Road Disc - Through Axle or Standard Quick Release?

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

What are people views about the superiority of a through axle system versus a traditional quick release for a disc road set-up? For a road training application are the advantages of a through axle (torsional stiffness, precision alignment, safety, etc.) a necessity or is the tradition quick release adequate?
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

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eliflap-scalpel
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by eliflap-scalpel

i tried on my bike the three steps for the front:

QR

9mm TA

15mm TA

i prefer to stay with 15mm .
http://eliflap.it/

Pottsy
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Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:54 am

by Pottsy

I'm running some DT RWS 5mm skewers on my commuter. No issues with disc rub. No wheel movement.

That being said I haven't ridden a road disc bike with thru axles yet. But right now for me I don't see the need to upgrade to a thru axle bike should one come along soon.

Gunjira
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by Gunjira

I've tried different qrs and haven't noticed any drawbacks. Would like to compare, but am skeptical that it is a meaningful reason to upgrade. If somehow I change my mind, I would just switch forks and leave the qr in the back. With dtswiss and many other hubs this would not require new wheels.

So what is the magic of TA?


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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

Dealing with the arguments in favour, I don't buy the safety issue. With lawyer tabs, a front wheel is not going to get ripped out of regular dropouts.

As for the overall stiffness of the system, more is often better, but is anybody here with a modern carbon road or cyclocross bike finding the fork/hub interface too flexy so that the disc is rubbing when out of the saddle etc?

And as for alignment, I do have one friend who says he has to be careful when installing his front wheel but I have not heard any similar complaints.

My sense is that a traditional quick release can work just fine for a disc roadbike but I may hold off committing one way or the other until I hear more first hand experiences. All that said TA is a better system (as long as it is available on the bike that one is interested in).
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

fromtrektocolnago
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by fromtrektocolnago

Colnago has signaled support for thru-axle. They appear to have thought about this a great deal and show a judicious approach to adopting new technology. I'd go thru-axle.
Colnago C-59 (Dura Ace)
Firefly(Ultegra)
Colnago C-64 disc(ultegra) with Bora 35 wheels

madsedan
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by madsedan

My experience with it is strictly from a mountain bike background but I liked 15mm front and 12x142 rears on modern mountain bikes.
The argument can be said there is no benefit or that its a minor one, BUT, there isn't any reason not to do it that I've seen. I personally liked the install/removal of the wheels and engagement with the frame better than with a standard QR. Having them on my first road bike now seems weird as I've not used them in a couple years.

Gunjira
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by Gunjira

Colnago might have also placed a great deal on marketability on their choice. Selling less bikes because of not being perceived "cutting edge".

I'm not saying that TA isn't better overall, I have just not heard conclusive evidence that it is a must have or no-brainer.


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pushstart
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by pushstart

I would suggest that you will really only notice this on the front. I have used 9mm thru-bolt (in QR dropouts) and now finally 15mm TA on my carbon road disc bike (and QR and 9mm on my commuter/CX bike). It is hard to compare directly, because these were all different forks, but I would say the practical differences are not huge. I would weigh the importance of fast wheel changes, though also recognizing that the 15mm thru-axle should yield exact wheel placement wrt rotor/pad lineup. That is worth something. I do feel like this latest fork (Whisky No 9) made an already very stiff frontend just that much stiffer -- going from a burley Chinese carbon QR fork with DT Swiss 9mm thru-bolts. I would not cry if I didn't have the Whisky fork, but I am happy I got it (I also do not think the upgrade is worth the retail cost of that fork). I definitely see no downside to using the 9mm thru-bolt on front if you have a QR fork. I think that probably as significant a change as 9mm -> 15mm, but don't have data to make that comparison.

Rear wheels I have used 10mm thru-bolt and QR. I can't tell a difference. I "upgraded" to 10mm thru-bolt when I was building new wheels and had the option (Hope hubs). The problem with 10mm thru-bolt for me on that bike (my commuter) is that I only have one axle since it has a trailer hitch connector on it and that makes wheel changes harder (when I swap out for CX wheels) -- unlike QR, there is obviously nothing for the frame to rest on when you pull out the skewer. (Yes, I should just buy an extra thru-bolt and trailer hitch.)

I think wheels are more significant factor for rear. My road rear hubs are QR only, but with 45x24.5mm rims laced 28-spoke they are very stiff.

But like previously mentioned, I don't see a particular downside (other than hub availability) for the TA standards. I would choose a frame that supports them if it were otherwise comparable, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over having a QR-only frame/fork.

I do think this whole 12mm front axle standard for road is unnecessary, though.

ProEvoSLTeamHighMod
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by ProEvoSLTeamHighMod

This is such a frustrating topic on road forums. I'm sorry, has no one besides the one other guy in this thread ridden or followed the progress of mountain bikes in the last 5 years?!

Shame on manufacturers who are creating arbitrary standards or not using thru-axles. It is already well tested, established and standardized... 12x135 or 12x142 are existing rear standards, 15x100 front..

The thru-axle is stiffer, more reliable for wheel installation/positioning, WAY harder for ignorant users to screw up (can't use a QR as a wrench handle instead of camming lever...) and sometimes lighter.

Everyone should be doing thru-axle with disc. While maybe you think only front feels, at 50mph descent, which is one of the main applications disc is being hyped for, any deflection is bad...

Pottsy
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by Pottsy

ProEvoSLTeamHighMod wrote:WAY harder for ignorant users to screw up (can't use a QR as a wrench handle instead of camming lever...)


Ha. You have never worked in a bike shop then.

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maddog 2
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by maddog 2

I run QR on my two road disc bikes and there are no issues with brake rub or anything. But I agree, long-term, thru-axles are the way to go I think just for security. The benefit on road bikes is less than on suspended MTBs admittedly, but it's just a better engineering solution.

MichaelB
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by MichaelB

+1 to what maddog 2 says.

My current disc bike is also QR, and with the hubs I have, they cannot be converted to the DT Swiss Thru bolt setup. Have had no real issues with QR, but know that thru axle is just a better solution.

Briscoelab
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by Briscoelab

Yep, it's worth it to use QR15 front and 12mm in the rear if for no other reason than consistent wheel/caliper alignment.

As someone with years of MTB experience, I can tell you that I used to have to fiddle with my QRs so much when reinstalling wheels... to get everything just right. Now, it's simply install and go.

I can also tell a big difference in the front with a QR15. In the rear... not so much on a HT MTB. Now, on any FS MTB I've ridden... they have benefited greatly from the thru axle addition.

So, yes traditional QRs work just fine. But, moving forward thru axles are just a better solution and make things easier on you.

padmasana
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Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:04 pm

by padmasana

I haven't had any issues with QRs on my Specialized Roubaix disc.
Yes, if it had the ability to run through axles, then why not.
Certainly the rigors of mountain biking and suspension forks put a lot of demands on wheels, but my biking never suffered or felt like a danger in the 15ish years when there wasn't anything but quick releases.
Of course these are only my experiences and as you know, for every success story, there's probably somebody else who ended up in a ditch.

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