Is QR on a gravel bike a deal breaker?

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
The silex has one of the most relaxed geometries of all gravel bikes and they are pretty relaxed already. From memory, the stack height is the highest of the brands so it will feel a lot more mtb than road bike. Definitely more relaxed than a defy.
Music to my ears. Exactly what I was looking for
 

The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Yes I'm late to this thread but so what... Short answer, no Q/R shouldn't be a dealbreaker despite what industry mucketing pressure would like you to believe.

Yes it's true that not all Q/R skewers are created equal, and some can be more prone to slip than others, but if there is a security/flex/performance difference between a properly-fastened decent Q/R and a through-axle on an otherwise identical frame/fork it's imperceptible to most people. The only real advantage of through-axle is that it's more gumby-proof regarding something resembling proper tightening.

They like like to say how it's impossible to misalign the rotor in the brake, but conveniently forget that virtually all frames are sprung several millimetres wider than their nominal dropout spacing in order to ease wheel fitting..... Frame spring is usually more than the shallow seats for through-axle butts, so it's harder than it should be to thread in the skewer. Ironic really, but The Industry is oblivious to it....

I deal with all axle fastenings on a daily basis, and through-axle is the one that most gives me the shits.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
if you leave qr loose (or it comes loose on ride) it could have wheel release, thru axle won't - has to be open and unscrewed completely and removed, qr only has small tags to retain wheel.

If qr axle fails - wheel is off ... a quick release, if thru axle fails, wheel is retained on one side of fork.

I've had qr loosen on descents under heavy disc braking the axle has enormous load - and minor floats/flex wheel within fork can cause qr to loosen.

thru axle is a more robust and safer option. all my bikes are thru axle, I like looking down on a high speed descent knowing that there's no qr there myself.
I remember doing a full tuck 80kph descent down a steep bitumen hill back home and afterwards finding the rear QR had been loose... I still get the shivers thinking of what could have been....

Im still using the roadie with disc brakes and QRs, but I'd never buy a bike with them again. They're like rim brakes - yeah they basically work, but you wouldnt knowingly choose them...
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
I remember doing a full tuck 80kph descent down a steep bitumen hill back home and afterwards finding the rear QR had been loose... I still get the shivers thinking of what could have been....
I full tucked down dandenongs and remember thinking this feels a bit sketchy. On the uphill whacked it into the big chainring and the entire wheel fell off. Thankfully it came off going up!

Rode Harcourt with a loose rear thru axle and remember swearing at the bike because I had just reindexed and it shifted like turd. Turns out the axle was loose and I was sending it like nothing. Wheel stays on!
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Rode Harcourt with a loose rear thru axle and remember swearing at the bike because I had just reindexed and it shifted like turd. Turns out the axle was loose and I was sending it like nothing. Wheel stays on!
Yep, spent a whole day riding Atherton and then most of a day at Smithfield up in Cairns before i realised the creaking and annoying shifting was a loose through axle - no damage, no risk of death.
 

DMan

shawly the least hangeriest guy on rotorburn
I ended up with the Silex. Fantastic bike. So planted and stable. One of my 'loops' has a long downhill gravel section that I never felt comfortable doing more than 20km/hr on the Defy. Now it's 50..
I do think the 12mm front and back help.
 

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
Yes I'm late to this thread but so what... Short answer, no Q/R shouldn't be a dealbreaker despite what industry mucketing pressure would like you to believe.

Yes it's true that not all Q/R skewers are created equal, and some can be more prone to slip than others, but if there is a security/flex/performance difference between a properly-fastened decent Q/R and a through-axle on an otherwise identical frame/fork it's imperceptible to most people. The only real advantage of through-axle is that it's more gumby-proof regarding something resembling proper tightening.

They like like to say how it's impossible to misalign the rotor in the brake, but conveniently forget that virtually all frames are sprung several millimetres wider than their nominal dropout spacing in order to ease wheel fitting..... Frame spring is usually more than the shallow seats for through-axle butts, so it's harder than it should be to thread in the skewer. Ironic really, but The Industry is oblivious to it....

I deal with all axle fastenings on a daily basis, and through-axle is the one that most gives me the shits.
Must admit that most of my bikes are QR (apart from the thru front axle MTBs) and the ones I ride are all equipped with the DT Swiss RWS skewers... front, rear or both. Actual QR skewers are death by chocolate.
 
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