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We know, there’s no such factor as a silly query. However there are some questions you won’t wish to ask your native store or using buddies. AASQ is our weekly collection the place we unravel your questions – critical or in any other case. Hit the hyperlink on the backside of the put up to submit your individual query.
This week we’re turing our consideration to the asphalt, why highway bikes with rim brakes and thru-axle wheels are a fairly unusual sight. To sort out the query, we’ve got specialists from Felt Bicycles and Argonaut Cycles. They’re:
Why can’t I’ve a highway bike with rim brakes AND through axle wheels?
Felt: One other strategy to think about this query could be to ask, “Why do highway bikes have disc brakes and thru-axles”? There isn’t a technical motive why they might not have rim brakes and thru-axles or, alternatively, disc brakes and fast releases. Disc brakes with fast releases had been utilized on mountain bikes for fairly just a few years. The push for disc brakes on highway bikes got here across the similar time that mountain bikes had been shifting away from fast releases and to the 142×12 thru-axle customary. Via-axles had been developed for mountain bikes, as fast releases didn’t provide a stiff sufficient interface between the wheel and body, particularly on full-suspension mountain bikes.
Via-axle dropouts and flat mount brake caliper on the rear finish of the Felt VR Carbon Street Bike
Street bikes historically used 130 OLD (the space between the within faces of the dropouts, typically known as “spacing”) fast launch hubs, whereas mountain bikes had used 135 fast launch hubs. Whereas there have been some uncommon 130 disc hubs that had been made for some early disc highway and cyclocross bikes, they weren’t very best. As a result of the disc brake mounting flange occupies a considerable space, the spoke flange has to maneuver in the direction of the middle of the hub, which decreases the spoke angle and the energy of the wheel. The 135 OLD width hubs are huge sufficient to help a disc brake flange and nonetheless keep acceptable spoke angles. (Word that 142×12 is similar 135 OLD width hub with totally different finish caps for thru-axles.)
Take a look at our evaluate of the Felt VR Superior Endurance Street Bike right here
Street bikes may have moved to 135 fast launch hubs, however as a result of mountain bikes had been already shifting to thru-axles and all the producers had been gearing up for that, we obtained 142×12 as the usual for all highway and cyclocross bikes. Whereas wheel adjustments aren’t fairly as quick with thru-axles, they provide a way more sturdy connection between the body and wheel.
So, again to the unique query. “Why can’t I’ve a highway bike with rim brakes and thru-axle wheels?” As I defined above, it’s partially about timing and performance. The timing half is that the push of disc brake-equipped highway bikes got here at a time when mountain bikes had, for probably the most half, moved to 142×12. As a result of it was an current purposeful customary it was simply adopted for disc brake-equipped highway bikes. The performance difficulty is that thru-axles by no means provided a big sufficient benefit for highway bikes on their very own to trigger the business to maneuver to it. The change needed to come together with disc brakes as the first driver.
Argonaut: From a efficiency standpoint there’s no motive you may’t run a thru-axle on a rim brake bike. It’s not just like the axle interface would impede rim braking efficiency. In actual fact, it might probably be an enormous enchancment.
Via-axle dropouts on the Argonaut Disc Street Bike
However, nobody makes a thru-axle, rim brake hub, that I do know of anyway. I’m unsure if DT-Swiss finish caps are swappable between their TA disc hubs and rim brake hubs, however I don’t assume so. That being stated, I can’t consider a motive you couldn’t construct up a rim brake rim round a disc brake hub. You’ll have a rotor interface hanging out not getting used that might be a little bit bizarre, however that might harm something.
You’d want a customized fork, although, perhaps Wound Up would make one for you? The rear spacing is less complicated, however once more, you’d want a customized body that would take a 142mm x 12mm thru-axle. I guess Aaron at Mosaic would construct you one! Haha. The place there’s a will, there’s at all times a manner.
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