Thru Axle VS. Quick Release Rear Wheel

[Raacerx]

Just wanted to write a quick blurb on how to easily improve stiffness on your quick release rear end.

Having ridden 12mm bolt-on axle bikes for the last 5 years, Ive become quite accustomed to having a very stiff and direct rear end ( :006: ). I expect very good tracking through offcamber rough stuff and no flex. My last bike, a Demo 9, was one of the stiffest bikes I have ever ridden. However I decided to shed some weight and move to a Demo 8 or a Big Hit which both use a QR system in the rear. This was a concern of mine, because there is just no way a QR system is as stiff and secure as a bolt on.

So the obvious answer is a bolt on rear axle, and in fact my Big Hit came with a bolt on rear wheel. Of course it also weighed about 4 pounds and I soon found there were not many options for a lightweight 10mm bolt on hub. Having a DT 6.1d quick release rear wheel on hand, I began to ride and see if I noticed the QR compared to a 12mm/150mm on my last bike. To my dismay, I actually did notice a difference and I was even able to get the wheel sideways in the dropouts once (despite considerable strength used to close the QR).

So I had to do considerable research to find a 10mm thru axle hub that didnt weigh 500 grams and cost $275. Essentially, your stuck with Hadley or DT/Swiss. A few other companies make them, however they are either loose ball bearing or just overbuilt and heavy, or an arm and a leg. DT in fact actually makes a rear wheel already with this hub. DT 340 10mm thru axle hub, with DT double butted spokes, aluminum nipples, and 5.1D rims. Well built and tensioned, the hub uses a loose 10mm thru axle like a 12mm hub, with a large cap/nut on one end. This allows you to really torque it down, there is a larger clamping area, and the difference is absolutely immediate.

Rough corners are far more direct, the bike is more predictable, and landing a big kickout feels the way it should. There is even a considerable difference from the Specialized 10mm bolt on hub (not thru axle) laced to a Singletrack. I think most of the difference there is in hub quality and build quality (tensioned, etc). The DT 340 10mm hub weighs sub 400 grams, making it very lightweight, uses some serious seals for keeping the crappy stuff out, and is very stiff.

Note: What I found the weirdest about this experience...10mm thru axle hubs are the most expensive mountain bike hubs made. A 12mm by 150mm, even a 15 by 165mm, is cheaper then a 10mm by 135mm. No idea why.