Yesterday on my commute home from work, the
front or lower QR skewer that holds my seat frame to the bike frame broke. I did manage to find the
quick adjust skewer plate with the broken piece of the skewer in it.
I call my wife to come get me because I was not able to finish riding. Last night we went to one of the bike shops to see if they have the correct lenght that I need for a replacement skewer, they did not. RAGBRAI starts in less than 8 days and at this point my bike is unable to be ridden.
This morning I went to the other bike shop and no luck there. Bike is still not able to be ridden on RAGBRAI.
I know I can order the parts I need from a shop called the Hostel Shoppe and they will be shipped to me, the question is will I have them by the start of RAGBRAI? I don't know at this point.
I go to The Home Depot today to see what they have for hardware that may work. It does not have to be QR, it jsut has to safely and securley hold the seat on the bike. The Home Depot does not have the correct lenght and diameter in metric of what I need. I figure out that a standard #10 will is close to the 5mm dia. that I need. The lenght I need is 3". I purchased a pacakge of #10 x 3" machine bolts, #10 lock washers and #10 nyloc nuts. I also purchased, just in case, a #10 by 1' all thread rod.
The original QR skewer assembly also has what is called a seal washer. It is a steel washer with a hole to put the skewer through and one side has a rubber gasket on it. The nut is the
quick adjust skewer plate
To replace this part of the assembly I purchased 1/4" seal washers and a neoprene rubber washer along with flat washers.
When I got home, expecting it to take some time to put this temporary fix together I found it did not take long at all. The original seal washer that goes with the QR skewer assembly fits just fine on the #10 by 3" machine bolt. Even though the #10 is a tandard size the 5mm quick adjust skewer plate also threads onto the #10 machine bolt as well.
The parts I am using is the original seal washer, the original quick adjust skewer plate, one #10 by 3" machine bolt, one #10 lock washer and one #10 nyloc nut.
The tools required is one flat head screw driver and a 1/4" box wrench or a 1/4" socket with ratchet.
This will work if I do not get the OEM parts from Hostel Shoppe in time for RAGBRAI.
Oh and the reason it failed and broke in te first place, and you're going to love this, is because of the crappy road surfaces in Sioux City. The constant vibration transmits direct up from the front wheel right to where the seat frame attaches at the front to the bike frame. The city will not do anything to fix the bumpy roads. They just keep patching them, which is like putting a band aid on a broken leg, it doesn't work.
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