Wabi Wheel Installation
These instructions apply to the Wabi-brand wheelsets - Wabi Lightweight, Wabi Sub-15 and Wabi CX/Urban wheelsets.
Before purchasing or installing:
Please note that Wabi wheelsets use a hollow-axle wheel bolt assembly vs. a more traditional solid axle with a wheel nut. The hollow axle of the hub projects out 5mm from the inside serrated washer. For bikes with thinner dropouts (below 5mm), this means the wheel will not clamp to the dropout. To ensure proper clamping, we recommend a good quality chain tensioner (such as MKS or Surly). The body or washer of the tensioner (depending on the design) will provide the extra thickness to ensure the proper clamp.
Threading freewheels or fixed cogs
Wabi wheels come with a fixed/fixed hub. This means you can install either a freewheel or fixed cog on either side of the hub.
To start, always use bike grease when installing a freewheel or fixed cog/lockring. Lightly apply the grease on the threads of the hub before installation.
Freewheel or Fixed Cog Installation.
To start, make sure the freewheel or fixed cog/lockring that is being installed has clean, intact threads. If there are damaged threads, do not install as it may damage the hub. If the threads are dirty, clean them with a degreaser and cloth.
IMPORTANT: For fixed cog installation, be sure to use the included the 35mm x 1mm cog spacer (included in the bolt bag) between the hub and cog or hub and lockring to ensure proper tightness.
If the freewheel or cog is clean and intact, install the freewheel or cog clockwise onto the hub. Be careful to thread the freewheel on to the hub threads so they seat properly. Once seated, the freewheel should easily screw on to the hub with no resistance. If you feel resistance, stop and reverse the freewheel or cog to prevent cross threading and try to reseat again.
Once completely screwed on to the hub, tighten the freewheel or cog down using either a chain whip or cassette pliers. We recommend sitting the wheel on the floor to get enough leverage to tighten it down properly. Tighten it down essentially as hard as you can with those tools (without using leverage like a cheater bar).
Lock ring installation (for fixed cogs)
For fixed cogs, you will also need to install the lock ring to secure the fixed cog.
IMPORTANT: Lock rings thread counterclockwise on the narrower part of the hub.
Like above check the lock ring to make sure the threads are clean and intact. Ensure it properly seats on the hub and then easily screws onto the hub.
Once hand tightened, use a lock ring wrench to tighten down the ring essentially as hard as you can.
Installing wheels into dropouts.
We recommend inserting the wheel bolts/washers on the hubs before inserting the wheels into the dropouts to make installation easier. Remember to grease the bolts before insertion into the hub.
For the front wheel, tighten the bolts on both sides by hand while ensuring the wheel sits square in the dropouts. Once clamped and square, tighten the bolts using a 5mm hex wrench to a torque of 10Nm.
For the rear wheel, ensure the wheel is in the proper location for your chain tension. Hand tighten the bolts to the proper position. Once in the proper position, tighten the bolts using a 5mm hex wrench to a torque of 10Nm. Note that wheels can tend to pull to one side or the other when tightened down. Be sure they are square and aligned in the rear dropouts before riding.
If you run into any problems, feel free to contact us with questions.