I have one of the first Duck Egg blue Escapades and use a 9mm bolt-thru on the front and a regular 9mm QR at the rear on Hope hubs. I don’t see the need for a solid rear axle, even with SS (use chain tugs) – and I previously used a normal 9mm QR at the front (just remove the cam and slot through after fitting the front wheel into the fork; see below):
In practice, removing fixed rear guards isn’t much of a faff, or you could do the above-mentioned SKS clips / removeable guards as a solution.
I recently built a lighter, more road-focused bike as a “replacement” for the Escapade – but couldn’t bring myself to sell it. I’ve since run it as a singlespeed (chain tugs, SKS Chromoplastics and durable tyres).
I’m finding that the Escapade still serves a purpose that neither my Cotic Soul or Kinesis 4S road bike can fulfil. So, I’m about to re-fit it with gears and flat bars, as the other two bikes won’t really cover off my family tagalong and touring needs. (Or I may just get a Roadrat if it rides badly with a long stem and flat bars).
It’s a very versatile bike!