Dear All,

I have the choice of an unused 2nd hand 06 Prophet MX frame for £500 or get a new Shova frameset for £1200 plus warranty etc.

I’m interested in peoples experiences of the Prophet MX, specifically the bolt thru back axle and how much of a pain in the ass it is to remove the back wheel for maintenance and transport etc.

Cheers

I ride a regular Prophet and at one point wanted the bolt-thru rear. Never went for it due to the hassle but got a better rear wheel instead and there was no flex at all (there wasn’t any to bein with, I only fancied it for the joy of having it).
I’d buy another Prophet if it fits as the prices are low (I know as my frame is in classifieds) and they ride really well. Having said that, Shova is lovely too.

Thanks hairy, how much is yours on for? I need a Large?

I have a Prophet MX. Wheel in and out isn’t too bad – takes a little getting used to but I can do it in about 30 secs now and only takes a 5mm allen key.

It’s basically a case of loosening 2 pinch bolts, loosen axle bolt most of the way then push through from bolt end to free axle, then remove bolt and pull out from other end and the wheel will then drop out.

Refitting is reverse of removal, there is a flat in the axle hole that you need to line up but otherwise pretty straightforward.

Remember you may need a new back wheel and it’s a 135×12 hub – Hope Bulb and Pro2 can be converted from QR but not XC hubs.

The bolt-thru makes it quite a bit stiffer than a regular Prophet (I have ridden both) and with 160mm forks it’s an amazing bike. Just going to do a bit of fettling on it now actually 🙂

If you had to take wheel off every time you put it in the car I’d not be convinced but for occasional removal the benefits definitely outweigh disadvantages.

Mine is a medium for £400 in VGC (hard to do it justice in Richmond Park).

Thanks stu, Are the swingarm drop out bolts etc reasonably substantial, i.e they won’t thread or round too easily in your experience??

Andylux, here’s the Prophet manual which shows the 12mm through axle in detail. I’ve got a regular Prophet, but also a Gemini with the 12mm axle and it’s not too time consuming to use. If you take your back wheel out regularly (i.e. a couple of times a week) then it might prove tedious, but otherwise I’d go for it.

Yes, the pinch bolts are sturdy steel bolts. They don’t need to come out of the swingarm, just loosened off a couple of turns to get the wheel out which greatly reduces the risk of threading them.

I have found the axle bolt tends to work loose over time but a spot of threadlock seems to sort that.

Thanks a lot dusty and stu, ever had pikes on yours??

Never had Pikes on mine, but I’m running travel reduced 36’s at 130mm, which have an identical (give or take 2mm) a2c height. Most of the non Lefty equipped ones came with Pikes, so they’ll be great

Yes, Pikes are good, mine had Pikes on it when I got it and I ran it like that for 2 years. With a 140mm fork you can only really use the XC shock hole if you’re pedaling anywhere. With 140 forks and FR setting the BB is pretty low, though the slacker head angle makes a surprising difference on descents.

Fox 36 Floats are better though, slack head angle but you still have some ground clearance, and they naturally have more travel and are a lot stiffer so you can do even sillier things for a given skill level.

what is the head angle on the prophet mx with 140mm (520mm a-c) forks on