Skewers

The quick release mechanism was invented in 1927 by Tullio Campagnolo, who was an Italian bicycle racer. He was frustrated when he needed to repair a flat tyre during a race, the weather had turned cold, and his hands were numb, so he could not operate the wingnuts which retained the wheel. He had been well-placed prior to the puncture, but lost valuable time, so decided to develop a quick release skewer system which enables simple wheel removal in seconds.