Not happy. Just popped the back wheel off my bike to fix a broken spoke and found that I've snapped another axle. The original one broke after less than a fortnight's use (admitedly, that's a fortnight's alpine guiding use!) and the replacement has just snapped after a similar amount of riding.

I have heard rumours that there is an issue with this particular piece of kit. Will be on to the manufacturers on Monday to see what they see.

12mm axle by the way, so should be well up to a bit of Alpine thrashing.

In the meantime, looks like I'm going to have to build up the hubs I got cheap in the Autumn before I can get back out on the bike…

in such a tough enviroment, and riding day after day, i would ride solid axles if i had your job….just a thought. 8)

>I have heard rumours that there is an issue with this particular piece of kit.<

And the mystery manufacturer is?

if its an axle made by a big company and is there light version of said product than thats the issue.my i ask what frame your using?

Orange Alpine.

Hub/axle manufacturer's identity to remain a mystery until after I speak to them!

So it's a Hope then…

its not an issue with any hubs its the bolt through axle whats doing it.stevomcd i replaced mine with a 135mm 12mm betd axle and thats sorted it with my mates and my orange 5 am

its not an issue with any hubs its the bolt through axle whats doing it.stevomcd i replaced mine with a 135mm 12mm betd axle and thats sorted it with my mates and my orange 5 am

That's what the axle manufacturer (which may or may not be Hope! 😉 ) implied last time I spoke to them. Apparently the maxles are often a bit under-sized. Will check out the betd option.

its where the maxle tapers in thats where the axle on the hub is at its thinest point just on the shoulder of the bearing and where the cassette body meets the bearing if this makes sense.they used to make a maxle that was the non light version and was 1 thickness along its full length but they no longer make it hence me using the betd 1

yatesy, are you using the first axle listed here? (12mm/135 Intense)

BETD Goldtech bits

like this? also an alpine

Yeah, exactly like that (both times).

Would try a std maxle…..

yeah im using the 135 version no spacers or bolt needed.xxx thats where they all seem to be breaking and fishers dont seem to know anything about a std 135 maxle

Stevo
I have snapped 2 hubs on my maxle 5, and gone with the BETD GOLDTEC bolt,
the maxle lite is a poor design.
I contacted Hope and they are aware of the problem, even though my hubs were not Hope,
It is a shame they no longer produce the original non tapered maxle, albeit it is still listed on the web site under manuals If I recall correctly.
The BETD bolt is a little more fiddly to negotiate into the thread, I find placing the bike upside down give better line up vision
So far not had any further breaks.

Hi,

Don't know if this helps but these look like the original ones. Price seems ok and i guess if you are already in france yu may get it quicker.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rock-shox-12-x-135mm-rear-maxle-frame-NEW-/120509415352?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Mountain_Bikes&hash=item1c0eebbfb8.

Cheers

Rusty

Been doing a bit of research on this. Can anyone give me any details on the difference between a Maxle and a Maxle Lite? (12x135mm)

As far as I can tell, the one that came as standard with my Alpine has the same diameter all the way across. It's definitely not stepped and if it's tapered, it's very subtle!

Bump! Just got some really useful info from Orange, which makes it very clear that I've already got a standard Maxle (not a lite version). The plot thickens….