oldbobcat

Beg to differ, Any bike that I can keep alive with annual tune-ups for 20 or 30 years is a damn good bike. In this class I include Rockhoppers and Hardrocks, Trek 800s, 7000s, FXs, and Marlins, Gary Fisher hardtails, Boulder-era Schwinn hardtails, and Raleigh MT200s, and a lot of other low-end bikes from the major manufacturers. The shop where I worked for ten years offered free winter tune-ups on any bike purchased from us for the original owner (or family). I used to tease these customers that they got more in free tune-ups than what we got for selling them the bike. But I always added that as long as they let me sell them tires, cables, brake pads, handlebar grips, a hub overhaul and a new bottom bracket, and a new saddle when they needed it, I was glad to see the bike come back. And those bikes were loved and ridden.

Most big-box bikes do not last the first season of use.

But you're right about the wheels. Quick release hubs on a custom mountain bike is obsolete at the starting gate.

HerrKaLeun

Some of those low end LBS bikes still come with freewheels and straight steerer. that basically makes any upgrades moot. They literally are not better than the better Walmart bikes. Note that Walmart sells somewhat better bikes through their website and they are some steps above the $100 bikes they have in the physical store. Check out YT channel Kevcentral, he does a lot of reviews and project bikes based on the "better" big box bikes. Those really are not worse than the low end Trek et al.

We are not talking about 20-30 year old bikes. This is a new bike. If someone has an old QR bike and it works, perfect. No need to change. But a new bike should be new. Even all the road/gravel bikes nowadays have TA and disc brakes, and they were very late to the party.

OP was asking about a new bike that I assume won't be cheap (custom frame). and most of the newer hubs don't exist in QR version. What if the customer wants to get a premium rear-hub? You know, someone who has a custom-made frame probably really wants exactly what he wants and not just "something". None of the newer premium hubs offer QR.

I have one good bike with QR and the fact it doesn't have TA is the major drawback. Not enough to buy a new bike. But enough to know any new bike will have TA. Besides the typical disc brake problems of QR, I'm basically shut out of buying a hub with MS body (at least not one of the brands I want). It is a 2016 bike and at that time QR already was on the way out. But in 2021 we really should not be talking about QR for a new bike.

prj71

I always noticed on QR (I currently own a bike with QR axles) that if you weren't paying careful attention, that the wheel would be slightly out of alignment with the frame. For this reason alone...thru axles for the win.

Cyclist0108

I remember now I asked last September:

oldbobcat

I'm saying, just because a bike has a freewheel, a straight steerer, and QR hubs, don't say it's only 1% better than a department store bike. The difference between a good 30 year-old bike and a department store bike is, I can maintain it and someone can ride it for 30 years. When a rider wears out his brake pads, the caliper I attach the new pads to isn't broken. And there are plenty of riders doing gnarly singletrack on 15 year-old full suspension trail bikes with QR hubs. The handling isn't as sharp, and the hubs aren't as strong, but they're out there having fun. You can't do that with a department store bike.

And of course no one should build a custom MTB frame for QR in 2021. The advantages of thru-axle are clear and QR is dead for this category. Indications are it will be dead for most other applications in a few years.

HerrKaLeun

I don't think we are in disagreement. If you have an old bike and it works and serviceable - just ride. Don't fix what isn't broken.

I admit I bought a QR straight steerer bike last year - a 24" for my (then) 8 year old. but that bike doesn't get serious load and by definition won't be needed for more than 3-4 years.

oldbobcat

My 1980 Masi Gran Criterium has a straight steerer, freewheel, and quick-release hubs. It gets ridden.

guy153

Well the last frame I built in 2021 had canti/V-brake bosses

oldbobcat

The customer is always right, no?

I'll eventually be dragged, kicking and screaming, into getting a disc brake road bike. If I don't die first.

downtube42

Just night i was looking at my options for 11 speed road 135mm disc QR hubs, for a second/650b wheelset. In the $200 range, there are plenty of hub options. Aside from Formula, not much below that point. I was hoping for 105 level pricing, but no dice.

It seemed like at 130mm there were more at lower price points, not at the higher end.

In road 8-10 and MTB 11 speed spacing, there's are a ton of options across the price range. Maybe not for long.

I just built up a Soma Fog Cutter, which is 135mm QR. I love it, but I'll go TA on my next build, purely based on hub availability.

cpach

It's what's so infuriating about it! Totally nice bike, horrendous hub options, particularly given the stock wheels SUCKED. Had a customer with a hub flange literally exploding and cracked rim eyelets and broken spokes. Got a new hub from a Specialized dealer (we weren't) in the area (nice of them to offer us near cost), rebuilt on an extra burly rim (I think a DT R521) with 2.0/1.5/2.0 spokes on the NDS. Customer was happy. Never saw him again, so I'm hoping it worked out. I spent WAY too much time researching options, including replacing the dropouts or modifying hubs.

guy153

Well the customer was only me Drifting off topic here but I don't like disks on road bikes. I like the symmetry and elegance of light-weight fork blades and stays with braking forces going through the strongest places on the frame. Road calipers are simple and just plain work. I live somewhere pretty flat anyway. When it comes to heavier-built bikes with wider tyres, cantis and V-brakes are a bit more of a faff and there's a much stronger case for disks.

oldbobcat

The guys I worked with used to say, "Don't buy a road bike with disc brakes. They'll only slow you down."

My opinion is, on a road bike it's a lot of overhead--expense and rotating weight--for something that gets used so little. That's a minority opinion these days.

Cyclist0108

I thought the point of any type of brake was to slow you down.