Thru Axel advantages vs Quick Release

From the creator of the original post:
So here's the deal. I ride a Trek OCLV something something something. It was given to me free, which is always good, gets me out, and my only limitations are myself. I ride mainly in San Diego and the surrounding desert (Lake Moreno, Laguna, San Juan Hills, Noble Canyon, stuff off the map, done some NorCal riding, Big Bear) (10 miles, 26 miles, 30 miles, dirt, rock, etc). The bike has owned it all. Then again, I believe that the rider dictates ability and the ride. If I never drive a top of the line bike I'll never know what I'm missing. I'll think and continue to think my current bike is it.
That being said, I want to get a new bike, something that I buy and will last me for the next 10 years or so. I want an adjustable fork, better lockouts, disc brakes, and a suspension that can handle some bigger drops.
Honestly, whatever I get on, I will adjust and kill it, b/c killing it is soooo much fun (a bit chaotically though). That's why I ride.
The frame is purchased, now I need all else.
When you guys say stiffness, I don't even know what that pertains to.
I just think that as this fork is for the next 5 (+/-) years, and as I go harder and harder w/ this upgraded bike, do I go w/ thru axle b/c it's better or stronger or... and I'm not spending another whatever to switch in a few years?

 

Originally Posted by b-40
put it this way. would you trust a single 6mm or 7mm bolt holding your wheel on (that is the size of the long bolt that goes thru the 9mm axle, the forks just rest on the 9mm axle and the 6 or 7mm skewer applys the pressure to hold everything together) yes it has worked for many years and i mean many (circa 1930s)
old technology, but lets all live in the now people bigger and better things are here."





"Hmmm, you must be in the industry!" ​

nope! Aircraft hydraulics is my game

 

Although it could have come across as rude, 2wheel_lee has a point. Most studies contracted by manufactures have some sort of bias built in so that they can skew the results in favor of their product or own findings. Im sure that this one is no different. Maybe if Bikeradar.com did a study about forks and their tech such as the one they did on brakes a while back, the results may be more readily believable. However even with those hypothetical results, the question would be about repeatability of those results. And that would require a multitude of independent studies that, quite frankly, just wont be done.

 

Oh jesus...

 

Only a little rude? Come on man, you're going to harm my reputation! I need to work a little harder on my rudeness! :lol:

Since you've made it clear that you work in the bike industry, but haven't made it clear in what capacity, I'm holding you to a higher standard, since I don't know your affiliations.

I have read a test that came to similar results that you mentioned, but if I recall correctly, it was Rock Shox who contracted the test.

For those who understand the dynamics involved between a hub and fork on a bike, the difference is obvious between a thru-axle setup (15 or 20 mm) and a QR setup. And yes, some people can truly feel the difference, some people only think they feel the difference, and some can't feel the difference at all. But another thing I'll add is that I think that most modern longer-travel QR forks are considerably stiffer that short-travel QR forks from a decade ago.

Understanding the methodologies of the test are also critical from an engineering point of view. For example, in a Niner fork stiffness test I once saw, they clamped the steer tube in their jig in a completely different manner in which it's loaded on the bike. This completely skewed the results of the test (although it is unknown if it was intentional).

 

@ChaosOnABike: From your latest post, it sounds like you like to go big when you ride, so I'd recommend you do so as well in regards to axles, fork stantions. At that point, durability will be the most important thing. Also, buy the best you can afford. Speaking from personal experience, going cheap at the beginning will always cost you more in the end.

And to the others: Play nice, or I'll have to take you outside and arm you with swords. (^_^)

 

So much of this stuff is just industry melodrama... In a review I just read on-line, "Fox claims that the new 15mm QR TA increases torsional stiffness by 15% and it increases transverse shear stiffness by up to 25%" Man In A Shed, an industry insider, noted a report that Rock Shox claims anything 15mm or less is not noticeably stiffer. Who knows... The Rock Shox Revelation World Cup will have a 15mmx100 TA too appeal to the 150mm travel weight weenies... So I guess the jury's still out...

It's really all about staying competitive, talked about in the media and selling more product than the other guys. Rock Shox was the first to come out with the 20mm TA "Maxle" (which is a sweet name by the way), Fox and Shimano then came out with the 15mm TA to get around patents and create a wheel/fork team to compete with Rock Shox. The truth is, Rock Shox's Maxle and Maxle Light are nearly as light as a 15mm TA, by a few grams. The difference in weight is negligible. The design of the Maxle has gotten much better reviews than the 15mm TA, due to it's ease of use, many claiming it's even easier than the tradition QR.

I really like image and quality of the Sram/ Rock Shox corporation. I like their ingenuity, solid designs and "the little guy", relatively speaking, giving the competition a run for it's money (Sram vs Shimano). Plus, they are based in Sweet Home Chicago... I also know a few guys in CO, who worked for an aftermarket shock tuning company that specialized in Fox forks, who actually preferred to ride the Rock Shox Recon. Now that certain company is making after market components and tuning Rock Shox as well... and doing a mighty fine job from what I've heard. Ok, I'm sufficiently off topic now... over and out...

 

I agree. I don't live in a perfect world and do find that QR's affect the rotor alignment.

One time I found the front wheel wobbly. Inspection showed the axle broke but the QR was keeping the pieces from drifting apart. If the QR had broken ...

I appreciate the safety factor.

 

I am a crappy female rider who weighs about 135 pounds and I recently upgraded from a 2007 100-140mm Fox Talas with QR to a 2010 120-150mm Revelation U-Turn with a Maxel. I'm like Helen Keller and Forrest Gump on a mountain bike and even I can tell a huge difference.

 

Now who's being rude?? Maybe you should practice what you preach, Shed.....

 

I'm 250lbs, was 300lbs, my QR have worked great and were still in great shape when I changed wheelsets (also QR) last April.

I realize that a 29er hardtail is different, but with my REBA, the QR's are just fine.

 

Interesting thread. To summarize, it sounds like the main argument is whether there is a distinct advantage with a thru axle, while the only disadvantage seems to be not as easily taking off your wheel. This assumes you're buying fork and wheel new, so we're not talking about whether it's worth it to upgrade both from a QR setup, but just a straight comparison starting from scratch, right? If that's the case, I say why not give it a try? I guess another factor may be the car rack if you have a fork mount. In any case, I just ordered a Revelation a 15mm maxle, so I'll see if I can tell any difference. I doubt that I'll be regretting not going with a QR. Good luck and let us know how it goes for you.

 

Soft tire sidewall is a good call, I kept thinking I really blew it by buying a new GF 29er Hifi (with 9mm QR on Fox 100mm) instead of the Rumblefish with a 15mm thru axle. I had changed the front tire to a Eskar 2.2 and it felt like the front end was twisting on ruts, etc. I started with 26-27 psi like I ran with the stock tires, then I tried going up to 29-30 and the front end behaved much better. I ran both tires tubeless. So I think the Eskar was just a taller squishier tire than the stock Bontrager tire tire and the additional pressure made the difference. Not really an answer to the original post but I thought it was useful info.

 

Actually, I think the main point of contention is whether or not you should upgrade to something other than a QR just because all the mfgs say that you'll have a stiffer front end (pun intended).

 

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

i can't tell a damn difference. thru-axle just looks cooler to me.

 

The ultimate in stiffness

 

I weigh 230lbs, and I love tech terrain and bigger travel bikes, DH/AM type stuff. I use thru axles simply for durability, and can definitely feel the diferrence between Q/R and Thru axles in both rigidity and their ability to take abuse.