I just fixed my bike

[martynthewolf]

I noticed that the rear wheel on my mtb had a fair bit of side to side play in it! I was concerned because
with it being a fairly new bike 3 months old I didnt want it to be anything major! Initial research suggested bearings may have gone so I took the rear wheel off and as I was doing so felt that the nut on the hub on the opposite side of the wheel to tye cassette was very loose, tightening this nut finger tight solved the movement.

Ill keep an eye on it though. The front was also a little loose so a finger tightening there also solved the
problem. Is this a common issue? One commenter on the interwebs mentioned that new bikes do need minor adjustments after a run in so hopefully that was just tye case here. Nothing like a hit of spontaneous midnight mechanics before bedtime...

[Milkman666]

I believe this article will help you understand the issue you're having:

http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html

By the way... Sheldon Brown was THE man. That website is packed with helpful information about maintaining and fixing bikes.

[martynthewolf]

Cheers for that milkman that was exactly my problem, also it highlighted the fact that I need to be careful of how tight I make the nut it as my rear wheel is quick release and that adds additional compression! Bookmarked :-)