These are just wheel guides, to make setting the wheel back in the frame easier. They also serve as grips which helps when setting up the brakes.
vwlsmssng on
Fast wheel change in a road race. The duff wheel pops out easily enough but the new wheel can snag the brake blocks as its thrown into place. These wires guide the tyre to its perfect alignment to pop between the pads then onwards until the axle settles into the dropouts.
You may also be hurrying to fix a flattie on a club ride before your “mates” get tired of your faffing and want to make progress to the café.
Catsmak1963 on
They did disappear in the eighties I think, maybe early nineties. Wheel guides for “faster” changes…
TangelaLansbury on
I always used them as grips to put a little tension on the spring and get the pads closer to the rim when setting up brakes but wheel guides makes more sense.
4 Comments
These are just wheel guides, to make setting the wheel back in the frame easier. They also serve as grips which helps when setting up the brakes.
Fast wheel change in a road race. The duff wheel pops out easily enough but the new wheel can snag the brake blocks as its thrown into place. These wires guide the tyre to its perfect alignment to pop between the pads then onwards until the axle settles into the dropouts.
You may also be hurrying to fix a flattie on a club ride before your “mates” get tired of your faffing and want to make progress to the café.
They did disappear in the eighties I think, maybe early nineties. Wheel guides for “faster” changes…
I always used them as grips to put a little tension on the spring and get the pads closer to the rim when setting up brakes but wheel guides makes more sense.