Do All Bikes Have Quick Release Wheels?
When discussing bikes, it’s common to have heard of quick-release wheels. Indeed, they are very common and convenient should you ever need to change a tire or swap out the wheel for a newer version. But are quick-release wheels the only choice when buying a bike?
Not all bikes have quick-release wheels. While quick-release wheels are considered the standard attachment system on bikes, thru-axle wheels are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true for mountain bikes, as a thru-axle system is stronger than a quick-release system.
If you’re wondering what the difference between quick-release and thru-axle is and which attachment system you need for your bike, read on!
Why Quick Release Wheels Are so Common
As the name suggests, a quick-release bike wheel can be easily removed and attached without needing any tools. They are the standard bike wheel release system and thus are still found on most models of bikes.
The quick-release was actually first developed in 1927 by a chap called Tullio Campagnolo. He lost a race thanks to a frozen wingnut that he couldn’t remove. Off the back of that defeat, he went and designed a system that wouldn’t create the problem he experienced. He created and patented the quick-release wheel in 1930, and it quickly became the most widely used system in bikes.
How Do Quick-Release Bike Wheels Work?
To understand how a quick-release wheel works, you must first know how the wheel is designed. First, you have the wheel hub (the circular frame that the tire fits around). Then, you have the axle. The axle, a thin piece of metal, goes through the hub and sticks out on both sides.
As an example, imagine you get a paper plate and poke a pencil through the center, so half is sticking out on either side. This is pretty much what the hub and the skewer look like on a bike.
The hub sits between the bike frame’s fork. The axle rests upon U-shaped slots in the fork (a bit like hooks). There’s a rod on one side and a camming lever on the other. These two pieces hold the hub in place and are what allow you easily remove the wheel.
To remove the wheel, you release the lever, loosen the rod, and then unhook the skewer from the bike’s fork. The whole process takes seconds.
To replace the wheel, you hook the skewer onto the fork and secure it by tightening the nut by hand and clamping the lever into the closed position.
If you want more nitty-gritty on the quick-release mechanism, check out this YouTube video from GCN Tech:
What Types of Bike Tend To Feature Quick-Release Wheels?
Quick-release wheels are the most common attachment system on road, hybrid, and cruiser bikes. They are also commonly seen on commuter bikes and city bikes.
You can find quick-release wheels on bikes in all price ranges.
For example, this Vilano R2 Commuter Road Bike (available on Amazon.com) featuring 21 gears and an aluminum frame is at the budget end of the price range. On the other hand, this SAVADECK Phantom 2.0 Road Bike (available on Amazon.com) featuring an ultra-lightweight carbon frame is a premium-priced quick-release bike.
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Quick-Release Bike Wheel?
In order to understand why you may—or may not—choose this type of release system, let’s examine the pros and cons.
Pros
- The biggest pro of quick-release wheels is their convenience. The system makes it super easy to change a flat tire. This is handy if you suffer a blowout on the way to work, as you can be back up and running in minutes.
- For more serious riders, quick-release wheels are perfect for swapping out wheels for different riding conditions—e.g., switching to a road bike wheel with thinner tires for road riding.
- Since they’re the standard release system, you won’t have to look around or spend too much money on replacing broken parts.
- Removing the wheel makes these bikes more transportable; it’s far easier to fit a bike in your car if the wheels have been removed.
Cons
- If they aren’t properly tightened, quick-release wheels could come loose while riding, which can lead to serious injury.
- Quick-release skewers are relatively easy to remove, even if they’re locked in place. This means your bike’s wheels are more susceptible to theft if you leave your bike unattended in a public place.
- Quick-release wheels are less stable than thru-axle release systems. This makes them largely unsuitable for rough riding, such as mountain biking, trail riding, and gravel bikes. The system can loosen when going over bumps and cause the wheel to come off.
- Quick release wheels can cause some degree of flex in the fork, which can cause the wheels to rub against the brake rotor. Besides decreasing the lifespan of your brakes, this can also decrease their effectiveness.
What Is a Thru-Axle Bike Wheel?
Now let’s discuss the other type of wheel release system – the thru-axle.
A thru-axle bike wheel is attached to the frame or fork using a bolt that goes through the center of the wheel.
Thru-axles offer a more secure connection than quick releases, which is why they’re often seen in mountain bikes. They can be more difficult to remove and attach, especially if you’re doing it on the trail). Depending on the bike, you may need some tools to get the job done.
Thru-axles are way more modern than the quick-release system. This system was developed in the early 2,000s to combat the problem of quick-release axles becoming loose when mountain bikers put their bikes through hard riding conditions.
How Do Thru-Axle Bike Wheels Work?
In a thru-axle, you still have a skewer of metal that passes through the hub, only this time it’s a lot thicker—around 12mm in diameter. The main difference is that this skewer completely detaches from the hub. Essentially, you can’t remove the wheel until you have loosened and removed the axle skewer.
While the quick-release system uses hooks, the forks of a thru-axle have holes where the skewer is inserted. To attach the wheel, you must line up the center of the hub with the fork’s holes and thread the axle through from one end to the other. Then you affix a bolt to secure it. To tighten the bolt, you must use a wrench or an Allen key.
Some thru-axle bikes come with an attached cam lever which you can use to tighten the axle to the bike’s frame.
Although the thru-axle system is slower than quick-release systems, it is still fast and efficient. If you have the right tools, you can generally remove the wheel in less than a minute.
Here’s a good YouTube video from the Global Cycling Network explaining how to do it:
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Thru-Axle Bike Wheel?
The thru-axle design offers several advantages over the standard quick-release system, but it also has some potential disadvantages that you should be aware of.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of a thru-axle bike wheel is that it offers much greater stiffness and strength than a quick-release system. This means your bike will handle better and feel more responsive when riding on rough terrain or at high speeds. The increased stiffness also helps reduce wheel flex, leading to improved traction and handling and making it safer for the rider.
Thru-axles also reduce fork flex, which improves breaking force and exposes the brake rotor to less wear and tear, improving the lifespan of your brakes.
Finally, the axle’s strength is tandem with the bike’s suspension. As pressure is placed on the bike when riding over bumps, the thickness of the axle stands up to the stress way better than a thinner quick-release skewer.
Cons
The increased stiffness of a thru-axle bike wheel can make the ride feel harsher than a quick-release system.
Additionally, the thru-axle design can make it more difficult to swap wheels, which can be a problem if you ever need to do so in a hurry.
This type of wheel release is newer to the market than the quick-release system and uses stronger materials. Therefore, you’ll pay a higher price for bikes that feature thru-axles. It may also take you longer to find the right parts to make replacements; however, it’s safe to assume that this issue will solve itself as the technology becomes more common.
What Type of Bikes Tends To Feature Thru-Axle Wheels?
Thru-axle wheels are becoming increasingly common on mountain bikes. They are also commonly seen on gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes. Essentially, any type of bike that does off-road riding will typically feature a thru-axle release system unless they’re at the budget end of the scale.
You can see thru-axle systems in any high-end mountain bike, and the addition of the cam lever meas you can remove the wheel without needing any tools.
What Type of Wheel Release System Do You Get With Folding Bikes?
There are a few features that make folding bikes unique. The folding mechanism means that the bike’s components are assembled slightly differently and more compactly.
Bikes that fold clean in half via a hinge in the center of the frame will generally feature a quick-release system.
Bikes with a more complex folding system are slightly trickier. They tend to have nuts you need to loosen or remove with a wrench or Allen key. Then, if it’s the back wheel, you need to unhook the chain before removing the wheel.
Here’s a good example YouTube video from the popular folding bike company Dahon. You’ll see that you have to reattach washers and nuts to affix the wheel:
What Type of Wheel Release System Do You Get With Electric Bikes?
E-bikes are a whole other kettle of fish. Since E-bikes have many more components, removing the wheel can be a complex task, particularly if the wheel you need to remove has an electric motor attached to it.
In many cases, it’s easier to take your E-bike to your nearest repair shop for the job. It’s inconvenient for sure, but at least you’ll know the job will be done properly.
If you’re fairly confident about taking bikes apart and putting them back together again, you can attempt to remove the wheel yourself, but you’ll need some tools.
Also, E-bikes have many different setups and configurations, which makes it hard to understand exactly what you need to do to get the wheel off. In this situation, look online to see if there are tutorial videos or walkthroughs explaining how to remove the wheel for the brand E-bike you own.
Quick-Release or Thru-Axle: Which Is Better?
Neither release system is better than the other, but they are better suited to different types of bikes and riding styles.
Get a quick-release system if:
- You want the most convenient way to change a tire
- Most of your riding is on smooth surfaces like roads
- You’re buying a road, city, commuter, or hybrid bike
- You need to transport your bike in a vehicle or store it in a small space
Get a thru-axle release system if:
- You’re going to spend your time riding off-road
- You want to cycle at high speeds
- You’re buying a mountain, trail, or gravel bike
- You want safety and stability over everything else
Final Thoughts
Quick-release is here to stay, mostly because of the convenience it offers to the rider. It’s generally safe and secure, and you don’t require any technical knowledge to get to grips with using it.
However, we’re going to see the thru-axle gain more and more popularity thanks to release systems that don’t require any tools. That means they’re starting to become as convenient as quick-release but with added security and stability.
Either option is a great choice as long as you’ve determined which one is best for your needs. Whichever you go for, I wish you happy riding!
