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Home | Product Reviews | Skewer | Control Tech Skewers | ||||
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Submitted by
Drew Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington
Date Reviewed: 9/4/2001 12:08:23 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Strengths: | Light |
| Weaknesses: | Poor quality/fit/finish |
| Similar Products Tried: | Salsa |
| Bike Setup: | Intense Tracer and Merlin |
| Bottom Line: | The quality of the fit and finish is poor enough that it'll degrade the delrin bushing pretty fast. There's a lot of slop compared the Salsa QR's. |
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Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Altamonte Springs, FL USA
Date Reviewed: 10/19/2000 3:04:39 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | tsali |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | Nashbar |
| Strengths: | very light theft resistant |
| Weaknesses: | will spin on dropout and take off paint if you dont do something about it |
| Similar Products Tried: | Bontragers and shimano |
| Bike Setup: | Fisher frame, manitou SX Ti fork, GT/X517 wheelset |
| Bottom Line: | These skewers will grind away at your dropout. What you need to do is put a very small washer ( I used a part of a chain bushing) where the bolt head comes in contact with the part that touches the dropout. This will prevent the head from siezing. Otherwise, these are great skewers. I have not had any problems with them coming loose. Just keep the threads lubed with a thick grease or Ti-prep lube. |
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Submitted by
Pascal NEPPER
a Weekend Warrior
from Luxembourg (Europe)
Date Reviewed: 8/21/2000 11:07:51 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Street, Trials |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | lbs |
| Strengths: | So light Strong More anti-theft than regulat skewers Not expensive |
| Weaknesses: | ??? |
| Similar Products Tried: | Regular shimano skewers |
| Bike Setup: | Merlin Taiga 15" for trials, freestyle. XTR, Mavic, Race Face, Motts, ... |
| Bottom Line: | EXCELLENT AND BOMBPROOF. |
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Submitted by
Bad A** Single Speeder
a Weekend Warrior
from Roseville
Date Reviewed: 8/9/2000 10:38:22 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Brown's Ravine |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | Light wt. (67 grams) Don't have to dread taking off a stuborn QR (provided you have a 5 mm allen) |
| Weaknesses: | Easy to mount the front wheel backwards if you are not alert since right and left side look the same. A bit pricy retail- get one second hand. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano QR's |
| Bike Setup: | Control Tech stem and bar |
| Bottom Line: | Good upgrade for the weight weenie. Lugging around an allen key is a bit of a hassle but worth it. Got mine at a bike swap meet for $5.00 (be on the lookout for those who think it is a hassle to always use an allen key to tighten/loosen skewer). |
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Submitted by
hugh
a Cross Country Rider
from nm
Date Reviewed: 7/31/2000 1:28:58 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Strengths: | light secure |
| Weaknesses: | light |
| Similar Products Tried: | many |
| Bike Setup: | multiple tricked out bikes |
| Bottom Line: | lightweight, functional skewer, not for hippos or jumpers. nothing to catch on or to have other riders/sticks etc catch on your qr lever and prematurely release. it's a bolt. if you ride trails you should always be carrying basic tools, including 5 mm allen key (with a good head). with front suspension forks, quick releases are not quick releases..(ie. like the fast road wheel changes that are required when racing when you don't have to turn the skewer to unthread it.) As general rule, don't mess with any malfunctioning parts, esp skewers. clean and regrease regularly and they will last a couple of years. however at first sign of malfunction (extra friction, worn threads, botched threads,etc. doesn't tight with just allen key, etc...) get a new set. unless you're racing road..or for rear wheel use..how much of a hurry are you when changing a tire on a ride with the buds? still have to take off your camelback and dig around in the bag... |
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Submitted by
DiRT
a Cross Country Rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: 5/17/2000 1:45:01 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Strengths: | Light, locks tight |
| Weaknesses: | Turning grinds at the dropout, unless you fix |
| Bottom Line: | I have the ti bolt, non-quick release version that requires a 5mm allen wrench to get on/off. The weight is accurate, at 48grams exactly. got them for $29 at nashbar.com I put on liquid wrench, teflon tape, etc, but the bolt still spins the skewer head/cup, grinding away at the dropout. So, I put on a thin, small washer that has an exterior diam that is smaller than the bolt head. This fixed the grinding problem. Too bad CT doesn't just provide the washer. I called tech support and asked if it was supposed to grind, they said no. I said that it does, and all they could recommend was a teflon anti-seize. anti-seize doesn't stop it. The washer did. 5 chilies minus one for the grinding. |
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Submitted by
a Racer
from USA
Date Reviewed: 1/23/2000 10:02:28 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | light! cheap |
| Weaknesses: | can come off your bike if not tightened enough |
| Similar Products Tried: | many |
| Bottom Line: | As everyone has mentioned, the weight savings is worth the price. I have only had one bad outing on them and that was my own fault atleast I believe this to be the case. I was riding and all of a sudden the back bolt slipped out of place. Yes it did bend up my rear derailleur hangar and the ti skewer. Most likely it was due to my not properly checking the equipment before I went on a hardcore ride through the woods. The reason I am writing about this incident is to warn you about the potential dangers of this product should you forget to check the skewer tightness before a ride. Fortunately, I was not hurt and do you know what? The people at Control Tech put out A+ quality parts. I love their company and they have hooked me up with many great parts since I race. No I am not on their factory race team, but they have given me some products to test. I will continue to use this product for racing. Currently, I am training with heavier skewers from Shimano. |
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Submitted by
Roger
a Weekend Warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: 11/16/1999 |
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| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Amazing weight saving, looks, efficient |
| Weaknesses: | Need to use anti-seize grease |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano standard skewers |
| Bike Setup: | Cannondale M1000 |
| Bottom Line: | A really worthwhile weight saving for the money. I use the titanium ones - they work well provided you lube the contact points and threads with copper anti-seize - titanium is not a good material for threads on its own. Yes, you have to carry a 5mm Allen key, but don't you do so anyway? |
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Submitted by
James
a Racer
from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: 10/30/1999 |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Flat Creek |
| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: |
Weight Strength |
| Similar Products Tried: | only Q-releases |
| Bike Setup: | 98 S-Works M2 |
| Bottom Line: | They rock. super light,low maint. I have to replace the bolt every couple of years due to my overtightening(same tread as stock q-release). You can't save a 1/4 pound for less money. Four friends and I all bought ours the same year all are still in good shape. Used for races as well as everyday training. I've also added them to my road bike. Don't miss out on this wieght saving tip! |
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Submitted by
thwwx
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: 9/6/1999 |
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| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Minimalist approach |
| Weaknesses: | works so well you forget it even existed |
| Similar Products Tried: | XTR,Coda |
| Bike Setup: | Pretrek Klein Adroit |
| Bottom Line: | No unnecessry weight, no plastic washers to wear away, no QR that quick release on you at the least convenient time. Unless you race, why waste money on fancy QR's twice the mass? For those whose wheels fell off from using these, you've probably undertightened them. They need a second retightening after the first. After which, they stay tight forever. They stay so firmly in place that I forget they're even there. |
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross-Country Rider
from MPLS, MN
Date Reviewed: 5/23/1999 |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Bottom Line: | Had a set of these suckers for about 2 years now with no problems. I love the peace of mind they offer when i park my bike somewhere and know that the QR is not really so quick, especially when so many other bikes make an easier target. They're light and they work great. Five Fat Flamin' Habaneros for this puppy. |
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Submitted by
Guido
a Cross-Country Rider
from the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: 3/23/1999 |
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| Duration Product Used: | more than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Very ligth weight, looking clean |
| Weaknesses: |
After over 4 years? NONE! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Ringlé, XTR |
| Bike Setup: | Klein, non Shimano, Manitou SX, a lot of costum parts, built ligth weigth. |
| Bottom Line: | Great product, if you don't care about using a wrench. Still very pleased with it. |
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Submitted by
MTBPimp
a cross-country rider
from Texas
Date Reviewed: 2/26/1999 |
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| Bottom Line: | These skewrs suck hard. About 1 week after I bought them they cracked!! I was taking them off after a ride one day they flat out cracked. I haven't had any help from the company or the shop where I got them. 2 flamers since the back one hasn't cracked yet. |
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Submitted by
Jason
a racer
from Minneapolis MN
Date Reviewed: 2/20/1999 |
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| Bottom Line: | As with all that is Control-Tech, their not-so-quick release skewers are pretty cool. I have had two sets for many years now and have swapped them onto new frames. X-country, pre-wannabe-motorcyle downhill, and cyclo-cross, the skewers work great in all of these situations. You can't get much lighter than these skewers, just make sure you have your 5 mm allen wrench with you (as any good cyclist should) or else you'll never get your wheels off to change a tire, or 'rack' your bike. |
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Submitted by
BUNNY WARING
a cross-country rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: 11/10/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | thesE suck!they are deadly. WILL POP OUT OF THE DROP-OUT WITHOUT WARNING! i ALMOST GOT RUN OVER BY A DUMP TRUCK WHILE RIDING ON THESE WHEN THEY LET GO. i KNOW THIS SOUNDS GOOFY AND A FARCE BUT MY LAST DETAILED ENTRY GOT ERASED WHEN i MISTAKENLY SUBMITTED IT WITHOUT A STAR RATING. iF YOU ARE A STRONG RIDER JUST GET QUICK RELEASES-THEY ARE SAFER. |
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Submitted by
tom laporta
a cross-country rider
from berserkeley, ca
Date Reviewed: 8/4/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | these skewers are built well. i barely notice any flex in the front, and i rarely have to tighten them. it's really no inconvenience if you carry a trail tool like a ritchey cpr, etc, because they have a 5mm allen on them. best bang for the buck of any skewer. had the same pair on 2 different bikes over the past 3 years with no problems. |
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Submitted by
Grand Pooh Bear
a cross-country rider
from R.I. USA
Date Reviewed: 5/21/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | I had a set of these on an old bike and they were great, inconvenience of the hex key necessity aside. They are light, and with fewer moving parts, there is less chance of things going wrong with them. The only potential problem I noticed was with the aluminum housing the hex bolt sat in. I seemed to have hit quite a few rocks with that part and it the chewed part was coming close to interfering with smooth action when tightening and loosening the unit. I sold the bike before that could happen so I can't comment on their eventual fate. A great, inexpensive way to shed weight over stock Shimano skewers. |
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Submitted by
Jeff Kuo
a racer
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: 3/30/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | I've had the Ti non QR ones for about 10 months now and haven't had any problems so far. They are a little inconvenient because of the need for a 5 mm allen, but it's not that big a deal. They also flex a little bit, but it's not that bad and it's to be expected since I weigh 175. Overall a very good product. |
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Submitted by
Brandon
a cross-country rider
from Tuscaloosa, AL
Date Reviewed: 3/11/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | I've got a pair of these. the only complaint that I have is that when you tighten down the skewers the nut doesn't swivel like I believe it should. This grinds down your dropouts somewhat (kind of scary). Now my dropouts are completely void of paint and I am wondering if they will grind down the dropouts enough to cause a problen. I've tried every kind of grease in the shop that I work at, but the things still won't swivel. |
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Submitted by
Mac
a weekend warrior
from Soquel,CA
Date Reviewed: 1/23/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | I put these on my road & mtn bikes about a year ago. 5 hours of riding per week. Grease the threads every 4 to 5 times taking them on/off. That's really for the front only, cuz I haven't had to take the rears off that many times. Totally satisfied. Less theft potential. More aero, by at leaast .0001%. Maintenance is lower, since cleaning the crud out of the Q/R was a hassle after muddy rides. KISS is the answer. (Keep It Simple Stupid) |
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Submitted by
SGT ROCK
a weekend warrior
from Kitimat, BC
Date Reviewed: 1/21/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | Installed the Ti non-quick realease version after some misgivings, particularly because the recipient bike has 1990 vintage non-suspension hubs. Expected lots of flex at best, breakage of skewer at worst. Fears were unwarranted - just spent three weeks riding off road in southern Baja with no problems at all.Only fault is the inconvenience of needing a wrench to take off wheels, but I gladly traded that for the light weight. |
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Submitted by
BS
a cross-country rider
from N.C.
Date Reviewed: 1/19/1998 |
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| Bottom Line: | Bought the quick release Ti versions at a closeout price. Very light and high quality. But the plastic bushing appears to wear quickly. After about 6 months they no longer cinch down tight at the dropouts even with the lever torqued maximally. This leaves a slight rattle at the wheel-dropout interface. This occurred with the front and rear skewers. Now using Coda skewers. Hope they last longer. |
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Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: 8/21/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
A good product. I got a non-quick release set and use the rear on my mountain bike and the front on my road bike. I wouldn't recommend the ti non-qr for use on the front if you have suspension or if you take your wheel off much. |
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Submitted by
Billie-Joe-Bob
a racer
from Hickville, USA
Date Reviewed: 8/12/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: | I've had both the leverless and more traditional levered skewers. They're both top notch in the quality department. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the leverless, but it becomes a hassle if you have a roof rack with a fork mount. The levered skewers are smooth out of the box, but tend to get a little sticky after they get dirty. They're also a little sharp on the edges, making them a bit hard on the fingers. Not as nice as XT or XTR, but bit lighter and better looking. |
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Submitted by
DAVE
a racer
Date Reviewed: 8/7/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
BEST SKEWERS I HAVE EVER HAD RIDDEN/RACED THE SMAE PAIR FOR FIVE YEARS AND THREE BIKES AND HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM YET. |
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Submitted by
phil
a racer
from Ringwood,nj
Date Reviewed: 8/5/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
I had these titanium beauties for 2 years and they where awesome. I had never had a problem with them. They where cheap, and light. I noticed a little bit of flex, but I also had them mounted on a Rock Shox Mag21 which in itself has flex. |
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Submitted by
brian
a cross-country rider
from nc
Date Reviewed: 8/4/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
light weight is not as much of a factor as the clean and simple look of these cinchers. flex is also a nonfactor(i ride proflex 856 w/girvin).sofarsogood |
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Submitted by
The Jester
a cross-country rider
from Redmond, WA
Date Reviewed: 7/16/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: | Nice and light. It's not that much slower than quick release, and you will get faster at repairs trying to make up for the lost time. |
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Submitted by
Havoc
a cross-country rider
from California
Date Reviewed: 5/12/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: | Nice and light, but a pain in the ass to take the wheel off for putting the bike on a car rack. I eventually had this annoying problem solved for me when I snapped the rear skewer on a downhill. Scary shit, but it was a good excuse to replace them. |
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Submitted by
Chris Weber
a cross-country rider
from VT USA
Date Reviewed: 4/15/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: | I had these things and really liked them. I used them on a rigid fork and an AMP f-2 and had no problems at all. Takes longer to take off, but we all don't race, and if you do put you stock ones back on if you want |
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Submitted by
El Man
a weekend warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: 3/13/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
The light weight is fantastic, and the ti skewers have held up fine for me. If you don't need to be able to remove your wheel super fast, then the quick release mechanism is not worth the extra weight and the added theft risk it brings. The only problems I have had are with the flex and the aluminum caps, which chip easily. Don't use ti skewers with a suspension fork: way too much flex. |
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Submitted by
Tom King
a cross-country rider
from G'town, MD
Date Reviewed: 1/7/1997 |
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| Bottom Line: |
After using them for about 2 years and going through 2 allen wrenches, they still do what they're supposed to do: they hold your wheels on. I keep my allen wrench on my keyring. On the Judy, you have to loosen the skewers anyway, so that makes no difference about taking your wheel off quickly. They might be a minor theft deterrent, but hey- if somebody (I use the term lightly)wants to cannibalize your bike, a 5mm allen just ain't gonna stop 'em. I'll also say that the al nut on the opposite side from the hex bolt has been hopelessly stripped where it meets the fork. I just have a pair of pliers in the trunk to grip it while I tighten. Not bad for $15 from the bargain bin at Performance, ¿no? |
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Submitted by
cryoman
a cross-country rider
from Albquerque, Pusan, Arlington
Date Reviewed: 12/1/1996 |
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| Bottom Line: | Have had the hex-end skewers for 4 years now and I wail them down daily with no problemo! I swear I'm stretching that Titanium post a couple of hundredths every time I pop my wheel off. Love that kchink,kchink,kchink sound as the Titanium bites the the Aluminium's butt. Absolutely solid. Forget the designer quick releases ($69.99 average price - got more money than brains!) Closest thing out there to Bullseye hub's 10 gram each hub bolts. 5 chile's |
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Submitted by
Alex Sinanan
a cross-country rider
from Victoria, BC
Date Reviewed: 11/19/1996 |
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| Bottom Line: | I'm actually using the Control Tech Ti skewers with handles (not the hex key version). These were the best choice in terms of cost and weight and they're not as flexy as the fancier ones. Wimpy skewers are dangerous and at 210 lbs, I'd rather not break one. They aren't as stiff as Shimano ones, but have a higher cool factor (not than 96 XTR, however). pretty good skewers overall. good value. |
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Submitted by
Doug
a racer
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: 11/12/1996 |
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| Bottom Line: | I use these on my triathlon bike as well as my MTB. I use them only for racing out of fear that they won't hold up to daily training abuse. However, I have hundreds of trouble free racing miles on them including some very abusive MTB miles. Your cost vs. weight savings can't be beat as these things are VERY light and inexpensive. The few extra seconds it takes to get out a 5mm hex is well worth the effort - if you have a flat in a race what difference does a few extra seconds make anyway, at that point it's just a matter of going for a respectful finish. |
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Submitted by
James Carroll
a cross-country rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: 11/12/1996 |
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| Bottom Line: |
I've had a pair of the chromoly shaft version (vs the ti) for about 2 years now. I originally got them so it would be difficult to steal my wheels while the bike was parked at school. Once I got used to them I got to the point that I no longer trusted QR's. They definitely give a better feel when closing and I'm much more confident that the wheels are on tight. I hammer pretty hard and have pulled QR held wheels out of the dropouts before, but have never had a problem with the Control Tech's. They are definitely a subjective item, I love them and prefer them to QR's. The are almost half the weight of high-end QR's which is a nice perk, and the price is great compared to other Ti skewers. |
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Submitted by
Dan K.
from truckee
Date Reviewed: 6/14/1996 |
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| Bottom Line: | These are the non quick release that need an allen wrench. These are light and great if you ride/park your bike and don't want to take the chance of your wheels disappearing. They're impractical for racing cuz who wants to look for the allen wrench? I had a set for over a year and the aluminum threads stripped after putting on the wheel and I had to ride the next hour slowly so the front wheel didn't fall off. Racers should look elsewhere. City posers love these things. |
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