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I'm making a return to riding, i've currently got a HT, but my forks are dead. Planning to upgrade the HT, use it to re-build skills, then get a 4-5inch AM frame for summer....
So....been raiding the forum recently for a new set....
BUT....my real question is....with the advances in technology/materials, is there still a massive difference between QR and their 15/20mm brothers and sisters??
I've ridden both, 20mm in downhill and qr in XC/all mountain....
Would a QR set of 2010 reba's with a DT swiss skewer (pne of the posh ones that you dont use a cam, rather screw up) be of comparable stiffness as a set of 07 pikes....?
Any opinions appreciated.....
I'm a roady who has recently got an MTB with 2010 reba's with 20mm maxle and while I cant directly answer your Q I will say I wish there was a roady version of maxle because it gives amazing control.
I rode quite a few bikes before buying mine and maxle vs qr seemed one of the big differentiators to me.
"a DT swiss skewer ... be of comparable stiffness as a set of 07 pikes....?"
I assume you mean a 5mm QR sized one
Almost certainly no, but I found going back to an XT skewer after my DT RWS (5mm) broke* noticably slightly less stiff (or so I thought)
*I've another on warranty now
I'd reckon a 9mm thru-axled hub in a QR dropout fork would be stiffer, but not as stiff as a 20mm maxle
(there is a DT RWS version as well as QR type 9mm versions)
The RWS skewer will definitely help stiffen things up a bit, but as said above, the 9mm version would be better.
A Reba with Maxle would be even stiffer, but the extra beef in other areas of a Pike will mean that a Reba will never be as stiff.
Now people like Magura with their double arch fork design claim that this helps stiffen things up, especially when using a RWS skewer again, but actually by how much difference the arch design makes, I have no idea.
I'd rather have the stiffer 20mm fork, just gives a little more confidence when riding... unless your just riding along the canal then it doesn't really matter.