Originally Posted by
zacster
Another long time standard, quick release, replaced with a chaotic non-standard. With QR you could take any front mech and swap it with any other, same in the back. a 126 qr would still work with 130, and 135 was only slightly longer but they all were easily swapped. And hub sizes were always the same, 100 for front 126, 130 or 135 in the rear, and you could add or subtract a spacer too.
I did find a full set of Shimano Ultegra skewers with OEM packaging and the full instruction sheet and even handlebar hangtag with warnings. What was interesting was the amount of lengths shown on the packaging. 130 and 135 skewers will interchange. The 130 skewers will look like they are not fully threaded into the nut on a 135mm hub, but they are. This is because Shimano nuts are steel at the base and then have alloy or polymer caps which are NOT load bearing. Looking into the hole shows the skewer rod is fully engaged into the steel 'nut', but does not fill the non-loadbearing plastic hole. Using the 135 skewer in the 130mm hub will have the threaded tip of the skewer rod extend about 3-4mm past the plastic or alloy cap. the only downside I could see there is if you crashed, the tip could drag over pavement and damage the threads, but unthreading the nut should be possible. Keep in mind that if that happens your RD will be toast.
The wide varieties allow for different in dropout thickness, the varieties of mountain, road and recreational hubs and bikes, and also disc braking systems.
Which I why I fully agree with your statement. I have no opposition to thru axles, but would prefer they be a standard spec. versus proprietary interfaces and threading. I suspect manufacturers are trying to limit liabilities, but my cynical side says it is just another place to put a corporate name on the rolling, spinning billboards of modern bikes.