I learned this as a bike mechanic 30 years ago, at least with QR hubs. Tighten down the quick release and the bearings get tighter, for whatever reason. It's been the case on every QR hub I've ever tried, on all bikes. (Not a scientific sampling with proper regression analysis, mind you.)
So what I do is... 1) make sure the dropouts are parallel, so as not to bend the axle when tightening. This could also be a problem when the rear spacing is not the same as the hub spacing - spreading or compressing the dropouts would bring previously parallel dropouts out of parallel. 2) Adjust the bearings in the hub before the wheel is built up, if you have that option. You'd be surprised if you take a perfectly adjusted hub (no play and spins smoothly) and clamp it in a frame, and all of a sudden the bearings can be so tight that it's difficult to spin with your hand. Of course, if it's a built wheel you will not be able to tell that and you'll go pedaling thousands of miles on a tight hub, Ouch! 3) If the wheel is built, then adjust the hub with some play in the bearings. Then clamp the wheel in the frame and test for play by moving the rim sideways. It's easy to tell if there is still play in there. If there is still play, then take wheel out and tighten just a little and try again. If there is no play in the wheel, then take out and loosen the bearings more. This trial and error method takes a little bit of time and a few iterations, but I smile as I ride down the road knowing that my wheel bearings really are running smoothly.
Drew Ellison Everett, Washington USA
On Sep 30, 2007, at 6:54 AM, Tom Hayes wrote:
> Yesterday, after fitting a track bike with a rear wheel and
> tightening the
> locknuts on the dropouts, I noticed that the wheels did not spin
> smoothly
> and stopped abruptly. I surmised that tightening the locknutsl
> onto the
> frame squeezed or put too much pressure on the cones, forcing it
> against the
> bearings instead of riding smoothly. I used a different rear with
> the same
> result. The spacing in the rear drop-outs is about 114 mm, and the
> wheels
> are approximately the same from locknut to locknut. As it is right
> now, the
> only way I can get the wheel to spin smoothly is to tighten the
> locknuts
> into a position where, when riding the bike, I would for sure pull
> the rear
> wheel forward or make it go into the chainstays.
>
> Anyone have experience with such a problem and might know a ready
> solution?
> Both wheels have cup and cone bearings.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Tom Hayes
> Chagrin Falls, Ohio USA