Skewers

spasypaddy

Bit of a bland topic...

New wheels coming next week. They dont come with skewers.

The Enve skewers (to match the wheels) aren't available in this country so would need shipping from the US. However there are some nice looking Ti skewers on ebay.

Does anyone have any experience with these ebay skewers? Or should i go with piece of mind and get some branded ones?

flasher

There are lots of fancy weight weenie skewers around to buy, however it's hard to beat closed cam skewers from Shimano and Campagnolo.

ugo.santalucia

There is a reason why half of the PRO peloton use Shimano skewers, even if not using Shimano wheels. Do yourself a favour... leave the light weights where they belong and get a set of Shimano, when your friends wheels will come loose, you'll have the last laugh

spasypaddy

Well thats why i was going to order the Enve skewers from america over the weight weenie ones from ebay.

my fulcrum skewers are very good. However im a proper tart and stuff has to match either in design or colour

rolf_f

spasypaddy wrote:

my fulcrum skewers are very good. However im a proper tart and stuff has to match either in design or colour

Just use those then - they are presumably plain black so will match perfectly.

styxd

Shimano deore skewers are black. Perfect.

spasypaddy

Rolf F wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

my fulcrum skewers are very good. However im a proper tart and stuff has to match either in design or colour

Just use those then - they are presumably plain black so will match perfectly.

they will be staying in my fulcrum wheels on the CAAD9. The Enves are for my Look.

ugo.santalucia

Fulcrum are good, as they still hold on to the Campagnolo internal cam design. Keep them and leave the Enve ones where they are

spasypaddy

im not getting rid of my fulcrum wheels so those skewers are staying on my fulcrum wheels as they will be in a different frame.

I'm not going to put something large and ugly on my Look hence not wanting the standard shimano/campag ones.

so basically im hunting down some nice skewers with a cam mechanism and then the make doesnt matter.

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

im not getting rid of my fulcrum wheels so those skewers are staying on my fulcrum wheels as they will be in a different frame.

I'm not going to put something large and ugly on my Look hence not wanting the standard shimano/campag ones.

so basically im hunting down some nice skewers with a cam mechanism and then the make doesnt matter.

Only two makes still do internal cam skewers: Shimano and Campagnolo/Fulcrum
All the others use light external cam mechanism, where the mechanism is made of nylon instead of stainless steel. So the choice is between the safe but ugly (why?) Shimano or the budget light crap, as you cannot buy Campagnolo ones separate from the hub.
You can spend a fortune in titanium/scandium or whatever alloy you want ones from taiwan or USA, but they will only be overpriced junk with a weak mechanism. I believe Mavic used to make some decent internal cam ones for their top end wheels, but I am not sure this is still the case and anyway they don't come as spares.
This is pretty much what you need to know about QR. Then you will find a lot of people perfectly happy with the junk... which does the job most of the times. I ended up with my face on the pavement a few years back before studying the all matter and I am hence very opinionated about the topic

rolf_f

All down to perception I suppose. The Ebay ones tend to look a bit naff to me whereas the Campag ones are a really nice design that just work. Form following function as it should - but not blingy!

spasypaddy

ok so i appreciate everyones views in here but i decided to email the man who is recommended the most highly when it comes to wheels. Derek at wheelsmith

He recommends that i get some very flash and fancy Carbon-Ti X-Lock Special Road Skewer.

Anyone used these?

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

ok so i appreciate everyones views in here but i decided to email the man who is recommended the most highly when it comes to wheels. Derek at wheelsmith

He recommends that i get some very flash and fancy Carbon-Ti X-Lock Special Road Skewer.

Anyone used these?

He doesn't seem to know a hell of a lot when it comes to skewers then... 8)

Seriously, if you have vertical dropouts, like most bikes do these days, chances are they'll do just fine... but don't ever dare fitting that thing on a frame with horizontal or diagonal dropouts or next time you'll talk to Derek it will be from a hospital bed

spasypaddy

so his views and your views are different. which means his are wrong? i know your credentials btw so im not discounting your views as rubbish.

these wheels will not be going anywhere near anything with horizontal/diagonal drop outs.

gabriel959

for the shake of a few grams (and not even in rotational weight) I would go for the tried and tested.

Old review of those Carbon ones here... doesn't look good imo

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5476

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

so his views and your views are different. which means his are wrong? i know your credentials btw so im not discounting your views as rubbish.

these wheels will not be going anywhere near anything with horizontal/diagonal drop outs.

In this particular case, his views are wrong. I would never advise anything with an external cam. In fact when people ask, I always point in the Shimano direction, then they can do as they please.
I was totally unaware of the all matter until it happened to me 5 years ago that the rear wheel slipped off... on a very expensive pair of DT swiss QR, but with external cam... I did a bit of reading and never went anywhere close one of those again.
A couple of years ago one of these 9Mavic this time) came loose on the rear wheel of a club mate during the Paris Roubaix... luckily we spotted it before he hit the pave'.
I then started to notice all these closeups on the rear wheels of riders at the Tour... most of them are on a Shimano internal cam...

rolf_f

Sheldon worth a read: The exposed-cam skewers are generally OK for vertical dropouts in back, and for forks with "lawyer lips", but should not be relied on with horizontal dropouts or plain forks.

http://sheldonbrown.com/skewers.html

Not a ringing endorsement but it could be worse......

spasypaddy

gabriel959 wrote:

for the shake of a few grams (and not even in rotational weight) I would go for the tried and tested.

Old review of those Carbon ones here... doesn't look good imo

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5476

ive read that review, but ive also discounted it as its 4 years old.


Also doing some research these are the same skewers as lightweight spec with their wheels.

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

for the shake of a few grams (and not even in rotational weight) I would go for the tried and tested.

Old review of those Carbon ones here... doesn't look good imo

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5476

ive read that review, but ive also discounted it as its 4 years old.


Also doing some research these are the same skewers as lightweight spec with their wheels.

In spring I enquired with a Taiwanese well known manufaturer about buying a small stock of hubs... they came at 48 dollars a pair or 58 with the titanium skewers. 10 dollars is a fair reflection of what these things are worth. How it becomes 60-80 pounds is a bit of a mystery to me... yes they are not exactly the same product, but I tell you they look bloody similar... I decided not to buy anything in the end.
Get Dura Ace ones if you crave for bling... they are beautiful!

spasypaddy

im doing some dura ace enquiries. i wouldnt put anything less on the Look simple as that.

styxd

Dura Ace skewers maybe shiney, but they function exactly the same as the Deore ones which are avaible for less than 10 quid per set.

spasypaddy

that might be the case Styxd however i couldnt be happy with them on there. im a massive snob.

ugo.santalucia

spasypaddy wrote:

that might be the case Styxd however i couldnt be happy with them on there. im a massive snob.

Styx is right, however I understand your desire to stick to the best money can buy... I am the same, only want original Super Record parts for my 1980 Sannino... You won't regret the Dura ace ones... they are for life and they do look class

gabriel959

spasypaddy wrote:

that might be the case Styxd however i couldnt be happy with them on there. im a massive snob.

let me know if you find them anywhere for less than £100 a pair. I think it would be better value to buy a pair of Dura Ace wheels or old wheels with the skewers.

rolf_f

spasypaddy wrote:

that might be the case Styxd however i couldnt be happy with them on there. im a massive snob.

But the Dura Ace look pretty much identical to the Deore ones as well! I just don't understand

MattC59

spasypaddy wrote:

ok so i appreciate everyones views in here but i decided to email the man who is recommended the most highly when it comes to wheels. Derek at wheelsmith

He recommends that i get some very flash and fancy Carbon-Ti X-Lock Special Road Skewer.

Anyone used these?

I wonder if he sells them as well ?

spasypaddy

gabriel959 wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

that might be the case Styxd however i couldnt be happy with them on there. im a massive snob.

let me know if you find them anywhere for less than £100 a pair. I think it would be better value to buy a pair of Dura Ace wheels or old wheels with the skewers.

i found them for £98 or if you want to get them from different places, you get £1 off at the checkout
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/wheel ... 3mm-p23300

rear here for £45 (including P+P)
http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a50815 ... =en&cr=GBP

front for £50
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=38255

mfin

Dura Ace and Campag ones are great, not the lightest of course if that's a consideration. I think that most people are forgetting that Pro teams will use things like Dura Ace cos the weight doesn't matter as the bikes are on the UCI weight limit anyway and often ballasted up and, most importantly, when you've got a team car following the easiest and quickest wheel swap is paramount to not losing time if you need a wheel change, hence great ergonomics that are familiar are a big consideration. (personally a couple more seconds making sure a skewer is secured is never a bother to me, I use KCNC and Campag).

zerostar

Are deore skewers the right length for road frames/hubs?

rolf_f

zerostar wrote:

Are deore skewers the right length for road frames/hubs?

You'd want 105 Skewers for road.

ugo.santalucia

Rolf F wrote:

zerostar wrote:

Are deore skewers the right length for road frames/hubs?

You'd want 105 Skewers for road.

But can be used... a bit of the thread will come out of the nut at the rear, no big deal