I hardly ever remove my wheels from the bikes and as both have through axles like maxles front and rear, I was wondering about getting axles that you do up with Allen keys like this one. Not sure what the proper name for them is.

Is there any benefit to them? More secure? Less chance of coming undone?

I run one on the back of my hardtail. Just need to remember to have an Allen key with you if you need to stick a tube in mid ride.

These are cheaper, if they have your size:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/brand-x-bolt-thru-axle/rp-prod176624

Maxle Stealth is the genuine Rock Shox product.

Sounds like a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Got one on the back of mine. Doesn’t have a cam on it, you would think it would loosen especially as the wheel rotation would help unscrew it…never had though and I don’t tighten it too much.

Assuming it threads in from the NDS, precession would actually tighten the axle, not loosen it.

Front and rear for me; I just prefer the cleaner look. As stated above, no downside as long as you have the key handy.

Weight, one less thing to catch/break, especially the older maxles which were very good at breaking the lips off when undoing them, no mechanism to gunge up or break leaving the axle stuck in the fork.

I prefer them, I don’t like cam lock ones, if you always carry a tool which I do and especially since the advent of tubeless then there isn’t much need for QR. The only QR I use is DT RWS but I’d just rather bolt up now.

Bit like seat clamps, don’t really see qr seat clamps these days now we all use droppers, bolt up is better if you don’t need to adjust something on the fly.

I’ve got them on two bikes, because they came with them.

Not big preference personally but I suppose the “less to go wrong” thing applies and why not save a few grams at the same time.

I wonder if precession applies here.

It does if it’s on a treadmill Al…

I wonder if precession applies here.

I don’t think it does. The wheel does not rotate about the thru-axle.

Yup, unless the bearings are seizing.

Got them on my new 2020 Roubaix and I love them, they make the bike much stronger and stiffer and the handling super-secure. They are well engineered and I have no concerns about them coming loose because there’s elasticity in the materials and you can tighten them up a long way unlike, say, a derailleur to hanger bolt, which has no elasticity so needs Loctite.

So bring ’em on, they are a massive improvement over QRs

The biggest disadvantage I can see is if you regularly take your wheel(s) out to put your bike in your lifestyle vehicle of choice and/or storage at home. That’s a bit of a showstopper for me, otherwise I’d consider them if I needed to replace a Maxle.

Got one on one bike with a Fox fork after I realised how little I removed the wheel and after I saw someone come into the car park at Afan with a knackered fork. He’d clipped a rock on the final descent with the Maxle lever, forcing it into the lowers with such a force it punched a hole in them! I had a Pike and a Fox 32 at the time so changed the orientation of the lever from vertical (in front of the lowers) to horizontal (below them) when I got home, both went Stealth axles a few weeks later. It actually worries me that my Rocket with Helm forks doesn’t have the option to run a non-lever axle and that the lever runs up the front of the lowers. I’ve put a few scratches on the lever already rattling off stuff so it plays on my mind sometimes.

I’ve got them on all of mine, when do you ever want to remove a bolt-through wheel when you don’t have tools? Basically never. Also I broke a couple of maxles and got pissed off about it. I just don’t really see the lever as an advantage.

I have them on my S-WORKS road frame, but as I tend to take the wheels out a lot for transport, I use the lever ones most of the time as the constant undoing and doing up with the Allen key was damaging them slightly.

It actually worries me that my Rocket with Helm forks doesn’t have the option to run a non-lever axle…

It does. The Works series comes with a bolt-on axle, and Cane Creek sell them on their own as well.

Best thing about stealth axles is you can use a torque wrench and know they’re at the correct tightness, with normal maxles the lever leaving an impression in your palm is as vague as it gets for a recommendation, also, with bolt up axles, at a glance the writing on the axle head is a good indicator its at the right torque and hasn’t come loose.

Yup, unless the bearings are seizing.

Precession isnt bearing drag. It works in the opposite direction when you apply a cyclical radial load.

Hence pedals spin in backwards.

The biggest problem is the massive variation in axle lengths. With QRs, you could buy any QR and expect it to fit – this is not the case with bolt-throughs. I have two Giant bikes with 142×12 rear axles – the axles are different lengths by about 12mm, with different thread lengths. They are different again to my Reilly, which came with the allen key type.
These guys seem to have a handle on it https://robertaxleproject.com/ – spendy though. Available in the UK through SJS Cycles.

Prefer them to QR.

They look much cleaner too.

They are great until the Allen key slips and mangles the head of the bolt…

i have them on my road and mtb as thats what was fitted from the factory. only downside i see is the area on frame/fork where the maxle head/handle would usually be will now get scratched if layed down or placed against a wall etc instead of the replacable maxle taking the damage.

They are great until the Allen key slips and mangles the head of the bolt…

They’re only supposed to be done up fairly lightly, about 10Nm (presume different thread pitches will have different torques).

Does feel quite un-intuitive after years of QR’s as tight as you could manage!

I replaced all of my lever style with Allen key axles. I am on the tall side and would sometimes clip my heels on them. Plus less to catch on rocks and vegetation.

I always carry a multi tool anyway so no worries about being caught out. They feel more secure, they are low profile and they look cleaner. I guess they are lighter, but not by so much as to be a concern unless you have stripped every other last gram from you and the bike.

I completely forgot I run them on my Kona Rove.
Just ordered a set for my Banshee to tidy it up as well.

I’ve had a look around at some now but I’m confused by the sizes. My Horsethief has a 12×142 rear spacing but the Maxle itself is 182mm long which doesn’t relate to the bolt through axles I can find for a 12×142. They all seem to be more like 172-176mm long. The 12×148 axles are 180mm long with the right thread pitch and length so will that be ok?

Yep. My Banshee uses a boost axle in 142 dropouts. Which you can swap for 148 & not need a new axle.

I swapped both my maxle’s for this style of axle, less to catch on stuff or clip something and break for me. I have the Spesh Zee cage with multi tool underneath so never an issue removing a wheel if out on the trail.

Have one in my Pike, fitted to the required torque with lots of grease.  No dramas thus far.

The Maxle decided to shear off after being whacked on rocks one too many times when i was trying to close it.

Yep. My Banshee uses a boost axle in 142 dropouts. Which you can swap for 148 & not need a new axle.

Great, so just go with the dimensions and not whether or not it’s labelled as the right dropout spacing then? Makes sense.

You can get little aluminium washers/spacers to go under the head of the bolt to space them back a bit if they’re too long and poke out.