Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 20 total)
  • QR vs 'maxle' on a front fork
  • timwillows
    Free Member

    Several makes of fork cater for either QR or a 15mm / 20mm option, has an one seen a review between the two options? curious to see if the benefits are theoretical or real

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    The gains in stiffness are very real. I've run QR and latterly 20mm forks and wouldn't go back.

    timwillows
    Free Member

    Thanks for the observation PJM, but was it on the same fork? Could the improvement have been due to other developments from year to year?
    Just excercising my natural cynicism 🙂

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    vondally
    Free Member

    Maxle without doubt, it is a real improvement.

    solamanda
    Free Member

    I've run various qr and 20mm forks over the years and own one set of 15mm forks. I currently own bikes with otherwise identical 130mm qr fox forks and 140 15mm fox forks. Personally I'd say the difference is minimal, even when using the bikes over their 'ability' on dh tracks. I wouldn't pay more than £100 for the benefit of 15mm over QR. However 20mm forks I've used are much stiffer and worth an upgrade.

    However stiffness isn't everything. I prefer the feel of my qr fox forks over my old 20mm pikes. Dampening is priority IMHO.

    johnners
    Free Member

    I've 2 2004 Z1 Freerides, one's QR and the other's QR20, which is a Marzocchi clamped not-at-all-QR 20mm abomination. Other than the dropouts they're the same fork.

    I can't really tell the difference, but I feel happier on the clamped model.

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    I used to run Pace RC40s with a QR and switched to Rockshox Pikes. The Pike is in a different league stiffness-wise, I haven't regretted swapping one bit, although the damping on the Pace was probably superior, but then I'm not as good a rider to appreciate the difference.

    nickhart
    Free Member

    it makes a marked difference. we did a great deal of research when designing the hartlett. we were amazed at the results. the feel of a qr wasn't that much different to a 20mm in normal riding but on off camber techy stuff it was noticeable. stiffer but also more confidence inspiring. to be honest i wouldn't ride a normal qr front any more and i love a bolt thru rear too but then that's me.

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    I think it depends a bit on the sort of riding you do. I run QR Revs on one bike and Pikes on a couple of others and you can really feel the difference hammering through Peak District rubble gardens which are trying to deflect the front wheel. Less pronounced on smoother terrain. I've only ridden a 15mm axle fork briefly, too brief to have opinion to be honest.

    judderman
    Free Member

    ive used 24mm axle Mavericks, then gone to QR Fox RL120's then to Revelation maxle. there is a marked difference, the bigger axle size you go the better/less deflection/stable the ride particulary off camber and rooty/rocky. I dont think I would go back to QR if I had a choice. But at the end of the day if your "skillfull/ have good ability" it probably does not matter a flying ****.

    RealMan
    Free Member

    20mm maxle on my rockshox revelations is brilliant. Wouldn't go back.

    markenduro
    Free Member

    Just swapped the lowers on my 29er rebas for a 20mm maxle light, there is a world of difference between the 2 types in terms of stiffness, especially when hitting rocks etc on one side of the wheel only. Wouldn't want to ride QR now.

    nickc
    Full Member

    More important to me TBH, is the lack of worry regarding QR's coming undone, rather than the stiffness thing. I have noticed though that on off camber stuff there are more grippy.

    timwillows
    Free Member

    Thanks Mark that sounds like exactly the sort of 'controlled' experiment i was looking for, same fork, bike, rider style etc.

    I_Ache
    Free Member

    nickhart the Hartlett looks pretty good have you had any joy with selling it?

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Fox100RL and now a Fox 120RL 15QR – when I had the 100's they were the longest fork but 4 years on and things have got longer…the 15QR is stiffer sideways but no real difference fore and aft.

    poppa
    Free Member

    Just wondering, is there ever a situation where lateral fork flex is 'good'? After all, we like the fork to go up and down to maintain traction, why not side to side? e.g. it might actually mean you get less deflected off line if you hit a rock.

    Dumb question, I know.

    retro83
    Free Member

    As above, had QR Revelation forks, upgraded to 20mm Pike forks.

    Really a lot more control over bumps, I wouldn't go back to QR.

    Tim
    Free Member

    maxle is better in every way.

    just gone back to qr (not through choice really) and its just rubbish in comparison

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    Just wondering, is there ever a situation where lateral fork flex is 'good'? After all, we like the fork to go up and down to maintain traction, why not side to side? e.g. it might actually mean you get less deflected off line if you hit a rock.

    Dumb question, I know.

    In reality it doesn't work like that because, I suspect, what happens is that you hit a rock, the deflection is amplified and you twang off in a different direction. Hit lots of rocks – hello Peak District rubble gardens – and you end up with a very vague-feeling front end that only goes very roughly in the direction you point it. Not good. The less deflection, the more precision. Or that's how I read it anyway…

    The same seems to work, roughly speaking, at the rear end. I've just stuck a 10mm through bolt on my RC405 and it definitely reduces rock pile randomness and gives the whole bike a tighter feel when things get messy.

    There are situations where lateral flex might be desirable – on 500GP bikes a while back, super stiff frames actually made the rear end really forgiving because some flex dampened the power to rear contact patch transfer, but on a mountain bike, I wouldn't have thought so, unless you put out 200bhp or so.

    Of course I could be totally wrong, but as a Peak local who rides a lot of rocky stuff, I'd choose a 20mm axle up front every time. If you want some lateral flex, Maverick SC32s are quite entertaining 😉

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 20 total)

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