Care & Maintenance

1. Before You Start
2. Removing the Wheel
3. Reinstalling the Wheel
4. Securing the Wheel

Before You Start

• Multi-Speed Bikes: Shift the chain to the smallest rear gear to make removal easier.
• Rim Brakes: If you have rim brakes (like v-brakes) on your bike, you’ll need to release them. Just squeeze the brake arms together and slide the cable out of the holder. This will let the brakes open fully, so there’s plenty of room for the tire to slide out without getting stuck.
• Disc Brakes: For bikes with disc brakes, you don’t need to worry about releasing anything; just be careful not to touch the disc itself.
• Hub-Drive Electric Bikes: If you’re removing the rear wheel of a hub-drive e-bike, stop here and jump to our hub motor disconnection guide first. You'll need to safely unplug the motor cable before continuing.
• Tip: When removing the wheel, it’s helpful to flip the bike upside down (unless you have a bike repair stand). Gently rest the bike on the seat and handlebars, taking care not to damage components like brake levers, shifters, or an e-bike display. You may need to remove accessories like lights or cargo bags if they’re in the way.

Front wheel:

1. If your bike has a quick-release axle: start by opening the lever, then loosen the nut on the opposite side a few turns while holding the lever in place.
2. If your wheel is secured with axle nuts, loosen them with a wrench (there’s no need to remove them fully).
3. In either case, if there are tabbed washers holding the axle in place, slide them out of the way.
4. Then, lift the front of the bike slightly, and the wheel should slide out of the fork easily.

Multi-speed rear wheel:

1. Loosen the axle using either a wrench or the quick-release lever, just like the steps above for the front wheel.
2. To remove the wheel, push the derailleur (the part that shifts the chain) gently backward to release tension.
3. While still holding the derailleur, use your other hand to lift the wheel out of the frame and slide it free from the chain.

1. Use a wrench to loosen the nut on the chain tensioner. Then loosen the axle nuts.
2. Push the wheel forward slightly to create slack in the chain, then lift the chain off the gear. From there, you should be able to slide the wheel out easily.

Front wheel:

1. Line up the front axle with the dropouts (slots in the fork). Slide the wheel into place, and push down so that the axle fits snugly into the dropouts.
2. If your axle has tabbed washers, rotate them so the tabs fit into the holes in the fork.

E-bike rear wheel:

1. Look for tabbed washers on the rear axle and align them with the dropouts before installing the wheel.

Multi-speed rear wheel:

1. Position the rear wheel so the chain sits on top of the smallest gear.
2. Just like when removing the wheel, push the derailleur gently backward. Slide the wheel into the dropouts and press down so the axle seats fully.

Single-speed rear wheel:

1. Wrap the chain around the rear gear and slide the axle as far forward in the dropout as it will go.
2. Align the chain around the gear, then pull the axle backwards to create tension.
3. The chain should have about ½” of vertical play. Since chainrings are rarely perfectly round, slowly spin the pedals and check the tension in a few positions. Too tight, and it may bind; too loose, and it might fall off.

Securing the Wheel

1. If your wheel uses axle nuts, tighten them evenly with a wrench. Skip to step 4
2. For quick-release levers: hold the lever with one hand and the adjustment nut with the other. Tighten the nut until you feel some resistance when closing the lever.
3. Close the lever tightly enough that it leaves a clear imprint on your palm. If the lever closes too easily, tighten the nut slightly. If it’s too hard to close, loosen it a bit.
4. Flip the bike upright.
5. Reconnect the brakes and test them to make sure they are working properly.
6. If you replaced the rear wheel, check that the chain is moving correctly. While holding the bike seat, lift the rear wheel slightly and spin the pedals a few turns. Shift through the gears to check that the gears are shifting normally.
7. If you disconnected the hub motor on your e-bike, follow our guide here to reconnect it.