Got a set of Stan’s 3.30RD or 3.30RDTi disc hubs/wheels you need to upgrade to 12x142mm thru axle? No problem, this new part is just $35 and does just that. It’s not for the mountain bike hubs and won’t work with Campagnolo freehub bodies or XD drivers, though. So, Shimano/SRAM 11-speed road or cyclocross.
The kit contains the axle and two end caps as shown, available now on their website. Check the install video below for fun…
@JBikes
Disagree
Thru-axles on road are useful because they can help to assure proper alignment of the rotor upon placement and no slippage from that point. Same can’t be said of QR.
Also, the added stiffness could lead to even lighter framesets as the wheel becomes a member of the frame, and not just an attachment.
@ Matt,
I fully disagree. Side to side rotor alignment is achieve by locating the dropouts against the hub. QR does this just fine. Vertical alignment is not technically needed although easily achieved with a QR nonetheless.
Thru axles increase stiffness laterally and in torsion on suspension subframes that are often comprised of many individual parts linked with pivots – this problem largely doesn’t exist on road frames and in the loads they see.
Also road frame can actually benefit from a decrease in lateral stiffness at the dropouts as it acts as “suspension” against mid-corner bumps. Stiffness in relation to power transmission is largely unaffected by more rigidly constraining the two dropouts together as drive-side chain stays make the largest effect. BB stiffness is largely affected by the down tube design.
I won’t say great bikes wont be made with them. But from a design standpoint, I personally do not think rear thru axles achieve much on a road bike.
