Quick Release Vs Thru Axle Skewers: Pros & Cons

Last week we discussed the differences between Quick Release (QR) and Thru Axle skewers. Why would you want to pick one or the other for your wheelset? Today we are talking about the pros and cons of each type and the bike systems they work with. Let’s get started.

Quick-release skewers were originally designed in the 1920 by Tullio Campagnolo after he lost a race because the wing nut holding his wheel on was frozen in place. For roughly 75 years after they were designed, quick-release skewers were the standard for attaching a wheel to a bike.

In the early 2000s, mountain bikers started having issues with quick-release skewers bending, breaking, and ejecting from the fork when using disc brakes. As a result, thru-axles emerged and helped eliminate the issues.

Two factors determine if a bike uses quick-release or thru-axle skewers.

1. What discipline is the bike intended for (mountain, road, gravel, etc.)? 
2. What type of brakes does the bike have?

For mountain bikes, thru-axle has pretty much become the standard. The exception to this rule is if it is a very entry level bike that is cutting cost—think a $200 Huffy.

For road bikes, the skewer type is generally related to the braking type. If you have rim brakes, you will have a quick-release skewer. If you have disc brakes you will most likely have thru-axle skewers. If you have a disc brake older than 2019, you may have a quick-release skewer, but disc brake road bikes made today are generally thru-axle.

Gravel bikes are pretty much using thru-axle as the standard these days. Just like road bikes, older versions may have quick-release skewers.

Quick-release skewers are a good option for road bikes with rim brakes. Today, this is pretty much the only situation where they are better than thru-axles. Rim brake bikes do not have a thru-axle option so this is also a limiting factor.

If you are using any type of bike with disc brakes, then thru-axles are the way to go. It doesn’t matter what your discipline is.

Now, there is a completely different conversation around how rim brakes are more aerodynamic but that is a discussion for another day.

Since the skewer type is really related to the brake type, the pros and cons list is broken out as follows:

• Pros For Quick-Release Rim Brake Bikes
• Pros For Thru-Axle Disc Brake Bikes
• Cons For Thru-Axle Disc Brake Bikes
• Pros For Quick-Release Disc Brake Bikes
• Cons For Quick-Release Disc Brake Bikes

Note: we omitted “Cons for Thru-Axle Rim Brake Bikes” since they don’t exist.

Additionally, there are growing safety concerns when using quick-release skewers with disc brake bikes. These safety concerns are:

• Wheels ejecting from the fork during heavy braking.
• Forks breaking due to fork stress from repeated braking over time.
• Bending or breaking skewers.

• Easy to install since the fork has a U-Notch. The quick-release skewer does not need to be released from the hub. Read our article from last week to learn more about this. 
• No tools are needed to install or remove a wheel.
• Lighter than thru-axles.
• Cheaper than thru-axles.
• More compatible with trainers.
• Rim-brake bikes are more aerodynamic.
• Easily fit most fork-mount bike racks.
• Very safe for rim-brake bikes.

Reminder: we omitted “Cons for Thru Axle Rim Brake Bikes,” since they don’t exist.

• Safer than quick-release skewers.
• Designed with a high safety factor to make them strong and durable and less likely to break especially when compared to quick-release skewers.
• Fork dropouts have holes, so wheel detachment from the fork is not possible like with the U-notch design of a quick-release fork dropout. The skewer bolts to the frame making a secure connection when properly installed.
• Stiffer front end for improved handling and stability.
• Reduction of brake rub when compared to quick-release disc brake bikes.
• Limited fork fatigue due to stiffer front end.

• Very few considering the safety issues mentioned above.
• Heavier.
• More Expensive
• Potential difficulty with trainers and bike racks.

• There really aren’t any considering the safety issues mentioned above.

• Safety concerns include bending and breaking skewers and ejection of the wheel from the fork under heavy brake loads.
• Becoming outdated. Buying wheels in the future will be more challenging.
• Detachment is possible since the fork dropout uses a U-notch design to slip the wheel in place.
• Difficulty aligning rotors and eliminating brake rub.
• Ability to produce fork fatigue from heavy braking over time.

Our general advice for quick-release vs thru-axle skewers depends on two factors: the type of bike you will be purchasing, and the braking system that is being used. Below is a quick summary of our suggestions for bike type and braking system.

You will want a quick-release skewer. To be honest I’ve never seen one with thru-axle skewers so you are limited. You can upgrade skewers to be more aero if you like. Our friends at TriRig make a cool lever skewer shown below called the Styx Aero Skewers.

We highly recommend a thru-axle design for the additional safety. Most manufacturers have moved to thru-axle but you can still find disc brake road bikes with quick-release skewers.

Thru-axle skewers are the way to go. The additional safety and durability of a thru-axle skewer makes sense.