Earlier in the year I bought a Revelation 426 (140mm) using standard 9mm QR dropouts as I could not justify the cost at changing my hub/wheelset. I know that the bigger axles are stiffer etc but is anyone still in the traditional 9mm camp who ride hard on trails/XC?

yes – and i grew up riding downhill on the self same skewars in the late 90s …..

ITs not rocket science to tighten them correctly but many seem innept at this judging by half the high end bikes i get in to work with inccorrectly applied QRs

@trail_rat – what 9mmqr skewers do you recommend? Strength over aesthetics!

anything shimano makes …..

shimano knows skewars

avoid hope .

I currently use Xlite Ti skewars on my XC bike but everything else uses Shimano skewars

Thanks for that advice. I currently use hope, but tbh find their skewers awkward to set against the front fork (due to their tubular design on the levers).

hope in my experiance and riding buddys experiance are most likely to come loose.

they have poor "over cam" and tend to come loose , i did my first puffer on hopes which were done up extra tight exp after the first time they came loose. Descending flat out to find out your front wheel doesnt feel connected anymore is scary !

if you have a Hope Pro II hub, you could always fit adapters to the hub & a 9mm bolt thru QR.

I really like my Salsa skewers. Stainless rods, smooth and lock up tight. Never had any bother with them.

It's getting hard to come by QR equiped forks at the more fun end of the market, but until I find a pair of forks I really want that forces me across to 20mm axles I'm fine riding QR in the most gnarly way known to man.

Oh and second the Shimano skewers. Only really discovered this when I bought a slot dropout SS and needed something that really clamped well. Even the older ones that look a bit basic (well, sh!t.) work well.

I have wondered if part of the stiffness of 20mm most people feel is due to skewers not clamping up as tight as they might be and allowing a bit of extra flex.

yeah if your hub can be modded to take a 9m thru axle they add a lot of stiffness

does anyone know where to get a 9mm QR bolt-through? do they actually exist?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=21670

i have a chumba qr 9mm but they are rare

thanks. I cant change the hub, its a factory built mavic. shimano it is.

X-Lite qr's are the best I've used.

£43 and out of stock. You fail!

Well Crc used to stock a NC-17 9mm axle, but can't find it listed now. I got a Specialized one, from their concept store but otherwise you might try:
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=286

dtswiss 240 oversize 20mm plus the conversion kit for 9mm, if you have the pockets for it. you'll need the qr as well.

Bolt on skewers might be a good alternative?
Just remember to carry a 5mm allen key… but then I am guessing most people do that when riding.

dont flame me lol
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=286&osCsid=7c12f17be1f7355546fccef6ecb3be8e

i use the dt system tho

I'll echo the Hope experience, although mine have been fine since I replaced the metal screw ends with plastic Shimano ones.