Hi all,
Narrowed my search to the Felt V85 and the Ridley X Trail Performance Bike special version - both aluminum, both 105 (Felt - full 105, PB Ridley, partial 105)

Main difference for me is the Ridley is thru axle and the Felt standard QR skewer. I ride mainly rail trails and dirt roads thru state forest areas. How important is the thru axle for these applications?

If the industry changes to thru axle for disc brakes as standard will this impact future sale of the Felt?

V85 - Felt Bicycles

Ridley X-Trail AL30 105 Gravel Bike - 2016 Performance Exclusive

thanks

I suppose if you don't learn how to use a QR properly a thru-axle might be a better choice.

So you haven't even bought a bike yet and yet you're already thinking of selling it? I've never bought a bike with resale in mind.

There are plenty of used bikes out there that have obsolete technology on them. Does it impact the resale value? Usually no.

Been using QR for 24 years - never had a wheel come off but also never had disc brakes - looking to draw from the experience of people who actually use disc brakes for real world applications. Does the thru axle/QR issue make a difference in real life or is it only a big deal for lawyers and bike blog writers?

Disc brakes existed and functioned exceptionally long before through axles hit the scene.

I still hit the trails with my 1989 Rockhopper. 7 speeds, cantilever brakes and standard QR's never presented a problem. Tech is nice. But is it really necessary?

Here's an interesting explanation. It addresses frame design and its use of thru axle

ThruThread dropouts
Most thru-axle frames are heavier than quick-release frames. Extra carbon for the dropouts, heavy hangers, and the axle itself. But they are stiffer, So what do you want most? The answer for most people is “both”, and so we introduce the first frames that combine a thru-axle with a lower weight. How?

The ThruThread design uses the same threads that hold the thru-axle to lock the derailleur hanger into the frame. Simple, light, effective.

We didn’t just redesign the dropout, the entire seatstay and chainstay design is optimized with the added stiffness of the thru-axle in mind. For the thru-axle itself, we recommend the stiffest design available, the Syntace X-12, but you are free to use a different 12mm thru-axle if you want.

I think it's a huge difference and I would never buy another mtn bike without thru axles. The reason I like them is they lock the wheel in place MUCH more accurately and perfectly than the thin qr axle so you can expect your wheel to be in perfect alignment all the time. With a qr axle, properly tightned and all, I can stand on one pedal and shift my weight and often get a brake pad to touch. I like my brakes setup close and with disc brakes the thru axles allow more perfect alignment, repeatable each time the wheel is removed. It's simply superior. Higher end bikes have them for a reason. They aren't such a big deal with rim brakes but for disc brakes they are the bomb and like I said, I'll never buy another mt bike without them.

and yet the bike I have the most issues with my rotors rubbing is the one with thru-axles front and rear. I put more blame on the avid/sram brakes than the thru-axles though . I don't remove my wheels constantly and even when I do I've never experience all the issues people claim they have getting the rotor back in the same spot with my QR mtn or cross bikes. That being said I'd still rather have thru-axles if both bikes are basically equal other wise for the extra stiffness.

Thru axles are some protection against wheel thievery when you just lock the frame to a post.

If you were buying a mountain bike, I'd say thru-axle with no hesitation. The QR is dead in the mountain-bike scene.

You're looking at gravel-grinders. The disadvantage of QR is less there than on a mountain bike. Personally, I would see the thru-axle as a BIG plus. The lack of it wouldn't be a deal breaker, but it would move the needle a long way toward the thru-axle bike. It would take an awful lot to swing that needle back toward a QR bike.

Thru-axles are the future. QR is dead in mountain-bikes, and it'll eventually die in the other disciplines. At least, I hope that it will.

I have disc brakes (hydraulic) on 2 bicycles (road/touring/commuter) with QR with no issues.

From what I've read and seen, I'm wondering if there is empirical evidence as well and anecdotal to support the "feeling" that TA's make the front wheel stiffer/better steering, or if that feeling is a placebo effect. IMO, if the wheel is locked in place between the forks, any flexing is about the forks or the wheel, not how the wheel is attached to it. Thicker axle means thicker hubs, thicker fork dropouts, mean thicker forks. Make a TA as slender as a QR, or a QR as thick as a TA, probably no difference. On MTB's with suspension, yes, one can bounce the bike on the forks to align the axle/forks, but on a road bike, if the axle holes aren't perfectly aligned, the wheel will always be misaligned, whereas with an open drop out, one has some wiggle room to align the wheel.

Your bike is 27 years old. When you bought it did anyone try to tell you a bike from 1962 was good enough?

The proliferation continues, too. This model year Marin has two Pine Mountain models... The lower one is rigid with QR's and 100/135 spacing, and the higher is Boost thru axles plus a suspension fork and dropper. At Sea Otter they introduced a middle model for 2017, with QR's on Boost spacing. It does not match the widespread pre existing tandem standard.

No bit Al Gore hadn't invented the Internet yet. So there wasn't a plethora of Internet know it alls to ask ridiculous questions either.

I have been riding bikes with QR for years, but just recently (two weeks ago) purchase a new KTM Revelator with disc brakes and thru axles. I must say that the thru axles are far superior to QR in both ease of use and strength. I will not miss the QR at all.

^^^ Through axles are more foolproof.

OK - so what to do if the QR bike fits better and has better value/components for the same $? The felt is full 105 and the Ridley is partial 105 with some mixed components. I'm thinking for riding rail trail an dirt roads the QR should be fine but...I've never owned disc brakes before.

thanks

You will be OK either way. Get the one that feels the best and that you like. If the bicycle you like does not fit just right, there are some fairly cheap changes (stem and seat post) that can be made to give a better fit.
I prefer disc over rim brakes, but either will probably work just as well for you.

QR will never go away. Sure, it's older technology at this point for mountain biking, but it will never go away because of how prevalent it is.

I've had a QR bike with disks for a long time now. I have NEVER had a problem.

Get the QR...

Using a thru axle on a trainer set for QR can be a pain, I've yet to find an adapter for my Domane.