Originally Posted by
T-Mar
I'd be finding anther LBS, immediately! The biggest and strongest professional road cyclists have been using quick release rear hubs since the 1930s without issue. If they're experiencing problems with quick release on the rear hubs of recreational cyclists, then it's because they don't know how to use them properly.
9.5mm is atypical for Japanese front hubs of the era but they are the ones who measured it. 100mm is the most common Over Locknut Dimension (OLD) for front hubs, though 96mm and 91mm are also used. However, the axle has to engage the dropout slots without protruding beyond the outside faces. Consequently, most hollow front axles for 100mm OLD are about 108mm long.
Man, big thanks for your help! Just having moved to Portland I'm still looking for a good LBS and haven't been too excited by the help I've gotten in the 2 that I've shopped. It felt like he had an elitist attitude without enough knowledge behind it, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt... He referenced that the forward slanted drop out, vs a vertical one, was the reason for not recommending the quick release.
Anyone out there know the Portland,OR area and recommend a good shop?
I'll take the axle into another shop to match threads, and also measure the fork to make sure I get the correct size. I'm a newbie to bike work so really starting from scratch and just trying to bring a friend's old Sekai back to life.