I am about to buy some new forks at about 120mm travel and was wondering whether it was worth going for Maxle lite or QR15 or just stick to qrs as all I really do is xc and all day trail riding. Is it worth the extra investment of a new hub/wheel?

I liked the feel of the Maxle when I was running Pikes on my Meta. When picking forks for the Blur XC, I decided I liked it so much, I opted for the Reba Teams with the Maxle Lite.

Yes – for security if nothing else

I prefer true bolt thru to maxle

TJ has it, the stiffness thing is a nice addition to the comfort of ditching the QR

I am just about to: (ordered bits to build new wheel to go with a new fork today). I reckon based on the old fork and wheel I had versus reba team/xt/717, there is negligible weight increase. When I had pikes on a couple of other bikes, I found the maxle front wheel even quicker to remove than faffing with the 'lawyer tabs' on qr forks too.

Yes, it's a vast improvement over QR (20mm is anyway).

And the Reba w/maxle lite is still only about 3 and a half pounds IIRC.

I've heard that the 15mm is hardly an upgrade over standard QR… although haven't tried it myself to judge!

However as far as QR over 20mm goes, I currently have Pikes with 20mm maxel and am looking to get shorter lighter forks but my main criteria is that they have to have 20mm over QR even if it means extra weight! If only they did Sids with 20mm!

bah, double post again.

whats the point? 20mm is for the burly crew.

It does kind of depend a little on what you mean by 'XC', If it's very smooth, grassy stuff then maybe not. If on the other hand you trail ride aggressively somewhere like the Peak then yes imo anyway.

I think any bike just feels much better with the stiffer front end you get from a 20mm axle, I wouldn't go back to QR on any mtb. Maxle is such a great system.

StumpyBlurRider – Member

whats the point? 20mm is for the burly crew.

that's pretty much what I used to think about disc brakes. And front suspension before that! Heavy and unnecessary. Of course they are a lot lighter these days and many/most feel the performance and lack of arm pump to be worth the weight gain. I wouldn't be suprised to see the weight penalty of 20mm getting smaller too, at which point hitting rougher bits faster in xc races may be worth it for more people.

There need be no significant weight penalty with a 20 mm system – its just they tend to be burlier forks. the actual axle system need be no heavier.

reckon it is wortha go, i'm going to get some sus forks for my swift – probs manitou minute, though the maxle lite foxqr15 look easier to use and tool free

through axle makes good enigeering sense – they were around in the early 90's still can't beleive 20 years later they are now not a universal std still

I think you have convinced me. I hadn't really thought about the security aspect but I have had qrs come undone in the past which could be very uncomfortable!TJ what non Maxle bolt through axles can you buy these days?
I had some on my Saracen in 1986 but haven't seen any for years.

FOG – I have two 'zoccchi forks with a true bolt thru 20 mm axle.

Dunno what is available now tho – both old forks.

whats your issue with the maxle TJ?

rs.

Aesthetics / elegant engineering.

Its a very good system in many ways – but I don't like the slits cut in the axle to allow it to be expanded by wedges when you flip the QR and on mine there are plastic collars that have got mashed up. It seems to have greater than a pure sliding clearance in the bearings. It does not take up the endfloat as well as a true bolt up.

The axle on my 'zocchis is much more secure – but requires tools and 30 secs longer to undo.

Never heard of anyone having a maxle come loose tho

haha, my maxle did come loose once, but i'm going to put that down to not doing it up properly, it was a bit unnerving to get to the bottom of a descent and see it sticking out about a cm 😯 Thats in about 4 years of use so i'm not going to complain, I still think its the best system.

I've got some Rebas with Maxles but, probably unlike most people, I'd rather have had U-Turn over the Maxle in hindsight. I know you can get both but Reba U-Turn Maxles are rarer than hen's teeth!

I bought the Reba Team 120mm maxle on purpose as soon as they came out, practically the same weight as the QR version (adding the weight of a decent QR). Bought for rigidity and security, and very happy with them. Although buggered the poploc earlier this week.

I've also a pair of 36's, so any bolt-through had to be 20mm, as I'd already got 2 20mm front wheels/hubs – now got 2 more as well… 😳

Tip: on the new RS poploc make sure that you loctight the 2 allen bolts that hold the lever – as they undue as you use the lever.

It depends how heavy you are i'm not very heavy so have no probs with QR

@B R with regards to the new pop lock is that the hydraulic one? Can you ride without it attached?

On the XX forks no you can't ride without it, the hose is part of the fork, but I'm not sure that's what he's talking about.

As above really, it depends on the bike, if it's a light XC bike I wouldn't bother, but you may as well for anything more burley.

YES. do it. SO much faster over the big higgeldy piggledy rocks you find the in the peaks/lakes etc.

more control, less flex, better 'feel' = faster!

FWIW I had QR Talas 130mm on my Blur, got a pair of 15mm bolt through Talas 140mm and have to say the difference is huge. Whole front end just feels much more secure, can hit rocks and roots hard and the bike holds its line.

Part of it I am sure is that they are new forks, all plush and lovely but I wouldnt go back to QR. I dont think weight is much of an issue, be interested to know what the difference is but I cant notice anything.