# Which axle/Skewer for gravel bike? QR vs QR-9



## mummer43 (May 8, 2011)

I'm currently shopping for a set of wheels for my all steel gravel bike. I'm planning on using Stans Grail rims and DT Swiss 240 hubs. When I build them up on sites like wheelbuilder.com it asks if I want QR, QR-9, or 15mm axles. I'm sure I don't need the 15mm axles, but I'm confused about weather to choose QR or QR-9. What would you guys recommend? This bike will be ridden on a mix of paved and dirt roads and some light single track.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

You need axle/dropouts which match your frame.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Let's take a step back first. Do you know if your bike has 130 or 135 rear spacing? You need to know that to make sure you select the correct hub. It's very likely 130 but not necessarily.

Tubeless or tubes? Rim brake or disc (so you need a brake track?) are other considerations you want to make sure you get right.

No offence but with your lack of knowledge it's probably best if you call wheelbuilder (or whoever you choose to build the wheels) and tell them exactly what frame and brake type you have.


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## mummer43 (May 8, 2011)

I'm not sure about the spacing. Just emailed the bike builder to ask. The bike has disc brakes and I am going with tubeless tires which is why I am using the Stans rims. 

Here's the bike if it helps: https://www.shandcycles.com/bikes/stoater/


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## mummer43 (May 8, 2011)

Just heard back from the bike builder. Rear spacing is 135mm


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## dalava (Jan 17, 2010)

mummer43 said:


> Just heard back from the bike builder. Rear spacing is 135mm


Looks like both front and rear uses quick release. QR-9mm is the standard diameter of the quick release axle (as oppose to 12/15/20mm thru axle diameter). You need to make sure that you get 130mm rear and 100mm front spacing hubs.


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

mummer43 said:


> I'm not sure about the spacing. Just emailed the bike builder to ask. The bike has disc brakes and I am going with tubeless tires which is why I am using the Stans rims.
> 
> Here's the bike if it helps: https://www.shandcycles.com/bikes/stoater/


email the builder back and change the frame and fork to thru axles.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

dalava said:


> Looks like both front and rear uses quick release. QR-9mm is the standard diameter of the quick release axle (as oppose to 12/15/20mm thru axle diameter). You need to make sure that you get 130mm rear and 100mm front spacing hubs.


No, he needs 135 rear


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## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

crit_boy said:


> email the builder back and change the frame and fork to thru axles.


Ditto. 

If that isn't an option, you can run 9mm front and 10mm rear through axles in standard QR dropouts with some part swapping. I'd highly recommend it for the front, it matters less in the rear. I just did it for the front end on one of my bikes and it made a big difference.


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## mummer43 (May 8, 2011)

I already own the frame so switching to thru axles isn't an option. What's your reason for suggesting that? Increased stiffness? 

I put together a set of wheels on wheelbuilder.com and the options are QR, QR9, 15mm. I'm wondering if the QR9 option will fit my standard dropouts.


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## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

mummer43 said:


> I already own the frame so switching to thru axles isn't an option. What's your reason for suggesting that? Increased stiffness?
> 
> 
> I put together a set of wheels on wheelbuilder.com and the options are QR, QR9, 15mm. I'm wondering if the QR9 option will fit my standard dropouts.



Stiffer. With a regular QR, I could get the fork to flex enough hammering out of the saddle to get the disc to rub, just enough to hear it, not enough that it mattered. And, when descending fast into a switchback and braking hard, I could feel the fork loading up under torsion. If you ever rode discs on mtbs in the beginning before thru axles, you'd know what I am talking about. It is likely the fork being slightly under built in my case. Anyway, with this set up, it's rock solid.


I used these, which you can reef on. 

https://www.dtswiss.com/Components/RWS/RWS-Thru-bolt-front 


And a sleeve from this guy:

MTB Tools Mountain Bike 15mm Thru Axle to 9mm Quick Release Wheel Adapter | eBay


With the 15mm end caps I already had. I'd ask for both standard qr's and 15's so you're future proof, but DT's are easy to find online. 


It looks like this now. 9mm is the width of the QR slot up front, so it just drops in and you crank it all down, it takes as much time as a regular thru axle.


I'm doing the same for the rear end of an older mtb I have, but I'll leave the road bike as is. It seems ok.

Edit: DT swiss makes a 9mm endcap, so you could do it without the sleeve. I assume that's what the Q9 is. 

DT Swiss Hub Conversion Kits - Wheelbuilder.com


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## mummer43 (May 8, 2011)

I'd like to get the QR9, but I want to make sure they will fit my dropouts. Can you guys confirm they will fit?


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## zephxiii (Nov 22, 2013)

I converted my FS mountain bike from QR to Thru-bolt via end caps for stans hubs and DT Swiss RWS Skewers and made a big difference in stiffness.

I can't really feel any dif between Thru-bolt in qr fork and the same wheel setup in 15mm thru-axle. Then again that wheel isn't the stiffest. 

The biggest dif i felt was in the rear triangle, it stiffened it up quite a bit. The very first set of turns i could feel that the rear triangle was much more inline with the front triangle around corners. 

I think it helped the rear of the alu HT as well but i dont run that wheel in that frame much. 

If your hubs can be setup for thru-bolt in standard QR dropouts then I highly recommend going that route. 

Tbh that should of been the standard setup for QR instead of using 5mm skewers. My 1999 FSR Comp's stock front wheel had a 9mm QR skewer. Sad to see that not become the standard 



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## harryman (Nov 14, 2014)

mummer43 said:


> I'd like to get the QR9, but I want to make sure they will fit my dropouts. Can you guys confirm they will fit?


You should have 9mm up front and 10mm in the back, I'd measure just to double check.


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