- Forward-facing horizontal dropouts require internal cam quick releases, and
- Saint Sheldon is always right.
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| Honestly, just give me a set of vertical dropouts with some lovely lawyer lips, and I'll be happy. |
So off I went to find an appropriate looking quick release. Of course I turned to the mounting pile of discarded wheels lying in the corner of the garage. The only real candidate came from the original wheel that came with my first road racer, which had Matrix Aurora rims and Tiagra hubs. Presumably then, the skewers are Shimano Tiagra, though there's no branding to that effect. They just say Shimano. Anyhoo, the axle seems to be too thick to fit the new wheels. I thought "modern" road bike axles were universal (5 mm, right?), but apparently not. Or maybe it's bent or something. In any case, I couldn't get it in. So, off to the interweb in search of new quick releases that will be aesthetically compatible with my bike...!
As strange as it may seem, there aren't really a lot of aftermarket quick releases in classic silver. You can get affordable internal cam skewers in a Shimano 105 or Ultegra, but they only come in shades of SHIMANO branding and ever-so-cool black and gray colorways. This bike looks classic and timeless. I want components that look classic and timeless, i.e., shiny silver stuff (SSS). Amazon has some really cheap all-steel models that are marketed for use with stationary trainers, and I did try one of those, but it was super heavy and very clunky. So that's not gonna work.
After checking in at Rivendell, it occurred to me to have a look at the company that makes the wheelsets they sell - Velocity of Grand Rapids, USA. And there it was! A simple, sliver internal cam quick release that doesn't look stupid on a classic bike. Okay, the Star Trek typeface of their logo isn't particularly "classic" but I'm probably the only one who will ever notice. So hopefully this is another issue settled.
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| Silver Velocity Quick Release Skewer - Nice shape, really. |
For those of you weight weenies following along at home, here are the stats of the various alternatives I was working with:
- Original Equipment (Cycles Toussaint/Rimnet)(130 mm): 56 grams
- Velocity (130 mm): 59 grams
- Shimano Tiagra (130 mm): 63 grams
- Bontrager Race Lite (135 mm): 70 grams
Thanks again for continuing to update this blog with your experiences with the Velo Routier. My experience has been matching yours right along, and today it became clear to me that the rear QR is just not able to hold the wheel straight. Nice to see you've already done the legwork in finding a better alternative, just like you had with the Tektro brake cable hangers! Two silver Velocity skewers are on the way to me...
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to actually get this bike out for a few long rides soon. I had trouble with the VO randonneur rack slipping and making the front fender rub, and then the pandemic just kind of took the wind out of my sails for long rides. Now this! But eventually I'm sure I will get all the little quirks filed down!
I'm really glad you have found it helpful. I always knew this bike would be a "project" and at times have been frustrated by it, but after having fiddled and hacked, I have learned a lot and have a much greater sense of pride and ownership than with any of my other bikes. Once you get it all straightened out, it's a really nice bike and these days I can't imagine riding any other bike. Good luck with your build. Stick with it and you'll come out of it with a really special bike. There are many like it, but that one is yours.
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