I am so bad at these kinds of things, I have no idea how to fix it.
My back wheel has been getting “stuck” and rubbing against the metal part.
I’ve been kicking it really hard to the point where it didn’t rub up against the metal, but tonight (well, this morning now) I went to the store and half way back home it got completely stuck.
I tried kicking it back into place but it wouldn’t work and I had to struggle with pushing the bicycle when one tired didn’t move AND carrying a bag of stuff and my bookbag all the way home. I got to the edge of campus and tied my bicycle up and walked the rest of the way because I couldn’t bear to push it, with one wheel not moving, anymore.
Is this fixable (ie is it possible for me to fix it myself) or should I sell my bicycle for parts?
Hello Cran,
It sounds like your bike needs some adjustment, but you will need some simple hand tools to do that. I suggest that you ask someone to show you how to do it. I’m sure that you soon will be able to fix those things by yourself.
Best wishes,
Doug
you need your wheel “trued” - the spokes need to be adjusted
or
you need to reseat the wheel so it’s in the middle of the sprocket.
I don’t remember seeing a bicyle shop in your college town, but I’d bet there’s one someplace. (I’m usually visiting WM’s furniture and dulcimer shop). If worse comes to worse, see if you can bum a ride out to the Walmart near the highway and talk to someone in their sporting goods department. There’s usually someone there that sets up their bikes, and will be able to at least recommend the correct tools.
You just might have busted a spoke or two, which knocks your wheel out of true. It’s a major bummer, but spokes always break on the freewheel side, and getting 'em fixed and trueing up the wheel again is a bike-shop job unless you really know what you’re doing. Check for broken or missing spokes. If they’re all OK your wheel may not be mounted centrally in the forks. Turn bike upside down and spin wheel, watching for side-to-side movement. If necessary undo the nut (or quick-release), centre the wheel and retighten. Why did it go slack in the first place, you should be asking yourself. If you’re not sure about any of this go to an expert!
Maybe best to take the bike into a shop for fixing if you aren’t much of a DIY person. I looked at the info on the page at the following link and it looked pretty complicated to me…
I would find a non-chain bike shop such as a co-op or a bike club. These stores/groups are most likely to have tools that you can use (in the store) to work on your bike. If the wheel is ending up sideways and can be set back into place, it seems that you just need to set the wheel and tighten the bolt. If you flip the bike upside down so that it is resting on the handle bars, you should be able to spin the wheel. If it wobbles back and forth while spinning, the spokes need to be adjusted. If it is not wobbling back and forth, the wheel just needs to be centered.
Missy, you’re right. There are no bicycle shops here. I wouldn’t have the money to get it fixed anyway, that is why I was wondering if I couldn’t just fix it myself.
I originally got the tires pumped up at Walmart. And I would take it down there to let the car-people work on it, but the back wheel doesn’t move so it’s hard to push, and Walmart is about a mile away.
In the next few days I’ll probably buy a wrench (that will be a first) and try to fix it myself…
Cran, if it turns out that there is a major problem with the bike, since the bike is nearly new, it may still be under warranty at Walmart. However, I am guessing that you merely need to adjust the postion of the rear wheel so that it will not rub. On the Chinese made bike it is probably a metric size nut. You might asked the people at Walmart for the correct size of the nut which holds the rear wheel in place. Another option is to buy an adjustable wrench, not the best tool for a bicycle mechanic, but at least you won’t have to worry about having the right size. BTW, someone in your dorm may have an adjustable wrench that they would loan you. Good luck.
Look at your fellow bike rider’s bikes. Find someone who has a small pack hooked under their seat, hooked to the post. This is usually their bike tool kit. Look for something like this:
If they have one, ask if they would mind looking at your bike and making suggestions to fix it (or they may be nice and offer to fix it themselves).
If you can make the wheel move back by kicking it then all is not well and the problem will recur. Turn the bike upside down. If the wheel is held on by a nut at each end of the axle (the spindle that runs through the centre of the wheel), check these nuts for tightness. Use a spanner of the correct size so as not to round off the nuts - fatal! Of course, if the wheel is not centred you’ll need to slacken them a little so that you can get it centred. Make sure the ends of the axle are bedded right down in the ends of the fork (wiggle the wheel around and watch what happens at the ends of the fork that hold the axle).. Then tighten the nuts (don’t overdo it - they strip!). But if there is a quick-release (a little lever on the side opposite the freewheel), undo it (no tools needed), check that the wheel is centred and the axle ends are well-bedded in the fork ends (when you spin it it should go through the brake blocks centrally) then tighten the quick release by rotating it - it screws in and out as well as having the lever. Finally, move the quick-release lever back in (look at the one on the front wheel for guidance). The correct tightness for the quick-release is when you just begin to feel resistance with the lever fully out and you’re trying to push it back towards the wheel. If it’s too slack tighten it by rotating it. There may be a handy screw to grab on the opposite end of the axle from the lever that you can use to adjust the tightness of the quick-release. As you push the lever in you start to feel resistance. You don’t use Herculean effort! Trial and error. If the problem is not related to what I’ve said I think you need a bike shop.
Sheesh! Is there any part of your life wherein you are not having major problems?
Carefully and calmly read SteveShaw’s advice, then carefully and calmly look at your bike upside down and see how it works. You should be able to see where the problem is and at least make it roll.
Yes, actually. Believe it or not, even with all the bad things that have happened to me lately, I am very thankful.
Despite the medical problems and the broken bicycle, I have really been blessed, and, even though a lot is admittedly chaotic right now, life is nowhere near as scarey or uncertain for me as it was a few years ago. God has brought me a long way.
To be honest, sometimes I feel like I get “tested” more than other people. I trust that there’s a higher purpose to it all.
Check for broken or missing spokes. If they’re all OK your wheel may not be mounted centrally in the forks. Turn bike upside down and spin wheel, watching for side-to-side movement. If necessary undo the nut (or quick-release), centre the wheel and retighten. Why did it go slack in the first place, you should be asking yourself. If you’re not sure about any of this go to an expert!
