whitemax

If I understand the function of a wheel skewer correctly, it is to clamp the wheel into the dropout. So...is there any downside to using as light as possible a skewer, say one made of titanium? I would think that the wheel hub is what keeps things stiff and not the skewer so no risk of skewer flex and breakage. Thoughts?

Clipped_in

Sheldon, as well as other very credible people seem to thing they're not a good idea. LINK TO ARTICLE

I've ridden both internal cam chromoly as well as exposed cam type ti skewers, and I can't honestly say I can tell a difference. I'm riding enclosed cam locking right now simply because of the expert recommendations that they are better and I had some lying around.

It makes sense to me that a stiffer skewer shaft would better support the axle. Certainly the aluminum lock nuts don't "bite" into the dropouts like the steel ones.

Ferrous Bueller

Titanium skewers are neither as stiff, nor clamp as well as steel-shafted skewers. But this is less important when used with a rigid fork than a suspension one.
If you want to lighten your wheels, look at lighter tubes, tires, rim strips, rims, spokes, and hubs before you look at skewers. I understand they're easy to swap out and bling-ey, but I'd consider Ti skewers a non-upgrade.

Looigi

Skewers need to maintain sufficient tension. Flex is not part of the equation. They are way more flexible than the wheel's axle and frame's dropouts so contribute nothing in this respect. If they maintain the correct tension and don't break, they are fine.

merlinextraligh

With vertical dropouts on the back, and lawyer tabs on the front, I wouldn't worry about using most any skewer that's currently mass marketed.

Horizontal dropouts and I'd use a good closed cam skewer like Shimano.

That said, Ti skewers =

datlas 

Many of us are closet weight weenies. I know I personally love my KCNC Ti skewers. Very light.

whitemax

That's what I was thinking. However, since the Mavic skewers that came with my new Kysyrium SLS's weigh approx. 125 grams and I already had some ti skewers laying around (M2 Racer) that weigh much less, it would seem prudent to use them, yes?

StanSeven

Looks like you forgot what forum you're in

Ferrous Bueller

You're right. By 'stiff' I was referring to the feel of the QR lever when it closes. The Ti skewers are more elastic than steel ones, and therefore need to stretch more to achieve the same clamping force. The lever feel is less positive.

Ferrous Bueller

Looks like you didn't read the sentence you quoted.

Mike F

I was worried about using Ti skewers with carbon drop outs since the "clamping area" was smaller and seemed sharper than the stock ones. I asked in several forums and people said they have been using them fine. I have the Ti ones from another build but for now they stay in the parts bin. Maybe when Im .1 oz from breaking the 15lb barrier Ill use them .

StanSeven

How many road bikes have suspension forks? Not very many

Ferrous Bueller

Wow! Really?
I was trying to impress on the OP that the shortcomings of Ti skewers matter less for road riding than other applications. Was that too hard to grasp?

Seattle Forrest

Ti skewers are (or can be) very light, they work just as well as any other skewer (you can't tell the difference in a blind test), and they're probably the cheapest way to drop 100 grams from your bike.

jolly_ross

Outrageously expensive set of Tune Ti skewers on my first UK bike (yes, I know it's not a roadbike)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jbgJSh7P4x...h/P1010237.JPG

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jbgJSh7P4x...h/P1010263.JPG

The reason to buy titanium is - on a sunny day, if you hold your breath and put an ear close to it - you can hear it quietly humming to itself with joy.

eja_ bottecchia

Nicely played. I like my Salsa Ti skewers.

soma5

I've used a large assortment of quick-release skewers, mainly because I've been cycling for a long time. I've had some great Ti ones, too. The only ones that have ever given me any trouble are the ones with the plastic cone nut with metal threaded insert. I've had one of the cone nuts crack, and tracking down the creaking noise was incredibly difficult. In fact, I even re-spoked a wheel trying to fix the creaking that turned out to be from the cracked nut, thinking that the creaking was coming from the spoke crossings. Bummer. I finally replaced those crappy skewers with Dura Ace, never mind the weight difference. The way they work makes me happy every time I use them.

Clipped_in

Wow, I'll have to pay closer attention--that's kewl!

danvuquoc

For what its worth, I've retired my KCNC skewers after a year because of the ridiculous amount of creaking I get from them. No matter what I do, I can't get the creak to go away for more than a hundred miles. Its a common complaint among the weight weenie Ti skewers.

soma5

I hate creaking skewers. I will avoid KCNC ones. I think I've probably bought my last set of weight-weenie skewers. The Dura Ace ones are so nice and work so well that it is hard to justify paying more for less.

sced

The J&L Ti skewers for $20 on Ebay seem pretty good. I have them on two bikes with no problems and have bought them for friends as gifts and they've never complained.

marqueemoon

You guys are confusing material with design. There really isn't anything about ti that makes it an unsuitable material, but the external cam design that goes into making the rest as weenie as possible is not as good. But if you have vertical dropouts and lawyer tabs on the fork you're probably going to be fine as has been said already.

TiBikeGuy

A skewer must exert enough clamping force to prevent the hub from moving especially when you put your weight on out of the saddle hill climbs. Brands like Token try to reduce weight by using smaller diameter titanium rod, and the threaded alloy part on the right side doesn't have enough threads to hold it together. Clamping it too tight will risk stripping the threads out of it. Not clamping it tight enough will develop ghost shifts.

I have no problems with Control Tech ti skewers. They use a fatter ti rod, and the threaded portion is very wide. This ensures that there is sufficient threads gripping the ti rod.

back4more

I use the black Zipp titanium aero skewers and am happy with the choice.

Looigi

FWIW, No creaking with the KCNCs I've had. Not sure what about them would make them creak more/differently than other skewers.