USE Spin Stix skewers

dennisn
dennisn Posts: 10,601
edited May 2009 in Road buying advice
Been seeing these in the catalogs for a while now. Interesting idea. Am wondering
if anyone has tried a set?

Dennis Noward

Comments

  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    Yup, used a set for years now :
    a) bit more hassle than normal since they don't have the simple flip open / closed (obviously !) I was originally scared of spinning the opening side so much that it would coe to bits but now I can remove a wheel with only the bare minimum of turns, a knack you probably get used to in time.
    b) don't work on some frames as the longer side has to spin round and may catch on the seat or chain stay : depends on the frame. I know that at least 1 of my bikes the rear one is incompatible.
    c) maybe aren't as secure as std qrs : I crashed in a race and the end that has the longer 'lever' if you like must have caught on the ground slightly : a few miles further on I put a big effort in out of a corner and the rear wheel jumped sideways in the dropouts. Realised that what had happened was that the skewer had caught and 'grabbed' by the tarmac even though they were done up pretty tight. Std qrs tend to have a smoother shape whilst these have quite a sharp profile.

    Above has not put me off mine and I think they are a slightly cool and different take on the std qr.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    andyrr wrote:
    Yup, used a set for years now :
    a) bit more hassle than normal since they don't have the simple flip open / closed (obviously !) I was originally scared of spinning the opening side so much that it would coe to bits but now I can remove a wheel with only the bare minimum of turns, a knack you probably get used to in time.
    b) don't work on some frames as the longer side has to spin round and may catch on the seat or chain stay : depends on the frame. I know that at least 1 of my bikes the rear one is incompatible.
    c) maybe aren't as secure as std qrs : I crashed in a race and the end that has the longer 'lever' if you like must have caught on the ground slightly : a few miles further on I put a big effort in out of a corner and the rear wheel jumped sideways in the dropouts. Realised that what had happened was that the skewer had caught and 'grabbed' by the tarmac even though they were done up pretty tight. Std qrs tend to have a smoother shape whilst these have quite a sharp profile.

    Above has not put me off mine and I think they are a slightly cool and different take on the std qr.

    Interesting. thanks
  • robbh
    robbh Posts: 23
    Spin stix were rubbish, had them on my bike years ago and always slipped, would never use them again
  • Spoff
    Spoff Posts: 98
    I quite like them and find it easier to get a tighter fit with them. I've got a Mavic quick release on the front and a Spin Stix on the back at the moment and neither are causing me too many problems.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    robbh wrote:
    Spin stix were rubbish, had them on my bike years ago and always slipped, would never use them again

    Guess I'll take a pass on them. I don't have problems with QR's, so I'll stay my current path. The idea that a wheel skewer MIGHT come loose doesn't exactly thrill me. I was more curious than anything else. Thanks

    Dennis Noward
  • Floodcp
    Floodcp Posts: 190
    Dennis

    I have had Spin Stix for the last year or so on my race bike and have never had a problem with them.
    Dont just bin the idea because of one comment from one person on a forum. Try them you might actually like them.

    Also there is also a chance that a normal skewer might come loose.

    If something isnt fitted properly then there is always a chance of problems
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Floodcp wrote:
    Dennis

    I have had Spin Stix for the last year or so on my race bike and have never had a problem with them.
    Dont just bin the idea because of one comment from one person on a forum. Try them you might actually like them.

    Also there is also a chance that a normal skewer might come loose.

    If something isnt fitted properly then there is always a chance of problems

    You're right, anything can come loose. Sort of the old "what can happen will" saying.
    I kind of figured that I would get varying good and bad responses, as usually happens with this kind of post. Cycling is a bit like politics in that respect. Half the people love the
    President, Prime Minister, Mayor, and the other half hate him.

    Dennis Noward
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    What are the advantages over a normal QR ?
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    cougie wrote:
    What are the advantages over a normal QR ?

    FWIW the blurb in the catalog says "light, quick, and easy to use". I sort of thought that about QR's. I was more curious than anything else.

    Dennis Noward
  • Captain Fagor
    Captain Fagor Posts: 739
    I have used various USE products in the past, and have found that they usually have several things in common.

    1) innovative ideas;
    2) high quality manufacture;
    3) high price, and;
    4) overly-complex and usually sub-standard fitting / operation (USE Atom Stem + USE Ring Go Star, USE Alien seatpin).

    Have never considered buying Spin Stix on the assumption that it'll be more of the above.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I broke a USE seatpost, and I wasnt big at the time. I'll stick with my normal QRs methinks.
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    Going slightly OT now : USE products I've used
    USE Alien seatpost
    + nice and light
    - stupid tiny allen bolts. Seized and are far too small to take significant torque ending with me sawing the bolts off to remove my saddle. The Cyclops version has been improved in this area so I'd buy another as in use the seatpost worked fine.

    Ring-go-star:
    Seemed like a nice idea.
    - Tiny, tiny bolt that rounded at the slightest provocation. Rubbish IMHO. Binned it.

    Spin Stix :
    As mentioned above, work fine for me. Maybe greater risk of being pulled if you crash, may not suit some frames. A bit of a knack to using them fluently.
  • Anderl
    Anderl Posts: 70
    I have two pair and like them very much. They are very easy to use ( come on how hard is it to twist a lever! ) and you can tighten far more than is required. I agree there are a couple of frames which don't allow to make 360 degree turns with the lever but if you tighten it in increments and move the nut it can be done. One of my frames is like that. Still a doddle. Agree with above comments on USE design but the spinstix are different. Bright idea and nothing to go wrong.
    Main advantage over conventional QRs is weight only. I wouldn't pay full price for that amount of weight reduction but sometimes you can pick them up fairly cheaply from ebay where I got mine from.
  • rjsmith
    rjsmith Posts: 1,924
    Used them for years with no problems. I'm a pretty big rider, who has won a few races by sprinting in that time. Never a problem with them.

    For those frames mentioned above (live my Scott Plasma and CR1) I just used a spacer of about 3mm on the skewers to clear enough to let me do them up normally. Works fine.

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