It totally takes longer to switch a disc brake wheel with thru axle. Even with a lever built in, unscrewing it pulling it out, getting the wheel seated with disc, getting the thru axle started back in the threads. I can swap a Qr wheel in a couple of seconds. Everything goes right with a disc wheel it’s going to take twice as long. Any hiccups, ie the axle doesn’t want line up and thread or the disc doesn’t want to seat and it’s more than a minute and this doesn’t even raise the issue of the disc spacing being a mm off on a neutral support wheel..
I own 3 bikes with thru axles, and have or have had a gazillion with QR. It’s ignorant, or disingenuous to contend it’s as quick to change a disc wheel with thru axle. Hence many pro teams don’t even bother and just swap out whole bikes.
and who fixes a flat in a race? I don’t think I have ever done a road race without a wheel truck.
as for the 200 grams, let’s see a direct apple to apples same dollars comparison of weight. It’s getting harder because many bikes are no longer offered with rim brakes, but last time I checked, it was typically a pound or more. Admittedly the delta is closing. But just for an example a Canyon aero road can still be had in a rim brake version, and a comparable Aeroroad with rims brakes is a pound light and a $1000 or so cheaper than a comparable disc brake version. If you want to get to the 15 pound UCI limit with a disc bike you’re going to pay, and very difficult without doing some very speedy stuff to get sub 13.
Pretty sure you can’t get a sub 14 pound, sub 5k bike with discs, and you can easily with rim brakes.
And even if it is 200 grams, why give up half a pound when your braking is still limited by your contact patch?
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Last edited by merlinextraligh; 02-11-21 at 07:26 PM.