# Front Wheel Direction???



## kevindef (May 19, 2008)

OK, this is probably a REAL dumb question, but I need to ask. I have a wheel set with Mavic OP rims laced to 32H Chris King Hubs. Spokes 14/15 laced 3 cross. The rear wheel is a no brainer when it comes to putting it on the bike. My question is........For the front wheel, does it make any difference at all which way I put it on? In other words. I have the Writing Chris King so you can read it from the front. Or, should the wheel be put on so you can read it if you are on the bike from the rear. The only reason I ask is because of the lacing of the spokes. Obviously the front wheel can be put on 2 different ways. Does it matter which way the wheel goes???? I know it may be a REAL dumb question, but I wanted to ask. Or does it matter????


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Directionless*



kevindef said:


> OK, this is probably a REAL dumb question, but I need to ask. I have a wheel set with Mavic OP rims laced to 32H Chris King Hubs. Spokes 14/15 laced 3 cross. The rear wheel is a no brainer when it comes to putting it on the bike. My question is........For the front wheel, does it make any difference at all which way I put it on? In other words. I have the Writing Chris King so you can read it from the front. Or, should the wheel be put on so you can read it if you are on the bike from the rear. The only reason I ask is because of the lacing of the spokes. Obviously the front wheel can be put on 2 different ways. Does it matter which way the wheel goes???? I know it may be a REAL dumb question, but I wanted to ask. Or does it matter????


For aesthetic reasons, people like the QR skewer lever on the left, and the hub so that you read the brand name either from the right hand side of the bike or the rear of the bike, as applicable. From a performance standpoint, it makes zero difference.


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## kevindef (May 19, 2008)

Thanks Kerry. I always keep the skewer on the left side. Was just curious if it made a difference which way the wheel went on. In either case I would make sure the skewer is on the left. Thanks! Kevin


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Are you in the northern or southern hemisphere?


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## jsedlak (Jun 17, 2008)

I don't think it matters mechanically unless the spokes are setup for a specific reason.

I recently rotated my front wheel so that the graphics would match the rear wheel.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Actually, it's as Kerry says - read from the rear or the right side of the bike and the builder gets extra points if the name is readable through the empty valve hole.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

I prefer mine parallel with the rear wheel.


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

Here I had always heard that people should put the front skewer on the drivetrain side... is this a new practice of putting front and rear both on the same side?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Convention*



MarvinK said:


> Here I had always heard that people should put the front skewer on the drivetrain side... is this a new practice of putting front and rear both on the same side?


The skewer is the entire device, lever, rod, springs, and nut. Convention is, and has been since Tulio Campagnolo invented the QR hub, that the levers should be on the non-drive side (left side) of the bike.


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## redondoaveb (Jan 16, 2011)

I find that if I put it on and it spins backwards then I need to turn it around so it spins forward.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

redondoaveb said:


> I find that if I put it on and it spins backwards then I need to turn it around so it spins forward.


Maybe I have my front wheel in backwards and it's cancelling out the rear wheel. That's prolly the reason I feel I'm not getting anywhere. I'll check that out in the morning.


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## redondoaveb (Jan 16, 2011)

Mike T. said:


> Maybe I have my front wheel in backwards and it's cancelling out the rear wheel. That's prolly the reason I feel I'm not getting anywhere. I'll check that out in the morning.


Turn the handlebars slightly, if the bike spins around in circles backwards then you'll know for sure that the wheel is on backwards.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

I've heard in Australia wheels rotate in the opposite direction.


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## redondoaveb (Jan 16, 2011)

T K said:


> I've heard in Australia wheels rotate in the opposite direction.


Spins the same way as your toilet flushes :thumbsup:


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## tober1 (Feb 6, 2009)

As long as you've got it on front to back you're golden!


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## El Literato Loco (Apr 14, 2010)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> I prefer mine parallel with the rear wheel.


You're pedaling around in a rickshaw? Kewl.


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## rustybucket (Mar 2, 2009)

I think the wheel should spin to the right for asthetics. The spokes on the out side of the hub need to spin away from the direction that the wheel is moving. If that makes any sense?

<a href="https://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/rustbucket1/bike/?action=view&current=wheel.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/rustbucket1/bike/wheel.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

rustybucket said:


> I think the wheel should spin to the right for asthetics. The spokes on the out side of the hub need to spin away from the direction that the wheel is moving. If that makes any sense?


I dunno about that but I want some that do this when I'm stopped and in Pose mode -


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## dlhillius (Mar 21, 2011)

Mike T. said:


> I dunno about that but I want some that do this when I'm stopped and in Pose mode -


LOL!!! I think I just burst my pancreas from laughing so hard!!! Thanks Mike:thumbsup:

Those things would be a kick for a TT bike but ever been in a car with 'em? They corner like a freight train.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

dlhillius said:


> LOL!!! I think I just burst my pancreas from laughing so hard!!! Thanks Mike:thumbsup:
> 
> Those things would be a kick for a TT bike but ever been in a car with 'em? *They corner like a freight train*.


What does that mean? Is it good? When a bike handles well in high-speed turns, we say it corners "like it's on rails," so cornering like a freight train should be a good thing.

When those things first started becoming popular a few years ago, I had a few anxious moments cycling in traffic. If I was alongside a car, one cue to whether it's moving comes from glancing at the wheel. Those spinners gave misleading signals until I got used to them.


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## dlhillius (Mar 21, 2011)

JCavilia said:


> What does that mean? Is it good? When a bike handles well in high-speed turns, we say it corners "like it's on rails," so cornering like a freight train should be a good thing.
> 
> When those things first started becoming popular a few years ago, I had a few anxious moments cycling in traffic. If I was alongside a car, one cue to whether it's moving comes from glancing at the wheel. Those spinners gave misleading signals until I got used to them.



Understand your reference. I could have put it differently but was caught up in laughing. "On rails" to me means you hold a solid line through a corner without wavering due to a bikes mishandling. Cornering like a freight train? Ever seen one corner? Nope...It's because all they can do is move forward.

Those stupid rims create a centrifugal force that cause them to have an inherent inertial momentum to keep moving forward. Take a bike wheel and spin it in your hands then try and move it.....same same.

I should have just said they corner like *S*ugar *H*oney* I*ce *T*ea


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