How did I bend my front skewer?

[Bradford]

I was changing my commuter over from my heavy to light wheels now that the paths are clear of snow and noticed that my front skewer was bent. When I tried to pull the skewer through the axel, it wouldn't come out. Using gentle pressure and a pair of pliers, I was able to bend it back to mostly straight and it slid right out.

So, how did I bend it? In the winter, I drive to a train station parking lot to cut my commute down to 15 miles each way, so I'm putting on the front wheel in the dark and in a hurry. I'm assuming it was some sort of error here, but since the fork sits on the axel and not on the skewer, I'm still not sure how that would do it. Any ideas.

It seems fine, but just to be safe I'm going to replace it. A once bent, 15-year old rod seems like a good candidate to be retired to the shelf.

[ultraman6970]

Probably the axle is bent too.

[Louis]

Might someone have bashed the QR nut while the bike was in a rack?

[Bradford]

Probably the axle is bent too.

Good point. I looked OK when I did the swap, but I'll give it a closer examination this weekend.

Might someone have bashed the QR nut while the bike was in a rack?

Unlikely, the racks at work are the kind that hang on the wall, and my slot is in a cove next to a column, which means you would have to be trying to get close enough to touch it. In addition, not a lot of action in the bike area these days, most the racks go unused once the temps drop.

[josephr]

Might someone have bashed the QR nut while the bike was in a rack?

this is my guess -- it sounds like a bend on the end of the skewer.

to OP -- probably OK in the interim, but I'd find a replacement pretty quick...there's probably plenty of bike shops or a co-op around that can give you one. If that doesn't work, drop me a pm as I think I've got an extra laying around.

[carpediemracing]

It's possible that you didn't quite seat the hub/axle one or more times, you tightened the skewer, and the end of the skewer sort of curled around the dropout. Does that make sense?

I think I've done this a number of times. I haven't bent a Ti skewer (I think they're too flexible to bend permanently) but over the years I've had a few steel skewers that were puzzlingly bent at the non-lever side.

[seanile]

if i'm understanding it right, you probably hadn't set the hub all the way into the dropout when you tightened the qr, and so when it finally set (likely when you hit a bump) the downward force of the dropout/hub on the qr axle bent it.

[Bradford]

...
to OP -- probably OK in the interim, but I'd find a replacement pretty quick...there's probably plenty of bike shops or a co-op around that can give you one. If that doesn't work, drop me a pm as I think I've got an extra laying around.

I ordered one last night.

Thanks for the offer, but I have an extra...its a beauty too, circa 1991 Shimano mountain bike skewer. It appears to be built out of kryptonite.

[beeatnik]

I bent my Record QR by crashing into a tree. Tru story.

Hub was fine but fork was sheared in half.

[Bradford]

if i'm understanding it right, you probably hadn't set the hub all the way into the dropout when you tightened the qr, and so when it finally set (likely when you hit a bump) the downward force of the dropout/hub on the qr axle bent it.

This makes the most sense to me. This bike has fenders on it, which make it a little tricky to get the tire on. Combine time of day, total darkness, temp in the 20's, and operator error, it is entirely plausible.

[weisan]

This makes the most sense to me. This bike has fenders on it, which make it a little tricky to get the tire on. Combine time of day, total darkness, temp in the 20's, and operator error, it is entirely plausible.

In other words, you GOT LUCKY! :D