Embarrassingly Can't Get Rear Wheel Off

[Blakey]

So I got my first puncture today on my 28-day old Cannondale Moterra 3. Someone cut a load of hawthorns down on a bridleway I ride and I'm guessing I picked up a thorn there. This is the first bike I've owned without a quick release and I can't get the wheel off!

It has a 5mm alen key hole on each side. I've chucked the alen key in there but I'm not even certain which way to turn it. I usually change a wheel with the bike upside down (on the trail) but I have it at home, the right way up on the bike stand.

No amount of googling seems to help!

So - help, please!

Thanks
Blakey

 

[KenX]

RTFM?
Not over-helpful, but that's why you have one

 

[Blakey]

Errr, thanks. The bike didn't come with a manual sadly. Anyway I ended up flipping it upside down so it looked more familiar, and then just went at it with the allen key which did the job.

Can you replace non-quick release bolts with the quick-release version?

 

[Gary]

Anticlockwise is still anticlockwise upside down or right way up

Cannondale Engineers can be dicks but theyt haven't yet figured out how to mess that rule up

If it's a thru axle it can possibly be replaced with a levered version... but being a Cannondale... possibly not.

 

[Mikerb]

If you want to replace the through axle with a lever type you need first to find out the spec of your thru axle. You need 3 aspects of spec....diameter (12mm I think) length, and thread pitch.

 

[ccrdave]

Righty tighty, lefty loosey

 

[Blakey]

Thanks all. I think the initial worry was simply over the fact that the Allen key nut was super tight. So it took some grunt to release it. I was just concerned not to f-up my £4.5k bike by being a numpty. Once I'd got the bike the right way round (i.e. upside down!) it seemed to be a lot easier! Just how I'm used to removing the rear wheel, rather than on a maintenance stand.

£65 for a QR axle for the front, need to contact Cannondale direct to find out if they do one for the back. That said, now I've done it, I'm less concerned and I always have a 5mm Allen with me anyway...