[Closed] 15mm axle - is it worth it

IMO any bolt through axle is "worth it" for any type of riding offroad. Whether or not we needed a 15mm standard on top of the 20mm we already had remains to be seen, but most front hubs convert cheaply and easily between sizes anyway so not a big issue.

I'm a convert. I run a 15mm bolt through fork on a XC bike built round a 853 frame with a flat set of bars and bar ends. I like to think I pick the MTB design advances that work (for me).

Other things are gimmicks - like riser bars 😈

Gets my vote. Seems to make the front end a lot more sure footed on Zesty.

Yep

Whats the weight saving compared to a 20mm bolt thru tho...?

I've not ran a normal 9mm q/r for a good few years, be nice to ride one again to compare and see if it felt 'flexy'....

I have just taken delivery of my new frame but it needs a fork with a tapered steerer. Only Fox make a xc fork with a tapered steerer and a 15mm thru axle so I am pretty limited unless I go with a 120mm fork.

I've not heard about anyone suffering a broken neck, jaw and a fractured skull on account of a bolt through axle come out of the drop outs. Stiffer is usually better too.

+1 for bolted front.

What about the back axle? Worth it being bolted or not?

The braking force on my Kona pushes the back wheel into the drop out anyway.

To be honest, you probably won't feel the difference going from 9mm to 15mm axle sizes, but if you ever go back to 9mm from 15mm, then you'll notice a massive difference.

As for the rear axle, that's probably more noticable on a full sus bike than a hardtail. But the rear is an instantly noticable upgrade when you first get into some fast turns.

Gruenermoench - Member
I have just taken delivery of my new frame but it needs a fork with a tapered steerer. Only Fox make a xc fork with a tapered steerer and a 15mm thru axle so I am pretty limited unless I go with a 120mm fork.

you can use a reducer headset.

have lyrik (20mm) and now 10mm bolt-up rear. feels stiffer, but then the rim is also mcuh stiffer than the last. have built up the old rim onto another 10mm hub so will be able to tell if it's a physcological or physical difference.

No. 15mm's a useless abortion of a standard, not just less stiff but also surprisingly heavier for a QR15 than for a 20mm Maxle Lite. In theory the wheels could be lighter (or have bigger bearings) but in practice that doesn't often happen, most folks end up with convertible wheels anyway.

But, unfortunately, 15mm's convinced people it's worth having and seems to have won the standards war for little forks. And yeah, it's not a bad idea, the stiffness increase in most forks is minimal but then that can make a fairly big difference in a squiggly fork like an F100.

Still, I'd happily stick with QR.

Sorry, just resurrecting this thread as I'm contemplating some new forks to refresh and stiffen up the front end on my '05 Five (vice my 2005 Float R). I've been looking at the Sektor Solo Airs and the cheapest I've found seem to be Evans at 296.99 for the 15mm Maxle. Firstly, is it worth upgrading to the 20mm maxle given that the price for them is 381.99?! Seems a lot extra for what probably wont make that much difference.

Also, will I be able to adapt my 2005 Hope front hub?

Sorry, but it's always been QRs on my bikes and all this bolt-thru stuff is a bit new fangled. Cheers.

As much as I hate the fact that the fork manufacturer have caved into Shimano with the stupid 15mm axle std over the 20mm one (Why? Cause the 20mm had been around year and worked just fine)
S'not worth spending £100 more on the fork, just cause it's got a 20mm maxle, over the 15mm version.

will I be able to adapt my 2005 Hope front hub?

Depends on the model, as it 'could' be a Pro II which can be converted to all the standard (I forget when these 1st came out), but I'd assume it was either a Hope XC or Bulb hub.

If that's so, the no chance of converting it to 15mm, but to might be to 20mm, THAT depends if it's an XC or Bulb hub.
If it's an XS hub then no, no chance, if it's a Bulb it could be adapted to a 20mm bolt thru "if" you can find the adapter (2nd hand probably).

Most definitely, I was gobsmacked at the difference when I changed the lowers on my fox forks to qr15. Since nothing else had changed it had to be the bolt thru.

Thanks for the quick replies. Yeah, I can't remember what the hubs are as they're original spec; think they might be xc hence will prob need to upgrade (not at home at the mo so can't check). That said, it's not too much of a hardship and the forks do look like excellent value for money from everything I've read.

Quick other question. I'm running 2005 Mono Minis, will I need a brake mount adapter too? And will I need a 20mm bigger disc as a result?

Looks like Superstar could receive a bit of business from me - hub/wheelset and rotor!!