# 15mm qr axle in Formula DC20?



## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

Will this fit into the hub? I have no idea what spec to look for to make sure it's compatible so here's a link to some possibly useful specs.FORMULA ENGINEERING INC / XERO Engineering Inc.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

What fork are you trying to fit? Does it take a QR axle or a 15mm thru axle?

The hub you linked to will fit (it appears) a standard QR dropout. If you need a 15mm thru axle hub then you need something like this FORMULA ENGINEERING INC / XERO Engineering Inc.


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

zebrahum said:


> What fork are you trying to fit? Does it take a QR axle or a 15mm thru axle?
> 
> The hub you linked to will fit (it appears) a standard QR dropout. If you need a 15mm thru axle hub then you need something like this FORMULA ENGINEERING INC / XERO Engineering Inc.


I'm trying to fit the qr for the Manitou Tower Pro. If this won't work, will the standard bolt on axle work for this hub?


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> I'm trying to fit the qr for the Manitou Tower Pro. If this won't work, will the standard bolt on axle work for this hub?


Well, my very quick search reveals what appears to be both QR and thru-axle versions of that fork so which one do you have?


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

zebrahum said:


> Well, my very quick search reveals what appears to be both QR and thru-axle versions of that fork so which one do you have?


Haven't gotten the fork yet :/ Would it really be worth it to get the qr15, switching out the hub and all? And is there a through axle of the 2012 model?


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> Haven't gotten the fork yet :/ Would it really be worth it to get the qr15, switching out the hub and all? And is there a through axle of the 2012 model?


This is a much better way to get information, thank you for clearing things up.

I believe that thru-axles really are worth the investment if you can afford it. They are much more stiff and secure under braking while most of them are still very easy to remove in the event of a flat. The biggest drawback is if you have one of those fork mount car racks, you can no longer lock the rack without a cable lock; hardly a drawback for most users.

It is worth noting that unless your rim is made of unobtanium, it is not worth building it onto a new hub. Buying a complete front wheel is almost always more cost effective than building a wheel. Building a wheel will cost you around $45 just in labor, around $50 in spokes (no, you can't/shouldn't re-use spokes), and you'd have to buy the hub on top of that. Plus, if your rim is old then it might not build up a very straight wheel anyway. Buying a complete wheel, however, will get you everything you need for less money up front.

Typically, the only people who re-build a wheel are the ones who already have a very nice hub and are replacing the rim. Hubs are expensive when compared to the relatively affordable rim meaning that compared to most hubs, you should just replace rims when needed.

I don't know what options the fork comes with, you'll have to do some research to find out what's available in what models.


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

Aren't qr's easy to release as well if that's what I have? I can get my wheel off in less than a minute from the get-go. I understand your opinion of the strength of a thicker axle. My budget is unfortunately kind of limited, so I can only ATM afford to get a new fork, stem, and headset. Maybe in the future I'll get new wheelsets.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> Aren't qr's easy to release as well if that's what I have? I can get my wheel off in less than a minute from the get-go. I understand your opinion of the strength of a thicker axle. My budget is unfortunately kind of limited, so I can only ATM afford to get a new fork, stem, and headset. Maybe in the future I'll get new wheelsets.


Well may I ask why in the world you are buying a new fork, stem, and headset? Headset has got to be one of the poorest investments you can have, and the only reason to change the stem is to alter your riding position.

In the world of bike upgrades, it is rarely advantageous to start slapping upgraded parts on an entry level frame. If you do want to upgrade parts, make them count. Tires would be a great place to spend money, same with pedals. Typically, wheels are considered the best bang-for-the-buck of all the upgrades you can get. Though for truly poor performing forks they can be a better upgrade than wheels so long as you spend enough money to get a fork that is actually worth upgrading to.


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

zebrahum said:


> Well may I ask why in the world you are buying a new fork, stem, and headset? Headset has got to be one of the poorest investments you can have, and the only reason to change the stem is to alter your riding position.
> 
> In the world of bike upgrades, it is rarely advantageous to start slapping upgraded parts on an entry level frame. If you do want to upgrade parts, make them count. Tires would be a great place to spend money, same with pedals. Typically, wheels are considered the best bang-for-the-buck of all the upgrades you can get. Though for truly poor performing forks they can be a better upgrade than wheels so long as you spend enough money to get a fork that is actually worth upgrading to.


I'm "Upgrading" the headset because it's necessary-I am using a tapered steerer in a straight 1.5" headset. There may be a side effect of improved performance over the stock headset.I am sure I'm going to be using this frame for at least the next 3 years. The fork that comes with it justifies getting the new fork and the ultimately can be transferred to my new (hopefully carbon ) frame, or completely new bike that I plan to get in the future, say eight years. I'm only 15, which may explain why I can't just get a new this or that...I have limited money in the bank. And the headset will only put me down around $100, $180 with the stem. Is that really "wasting" that much money? 
PS. Sorry I didn't give you the full scoop on my situation. I was only asking one question so I could get a precise answer on a single problem.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> And the headset will only put me down around $100, $180 with the stem. Is that really "wasting" that much money?


I would ask yourself "does it need to be replaced?" and "what do I gain from replacing it?". Personally, I would put that extra $100 or $180 into that fork you want to replace and make sure you get a nice one the first time if you do plan on putting it on your next bike (which is another can of worms all together).

I like fancy parts at least as much as the next guy (usually more) but even I recognize when I'm getting low cost-benefit balance out of something. I would love to have a King on my bike right now, but it just so happens that this is the first Cane Creek headset that hasn't imploded on me within 6 months so I'm running it until I kill it.

If you want to spend money on your bike, do it in the places where you get some real benefit out of your money: tires, wheels, getting the handlebars and stem where they fit and feel great. Putting money into headsets, bottom brackets, cranks, and seatposts just doesn't give you much bang for your buck; they're all nice things to improve, but if you're on a budget you can do better with your money.

But then again, I'm just one person with one opinion; it's your bike, do what you like!


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

Thanks for your opinion Zebra. I'm getting the fork in the first place because my fork right now (RST Deuce Air) Gives a rather rough ride and from what I can feel isn't very responsive to the terrain. In addition another reason (although not directly), Is that the Tower Pro is lighter and the tapered steerer will hopefully give additional stability and control (not that control was bad in the first place). I figure that the fork will be a nice upgrade and will be worth the approximate $600 in total because I'm stuck with this bike for a while.


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## Flyin_W (Jun 17, 2007)

MH,
Try not to get sucked in by all the mktg hype. A 1-1/8" steel steer tube, and 9mm Q/R axle works well, and has since Campagnolo invented it. For someone to say that they can feel the flex difference of a 20mm thru axle from a q/r, to me, screams pure BS. Why? Because the sidewall flex from a MTB tire is very significant, and hard to ignore.
If it WERE true then why aren't all road bikes with 23c tires using 20mm axles? :skep:

Getting aftermarket parts from Formula can be a challenge, as they re-brand for many mfgs. I managed to pull a # off a Bonty hub (made by Formula) to replace the freehub by ordering from an LBS, without the product # it would've been quite tough to match.

Have fun building your new bike, don't get caught up in which new tech is best, and just be sure to ride the snot out of it.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> Thanks for your opinion Zebra. I'm getting the fork in the first place because my fork right now (RST Deuce Air) Gives a rather rough ride and from what I can feel isn't very responsive to the terrain. In addition another reason (although not directly), Is that the Tower Pro is lighter and the tapered steerer will hopefully give additional stability and control (not that control was bad in the first place). I figure that the fork will be a nice upgrade and will be worth the approximate $600 in total because I'm stuck with this bike for a while.


Though you said it in a roundabout way, replacing the headset makes more sense when you explain that you're looking at changing to a tapered steer tube. Don't worry too much about being "stuck" with that bike; it's a really nice platform to build from.


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

I've finally made my mind up about the axle: I'll stick to the 9mm qr, as I don't do any downhill riding or massive drops and haven't noticed even a bit of flex in my axle as of yet. I'll of course get the qr version of the Tower Pro maybe 100mm as Zebra said my frame was pretty flexible in the geometry. In the long run I'll most likely get a new bike and will most likely not use the Manitou as I'm sure there are plenty of better (and more expensive) forks out there. But for now I'll probably be perfectly happy with the fork and bike in general.
PS. I didn't do this project purely out of an upgrade aspect; I wanted to challenge my mechanical skills (amateur) and learn new things by doing most of the installation myself.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

Muffinhead said:


> I've finally made my mind up about the axle: I'll stick to the 9mm qr, as I don't do any downhill riding or massive drops and haven't noticed even a bit of flex in my axle as of yet. I'll of course get the qr version of the Tower Pro maybe 100mm as Zebra said my frame was pretty flexible in the geometry. In the long run I'll most likely get a new bike and will most likely not use the Manitou as I'm sure there are plenty of better (and more expensive) forks out there. But for now I'll probably be perfectly happy with the fork and bike in general.
> PS. I didn't do this project purely out of an upgrade aspect; I wanted to challenge my mechanical skills (amateur) and learn new things by doing most of the installation myself.


Though I wholeheartedly disagree with Flyin_W's account of thru-axles being unnecessary, it is probably not a big deal with a 100mm fork. I think thru-axles should have become the norm as disc brakes became the norm; the forces applied by disc brakes have been known to pull the wheel out of the drops in some cases. But it does keep the cost of the change down, and every penny saved here is another penny toward your next bike.


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## Muffinhead (Jul 30, 2012)

zebrahum said:


> Though I wholeheartedly disagree with Flyin_W's account of thru-axles being unnecessary, it is probably not a big deal with a 100mm fork. I think thru-axles should have become the norm as disc brakes became the norm; the forces applied by disc brakes have been known to pull the wheel out of the drops in some cases. But it does keep the cost of the change down, and every penny saved here is another penny toward your next bike.


Amen to that.


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