Changing a rear wheel on a bicycle isn’t exactly rocket science, but it is far from the easiest thing too. It is almost impossible to do so without getting your hands dirty, and it is harder to get the wheel back on than it is to take off.
Leonard Ashman of California created a system where the hub comes off but the drivetrain – gears and chain – stay nicely attached to the bike. His HubDock utilizes a thru-axle that can be pulled out of the hub on the non-drive side, but remains please on the drivetrain. This can be reinstalled just as quickly (as the video below shows).
This system allows the cassette and freehub to say attached to the bike frame, while the wheel can pull straight down. This means no greasy hand grabbing the chain, no trying to wrestle with the chain to get it to line up with the cassette. Just pull down and out. Ashman is currently looking to take this from concept to reality via a Kickstarter campaign. Continue reading Wheel Dock