New bike has the option (not currently fitted) of running a 142×12 Maxle at the back. I’d assumed this would be the same as a front Maxle (ie. wind shut and then flip lever) but the Sram instructions suggest messing about with a torque wrench is necessary. Is this right?

I think that’s just for the initial set up, once it’s done then it’s just flip and unscrew like the front..

I’ve only ever hand tightened mine. If you have a torque wrench handy I guess you could use that just to measure how tight the appropriate torque feels. I wouldn’t dream of using a torque wrench every time I fit a supposedly quick release axle though. Surely it’s just in the manual to protect SRAM from having to send out thousands of free axles to riders who stand on the lever to tighten it and are then surprised when it eventually breaks.

I think that’s just for the initial set up, once it’s done then it’s just flip and unscrew like the front.

Ah – that would make sense.

Surely it’s just in the manual to protect SRAM from having to send out thousands of free axles to riders who stand on the lever to tighten it and are then surprised when it eventually breaks.

I’m sure I read somewhere in their instructions that the lever should indent your palm when closing 😛

You’re thinking about tensioning the “close lever” mechanism which is different from the “screw axle into dropout” mechanism, which the manual asks you to use a torque wrench for. You tighten the latter manually every time you install a wheel, so you can’t “do an initial setup and leave it”.

You’re thinking about tensioning the “close lever” mechanism which is different from the “screw axle into dropout” mechanism, which the manual asks you to use a torque wrench for. You tighten the latter manually every time you install a wheel, so you can’t “do an initial setup and leave it”.

Frankly, that sounds like a total plaster. Is there anything easier to use that’s compatible?

It works just the same as on the front so if you haven’t used a torque wrench there you’ll surely be fine without one on the rear as well. Every through-axle will require screwing into a dropout or nut one way or another so it’s all the same in that regard.