On Sunday’s ride the lever on my Reba’s maxle decided to part company with the rest of the axle 😕 Looking for a replacement the German sites have them for ¢34 or so but Evans have what appears to be a “universal” Rockshox fork maxle but it’s £50!

Now, IMO, there’s a serious design flaw with the Reba’s maxle in that the notched flange in the axle that the lever sits in to fit or remove the axle is made of cheese. Mine was getting rather less than square edged which is a problem when that’s the face you are applying pressure to. I’ve seen others even worse than mine so I don’t think it’s my hamfistedness. It’s this one BTW https://r2-bike.com/ROCK-SHOX-Thru-Axle-Maxle-Lite-15×100-mm-for-SID-Reba-Revelation-Recon-Sektor

Has anyone used the “universal” maxle with the Reba?

Yes the originals are made of cheese!
Try Googling Maxle Stealth but you will need to carry the correct size allen key or I ended up using the Maxle Ultimate which solves the problem but as you say it is £50. Evans have it as Product code: EV226503

I’m guessing the Universal is the one you already have on the bike.

I think KCNC also do a version of the stealth but it’s a bit cheaper.

I would go for the KCNC one. I think it’s a better design than the stealth. It has a big built in washer, and a bit more thread so avoids the bottoming-out-before-tight that sometimes happens with the stealth.

Just had a look on the RS replacement parts catalogue and I see they list the lever as a kit.
Might be worth following up.
SJS would be my first place to look.
Any mates with a lathe?
https://www.sram.com/sites/default/files/techdocs/2012_rockshox_spc_rev_c.pdf

Would this work?

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/brand-x-twist-lever-thru-axle/rp-prod176625

@kid.a – ooh, hadn’t seen that before. Looks like it (well option 6 if I can guess which of the buttons to press) will do. Just waiting on a delivery from CRC, if I’d seen it yesterday I’d have it in – 83 deliveries before you!

I might get one for my Rebas. I hate the Maxle sleath, which is already beginning to wear/round slightly.

Mine is option 7, boost.

I ordered one of these https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?spm=a2g0s.9042647.0.0.273e4c4dHvip5C&orderId=101121045171742&productId=32963712964 at the weekend following mtbr forum recommendation as I also feel that flange thing you mention is going to flake off soon. Also my stock lever feels lose despite the axle being done up tight (after only 2000km or so from new).

If you want I can write a quick review when it arrives.

Silly question but you know how to adjust the amount of lever tension don’t you? Tiny Allen key in the lever end of the maxle.

I re-squared my cut out with a junior hacksaw and fine file. It’ll want doing again at some point but having the tension on the adjuster right helps a lot.

With the lever on mine there was no tension on the lever at all, it just dangled for want of a better word once you’d tightened the axle up. Can’t check now since the lever itself is somewhere out on the trail.

I’ve got one of the brand x ones. Works well. It does have a silly ball bearing in though for picking up the detent so do not, I repeat do not try changing the lever alignment out side of your garage/kitchen/workshop

The options are hublength-axlelength-threadlength-threaddiametre-threadpitch

Option Type Hub Size Length Thread Length Thread Pitch Weight
1 E-Thru 12x100mm 125mm 17mm M12x1.5 60g
2 E-Thru 12x142mm 166mm 17mm M12x1.5 73g
3 E-Thru 12x142mm 170mm 17mm M12x1.5 75g
4 SRAM 12x142mm 172mm 20mm M12x1.75 70g
5 SRAM 12x148mm 180mm 20mm M12x1.75 78g
6 RockShox 15x100mm 146mm 11mm M15x1.5 92g
7 RockShox 15x110mm 158mm 11mm M15x1.5 98g
8 Fox Kabolt 15x110mm 146mm 13mm M14x1.5 91g
9 Fox Kabolt 15x110mm 156mm 13mm M14x1.5 96g

So option 6 is 100-146-11-m15-p1.5

@garage-dweller thanks no I didn’t know about the lever tension- will have a look tonight! Yeah agreed squaring off the cheese flange is an option but I’m carrying a multitool 99.9% of the time anyway and if taking the wheel off e.g. to fix a puncture I’d be faffing getting tubes and tyre levers out anyway. So I’ll probably just switch to the new axle when the cheese flange becomes a smooth ramp.

So I’ll probably just switch to the new axle when the cheese flange becomes a smooth ramp.

Just beware they’re a pig to remove then if they’re properly tight, (mole grips tend to crush what’s left of the collar) though if you can undo the lever/wedge that’s not so much of an issue. But… the “stealth” ones round out very easily – especially as they occasionally tighten themselves whilst riding – at which point they really really are a dog to get out.

There is a maxle on Aliexpress that looks like the CRC one but has the option to remove the lever.
As long as you have it or an 8mm allen key you should be able to remove the wheel.
I think you need to check the thread pitch and threaded length.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/15X110-Front-Thru-axle-skewer-for-RockShox-front-fork-MTB-bicyle-alloy-mountain-bike-axis-15/32961054651.html?spm=2114.10010108.100009.3.13fe6a45eyXqIl&gps-id=pcDetailLeftTopSell&scm=1007.13482.130802.0&scm_id=1007.13482.130802.0&scm-url=1007.13482.130802.0&pvid=2f440ef5-dc9b-48cd-a001-ac0ca9328a31

you do not have to wind them up super tight so the flange should not round off as its only hand tight and coppaslip will prevent it seizing.

@tjagain – I’ve done mine up hand tight, i.e. not even giving it a “nudge”, then when I come to remove the wheel the axle has tightened itself up to the point where I can only just undo it.

I’m not doing mine all that tight at all, just kind of nipping it up. The material is poor

The issue tends to be in the freezing cold and pouring rain in me experience tj. Its not that they tend to be done up too tight to remove properly (self tightening stealth axles aside) but rather that not quite engaging them properly when you can’t feel your fingers is enough to take the edge off and once the edge is slightly damaged it rapidly gets worse.

Not an issue I have had at all. they don’t self tighten, they do not need to be gorrilla tight. I am meticulous about maintenance tho

I ordered one for front and rear of the bike (just wanted to convert away from stealth, and be able to remove wheels with tools).

Front, fits great, no problems. The rear spec is all correct for length etc. but wrong thread pitch!! Which I didn’t know until I’ve wripped open the packaging damn it.

The bike (Vitus Sentier) had a captive nut in the frame. I’m assuming this nut is 1.5mm thread pitch rather than the 1.75mm Brandx thread. Stupid me for assuming they would have used same thread on front/rear of the same bloody bike. I’m guessing this nut specific to the frame, so will have to look for a 1.5mm pitch boost thru axle.

Bob, the lever on my maxle fell off while at Bike Park Wales the day before a Bear Bones Winter Event. Thankfully I didn’t need to change the front tyre, otherwise it would have been pliers on the nut I guess

I bought a replacement maxle and it’s much better, the square edged design failure wasn’t there. It wasn’t anything special, just a run of the mill rockshox job

I’ve now changed to a rigid fork though

I have a brand new Maxle that I have just taken off my Pike (Boost spacing). I have fitted a Robert Axle Project instead.

£20 posted if you fancy it and if it fits your Reba.

Drop me a PM.

@solarider – unfortunately my Reba is 100mm non-Boost. Thanks for the offer.

I wanted to have a winge too……not only is the Rockshox Maxle a terrible design and made of cheese, I am not about to spend £50 to replace it! So let’s try the Brand X one, it surely can’t be as bad……