How to remove the rear wheel from your bike

Before you start removing your wheel there is a little bit of prep that needs to be done. The gears on your bike can make getting your rear wheel out of the frame difficult as you need to lift the cassette around the derailleur. In order to make this a little easier, shift your gears so that the chain is in the smallest sprocket on the cassette. This way you have less tension on the derailleur and more space to move it around.

If you have a bike with disc brakes you can go ahead and skip this step but if you have rim brakes you will need to open up your callipers to allow for the tyre to fit past the brake pads. To do this you simply need to rotate the camming mechanism 180 degrees. As you do so you will see the calliper open up.

Now you are ready to get underway with removing the wheel from the frame. Depending on the type of axle you have you might need a hex key or spanner. If you have a bike with disc brakes the likelihood is you will have thru-axles that bolt directly into the frame. To remove these you will either need a hex key or some have an integrated lever that makes things a little easier. Once this has been removed your wheel will be free to move so make sure you always keep one hand on the wheel. With the axle out you can go ahead and lower the wheel from the frame, being careful of the chain and derailleur.

This is specifically for bikes with hydraulic disc brakes and is not something you need to worry about if you have rim brakes. When the wheel is removed from the bike it is important not to pull on the brake lever as this will push the pads in and with no disc in between them they will close up and not return to the open position. This can make getting your wheel back in impossible without pushing the pistons back out which can be a fiddly task.

When the time comes to refit the rear wheel you need to remember what gear it was in. Ideally if you followed the earlier steps it should be in the smallest sprocket of the cassette. Before you place the wheel back in the dropouts it is key to make sure that the chain sits correctly in relation to the cassette. As you offer the wheel up check that the cassette is in between the upper and lower sections of the chain.

At this point, you can look at returning the wheel to its position in the frame and as you do so gently pull the derailleur backwards to help keep it out of the way of the cassette. If you have a disc brake bike it is also worth checking that the rotor is aligned with the calliper as this can sometimes prevent the wheel from slotting into place.

For a bike with thru-axles, it is simply a case of sliding the axle through the frame and hub and tightening it to the manufacturer's recommended torque. If you are struggling to get the axle lined up give the wheel a slight wiggle from side to side until it all slides into place and can be tightened.

For a rim brake bike with quick-release skewers, the process can be a little more involved. It is best to do this with the bike on the floor as you want to make sure the wheel is sitting square in the frame. When you are happy that's the case tighten the nut end of the skewer one full turn to counterbalance the earlier step where it was loosened to help remove the wheel.

With a quick-release skewer, there is more trial and error in finding the perfect tension to allow the skewer to be closed but still with enough resistance to hold the wheel firmly in place.

When everything is back together it is worth just checking it over before jumping on and heading out for a ride. Give the wheel a quick spin and make sure the brakes aren’t rubbing and the gears still shift. Also give the wheel a little wiggle in the frame by hand to make sure it is nice and tight.

For rim brake bikes it is crucial to remember to return the brake calliper cam to the closed position once the wheel is back in place.