stray from the well-established (and blessed by Tullio) practice of putting the lever on the right side?"
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
So, should we now all go and flip our rear skewers?
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02-01-24, 04:03 AM
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Hard to argue with that!
I was going to mention that even my old mid-70's Cyclo-Pedia catalog used drawings by Rebour that showed the lever on the right....
but my Raleigh catalogs of the era show the QR lever installed on the left.
Maybe someone has race photos from earlier that indicates when the transition occurred?
Steve in Peoria
(nice to see a new issue/question pop up)
I was going to mention that even my old mid-70's Cyclo-Pedia catalog used drawings by Rebour that showed the lever on the right....
but my Raleigh catalogs of the era show the QR lever installed on the left.
Maybe someone has race photos from earlier that indicates when the transition occurred?
Steve in Peoria
(nice to see a new issue/question pop up)
Last edited by Chombi1; 02-01-24 at 04:15 AM.
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02-01-24, 04:11 AM
#12
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Maybe, most people are right-handed? It's easier to handle the rear QR with your right hand if it's on the right. And, easier to handle the front QR with your right hand if it's on the left, since your facing the bike from the front. Just thinking out of the box.
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02-01-24, 05:30 AM
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Maybe the question should be "why did some riders/mechanics stray from the well-established (and blessed by Tullio) practice of putting the lever on the right side?"
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
<pictures snipped>
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
Campy hubs were delivered with the lever on the right inside the box well into the '70s. Though you had to remove the skewer to install the freewheel anyway, so it didn't make any more work for you to flip it on re-assembly.
<pictures snipped>
Did they picture them "wrong" in all those catalogs, even into the '80s, as some sort of in-joke, or was this really how God and Campy intended them to be run?
Pages 95 and 96 of the C.O.N.I. book from 1972 show Campagnolo and Simplex hubsets. The Campy road hubset has the QR lever on the right side; the two Simplex hubsets have the QR lever on the right side for the high-flange set and on the left side for what the caption refers to as the "road hubset with normal flanges."
Never thought about it before, but why not have the rear wheel QR lever on the right, which is usually the stronger hand for right-handed people? How did having the lever on the left become the standard?
Last edited by Trakhak; 02-01-24 at 05:36 AM.
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02-01-24, 06:39 AM
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So maybe putting the rear QR lever on the right is strictly a Campagnolo thing?? A carry-over from the Cambio Corsa era, as suggested earlier?
edit: I was poking through Heiko's scans of Daniel Rebour's drawings/illustrations on Flickr, and found one of some Normandy hubs (with Atom skewers) where the rear QR was shown on the right. The date is listed as 1962, so perhaps this was more common in the earlier days of the quick release??
https://www.flickr.com/photos/414206...n/photostream/
Steve in Peoria
Last edited by steelbikeguy; 02-01-24 at 07:17 AM.
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02-01-24, 06:49 AM
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Next up. Why are QR levers curved now instead of flat like they used to be?
Because a flat QR lever looks the same open or closed (@ 90 degrees). A curved QR lever has the curved part facing out when open, very easy to spot.
Because a flat QR lever looks the same open or closed (@ 90 degrees). A curved QR lever has the curved part facing out when open, very easy to spot.
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02-01-24, 07:15 AM
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I think the reason is really obvious if you think about it. For road racing you want the bike balanced in handling for both directions. So you have the QR's in opposite directions to keep the bike better balanced. Now for track use you do want both QR's on the non-drive side because all you are doing it turning left anyway. 
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02-01-24, 07:23 AM
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Sometimes the d-ring on the nut on those Campy skewers will bump up against the RD and requires some fiddling to get right.
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02-01-24, 07:30 AM
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If you put the lever on the drive side then you could put the cables in front of the handle bars and REALLY raise some chatter! Whatever floats yer boat. 
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02-01-24, 08:21 AM
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Shimano has the last word. On location and QR direction:
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02-01-24, 09:17 AM
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QUOTE=steelbikeguy;23144552]Hard to argue with that!
I was going to mention that even my old mid-70's Cyclo-Pedia catalog used drawings by Rebour that showed the lever on the right....
[/QUOTE]
As did Campagnolo's own catalogs:
But not Maillard's. Go figure:
I was going to mention that even my old mid-70's Cyclo-Pedia catalog used drawings by Rebour that showed the lever on the right....
[/QUOTE]As did Campagnolo's own catalogs:
But not Maillard's. Go figure:
Last edited by JohnDThompson; 02-01-24 at 09:23 AM.
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02-01-24, 10:37 AM
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No wonder the industry went to through axles. You can't put those on the wrong side!
Brent
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02-01-24, 11:33 AM
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great pics from the wayback machine, thank you!
I do believe that a small detail such as QR orientation is not a differentiating characteristic for race victories
/markp
I do believe that a small detail such as QR orientation is not a differentiating characteristic for race victories
/markp
02-01-24, 12:03 PM
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Consider Campagnolo’s history, the Cambio Corsa and those of similar type, used the active clamp mechanism on the drive side for the rear wheel.
forget the catalogs, look at what the top racers did.
forget the catalogs, look at what the top racers did.
02-01-24, 12:42 PM
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/markp
02-01-24, 12:46 PM
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What about all the guys that had the QR on the right side that didn't win races?