QR vs Bolt through

jadamson

I accept that there is a difference etc but is it a significant difference?

looking to put fox 32 talas RLC 2008 QR on a marin rocky ride frame but ultimatly would it be btter to save up and go for the bolt though (meaning a new front wheel as well :? )

delcol

what kind of riding do you do ?

GHill

I guess it depends on the type of riding you do, the more bumps you're likely to hit the more benefit you'll feel from the added stiffness.

Personally I'm interested in trying a 9 mm bolt through, like the DT RWS. It'll work with my existing fork, but I'll need to convert my hub (Hope ProII).

joshtp

as per delcol, if yoiu ride light XC on a 100mm fork, not so much, but AM on a 140-160mm and QR is a no-no IMO
infact, i thing bolt thru's are better in every way, and would always choose one over a QR, even on a superlight XC race fork....

jadamson

well its a marin rocky ridge lol so hardcore hardtail 140mm AM trail center stuff...

GHill

Other option would be to change the lowers (about £150, if you're comfortable doing it yourself).

Can you get a demo ride on a bike with Fox TALAS 15QR? It might help you decide if you notice the difference.

delcol

i have to admit i prefare the bolt through,,

i nearly lost my front wheel in whistler riding a gnarley xc trail my scewer came undone thank fooook i did ot go for any airtime...
it was probably my fault as i had not tightened it up tight enough.. i went for bigger stiffer forks as my talas r 32s were out of their depth in whistler, to much flex kept bottoming out, some of the bottoming out could of been lack of rider skill as i was still a novice,,
changing from a qr to a boltthrough on my pace made a difference on the bigger terrain holds its line better...........

joshtp

Save and get a bolt thru fork!
if you want cheap wheels im selling my wheels with a 15mm F. hub, which i think is what you need for the fox?!?!? good wheels, V.tough. Pm if interested..... looking for about £100

jadamson

ok cheers guys.

PM sent josh

Northwind

I've got in the garage a set of 140mm revelation maxles and a set of 130mm revelation QRs. The difference between them is trivial, barely noticable, so after using both I went back to the QR ones as they're lighter. The maxle ones certainly have no major advantages at all, and barely have any minor ones, and they do have a definate disadvantage in weight, and for most people a disadvantage in compatability. Don't, don't don't believe the hype. If my QR forks are good enough for world cup downhill courses I reckon they're good enough for anything else I'll do with them.

Just getting a set of 150mm maxle revs for another bike, will there be a more difference with the new chassis and longer travel? Maybe, maybe no, I guess I'll see. Of course not all forks are the same, I'm sure there are some squiggly forks that are made much better with maxles, and longer travel I think probably makes it more worthwhile too.

GHill

Northwind wrote:

Of course not all forks are the same, I'm sure there are some squiggly forks that are made much better with maxles, and longer travel I think probably makes it more worthwhile too.

This man is talking a lot of sense. You have to compare apples with apples too. I rode a Rev with maxle and it felt a lot stiffer than my Fox Float with QR. From this alone it's not possible for me to tell whether it was the maxle making the difference, or if there's a large difference between the flex in a Float and a Rev.

I suspect the latter.

supersonic

Yep, so much else to consider too, especially hubs and skewers. Even the wheels - is it the wheel flexing that you can feel?

I would bet a fork like a Tora would be stiffer than a lightweight F120 with 15mm axle.

delcol

If my QR forks are good enough for world cup downhill courses

northwind can you please explain this comment as i'm not getting it,...

i never seen a downhill racer riding a worldcup course with qr forks... or am i missing something here... :oops: :oops:

GHill

delcol wrote:

If my QR forks are good enough for world cup downhill courses

northwind can you please explain this comment as i'm not getting it,...

I think he means that he rode a WC DH course (Fort Bill I'd expect) with QR forks.

Buckled_Rims

For an AM bike get the 20mm bolt through. Not sure about the 15mm as I think it's still too early to judge and also it's pricier (or was). I felt much safer when I had mine on coming down fast steep descents. I had total confidence in the fork and hubs and wheels. However, I've since slowed way down since breaking a few ribs

I've now converted the bike back to standard QR (new forks and wheels) simply because I'm doing more XC and road riding. Having a QR means that all (except road) bikes have compatible front wheels.

jadamson

well my setup would be fox 32 Talas RLC 2008 with mavic crossride wheels and superstar QR, does that help?

GHill

I don't think the crossride is convertible, so you'd be looking at a new wheel for anything other than QR.

Anonymous

i have ridden 150mm qr forks and they were spot on

i have ridden 140mm 20mm forks, they felt spot on

i have 120mm qr
i have 115 qr
i have160 20mm

i swear to god i cannot feel any difference, between qr and bolt through. but i am notoriously rubbish at noticing the difference with stuff on bikes.

jadamson

ok im defiantly confused now seems very controversial.

GHill wrote:

I don't think the crossride is convertible, so you'd be looking at a new wheel for anything other than QR.

yer there not convertible so would mean a new set of wheels.

Northwind

delcol wrote:

northwind can you please explain this comment as i'm not getting it,...

i never seen a downhill racer riding a worldcup course with qr forks... or am i missing something here... :oops: :oops:

Look back a few years and you will. But no, I was talking about me and my own QR revs and Fort William. A lot of people just seem to assume that if you don't feel the benefit then you're not riding very hard, which is why I mention it

One thing I would say though, with the latest forks the weight difference is getting narrower. Particularily when you bear in mind that QR forks are weighed without a QR while bolt-throughs are generally weighed with their own axle.

jadamson

Northwind wrote:

One thing I would say though, with the latest forks the weight difference is getting narrower. Particularily when you bear in mind that QR forks are weighed without a QR while bolt-throughs are generally weighed with their own axle.

meaning i should get a more "upto date fork"?

just to clarify i havent brought the forks yet so my options are still open. didnt want too spend mega bucks though.

GHill

jadamson wrote:

yer there not convertible so would mean a new set of wheels.

Well, a new front wheel. Something convertible would probably be a sensible choice

delcol

ah.. right...
i know years ago they used to but then they used to race downhill on rigid forks didn't they...
you must be hardcore to ride fort bill on revs.. don't tell me it is a hardtail to..
how did your speed comapre to the guys on burly dh bikes.....

i noticd the difference on my santa cruz heckler going from a fox 32 talasr to the marzocchi 55ata in whistler the fox felt out of its depth..

in sept last year when i hit the garanzo zone my heckler soon felt out of it's depth up there then i got the demo 7 and that was right at home up in the garbo.
i don't know if it was just me but i felt more confident on the demo up in the garbo zone
as i did putting the 55atas on the heclkler over the fox talas qr..
same on my pace rc205 i built it up using my old talas r i now have the marzocchis on it,.. i feel it more on the teccy terrain..
is it all in the head,, i defo feel more confident with the bolt through,

Northwind

delcol wrote:

you must be hardcore to ride fort bill on revs.. don't tell me it is a hardtail to..
how did your speed comapre to the guys on burly dh bikes.....

It is a hardtail, yep. Though it's made of steel and so therefore awesome :roll: My speed was tragically slow But then I think the same would be true if I was on a V10, I am very slow.