Why can't I just do it - Lawyer's lips drive me mad!

[Fastpedaller]

What's wrong?...... A puncture today, and no great drama except that it took about 20 minutes and frozen hands before I successfully replaced the inner tube. I am very irritated whenever I remove the front wheel. Quick Release - that's a joke, more like slow release as it would be quicker with nuts and a ring spanner. Why don't I just take a file to the lawyer's lips? I cycled my first 30+ years without lawyer's lips and I'm confident the (internal cam type) quick-release will continue to operate as designed, but that voice in my head says 'don't do it'. One day I'll just wield the file in anger. Rant over.

 

[Amanda P]

Quicker with a grinder. You might want to touch touch up the paint afterwards.

 

[lostinthought]

Just file them off, assuming your forks are out of warranty. You know how to operate a QR and you'll thank yourself every time you remove the wheel.

 

[EckyH]

Quicker with a grinder. You might want to touch touch up the paint afterwards.

On the other hand: filing them off is not as dangerous as with a grinder and probably more satisfying with every file stroke.

E.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Lawyers lips sink ships. File them off.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'm going to ask: What are Lawyers Lips?

 

[PaulSB]

I'm going to ask: What are Lawyers Lips?

I'm glad you asked that as I had no idea either. A quick Google reveals they are serrations on the fork ends to help keep the wheel in place.

By chance a video popped up about grinding them off. Seems like a lot of fuss about nothing.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I'm glad you asked that as I had no idea either. A quick Google reveals they are serrations on the fork ends to help keep the wheel in place.

By chance a video popped up about grinding them off. Seems like a lot of fuss about nothing.

As I get older I get less embarrassed about asking the obvious!

I think I know what these are now, and I hate them also.

 

[figbat]

I have to say that knowing what they are I have never had any bother with them. Just have to undo the skewer a little after quickly releasing the tension. I’m certainly not about to attack any forks or frames over them.

 

[PaulSB]

I have to say that knowing what they are I have never had any bother with them. Just have to undo the skewer a little after quickly releasing the tension. I’m certainly not about to attack any forks or frames over them.

Snap!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

When I still had QR bikes, I filed off all the LLs on my and my mates' bikes. They are an abomination.

File them off. Screw warrantees, screw the idiot who may borrow your bike one day. It is your sanity at stake.

 

[presta]

They are a bit annoying, but I've left them on because I don't want to damage the paint. Dawes Ardaznailz is far more durable than anything I could find to touch it up with.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I have to say that knowing what they are I have never had any bother with them. Just have to undo the skewer a little after quickly releasing the tension. I’m certainly not about to attack any forks or frames over them.

Except that you've turned a quick release wheel into a non quick release.

I believe the idea came from the USA where some particularly stupid clown forgot to do his Q/R up and scuffed his knee or something. As per usual over there, 50 trillion dollar lawsuits were flying about.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I changed the front tyre on a bike once, went for a 10 mile ride to test it was all okay, turned into my road at the end of the ride and noticed the QR was completely loose, I'd not even attempted to close it. Without lawyers lips I'm convinced I would have had an accident. I still don't know how I didn't realise the wheel was so loose.

 

[HLaB]

Bit of an extreme removal process but when my old bike was new a driver in London (coming the other direction) turned right through a gap in the car traffic and took out my front wheel which was ripped out along with the lawyer lips. I done 40,000 miles on that bike after that. They are not that crucial IME ;-)