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Hi has anyone come up with a workaround for a followme thru axle?
The axles are kind expensive and I need 2 of them, one boost with m12x1.75 and one normal for m12x1.5
Annoyingly the axles I need have different thread pitch so I can't just make a spacer for the boost axle.
It must be possible to run a tap into an alloy axle and bolt some ends on that work with the followme?
Hang on a minute.
My axles are hollow.
Maybe I could put this XL QR thru my thru axle:
Hmm my boost axle is 180mm, too long.
That would do for my 142 bike tho with a 166 axle and cheaper and quicker than faffing with swapping axles.
I did yes. Got an axke to fit my Tarn. The thread is the same as a normal M12 nut. My other bike at the time had a syntance axle which has a threaded insert. I got a spare insert and drilled it out. Then used the M12 nut to tighten the axle. It worked just fine. I only rarely needed to tow with that bike so swapped the insert as required.
My boost was M12x1.5 I think and the non-boost syntance x12
Here we go, followme xl QR through the middle fo my 142 axle:
Installed:
Theres plenty of thread, I reckon it will easy go through my 148 boost axle too
If it doesn’t do boost, then two of the threaded FMT nuts (drive / right hand side in your pictures) and a length of threaded rod (plus a couple of lock nuts maybe) and it should work.
Great idea, I have two, one for the standard qr and one on this new xl
£25 way cheaper than two £65 axles, and quicker to mount and remove.
£65 😯 as in Sixty Five Pounds Sterling 😯
Well theres the rip off the century there. 65 quid for a metal bar and some nuts and washers. No way any of those parts add up to more than a fiver, and even than a fiver is the most.
Let me think. 6" Metal bar with some threading. Hmmm. maybe 2 quid
some washers@ likely £0.05p, a couple of nuts at about the same 5p, maybe even ten pence at a stretch.
I really would love to see that company's own data on cost to produce. And I doubt they make them themselves, more likely ordered in in bulk from China.
Theres a lot of ovverpricing in the bike industry thats for sure, but £65 is just beyond the pale.
Well £60 + postage each.
I think my solution is more elegant anyway. Although you would need to buy bolt in axles too if you had the QR type.
https://www.followmetandem.co.uk/followme-tandem-accessories/followme_thru-axle_adaptor_m12.php
I found a 'spare' 142x12 FollowMe axle - seems i bought it then lost it then bought another and now have sold the followme ! If anyone needs one let me know and I will send it for a very small fee.
I also have a spare 142 x 12 Robert Axel Project for trailers should anyone else be looking
I am not familiar with all the fittings etc but I use a Hamax universal QR for our trailer. It fits boost non-boost and has different threaded ends.
https://www.hamax.com/product/hitchadapter/
I found the RAP axle much better than the original. The end fittings are much easier to use and the p clips fit much more easily.
I’ve got a follow me and whilst it’s undoubtedly a great concept it would be great if it wasn’t made from lead and with design cues and fasteners from the industrial revolution.