3 Quick Releases That Won't Fail
A recall of nearly 1.5 million quick releases that could jam into disc-brake rotors when improperly used has brought lots of attention to an important bike part that usually receives little notice.
Sure, if your bike has the faulty quick releases you will be issued new ones—but now is a great time to talk about what defines a great quick release, and share a few of our favorites.
RELATED: Massive Quick Release Recall Expanded
Anatomy of a Good Quick Release
Internal Cam
Though heavier, the internal cam design is less likely to get contaminated than an external cam. A gritty cam is less smooth and reduces clamping force.
Serrations
Look for good toothy serrations on both the lever side and adjusting nut. Steel serrations are the best, particularly if the wheel is being clamped into a metal frame. Aluminum serrations aren’t worth much if they’re trying to bite into steel, which is harder than aluminum. To save weight, some QRs use a pressed-on, serrated-steel ring, or a small serrated adjusting nut topped with an aluminum cover.
Long and Wide Lever
Nothing radical here; it just makes the lever easier to use. Length increases leverage, and a wide lever is nicer to your hands.
Steel Skewer
When you’re talking about the thing holding your wheel in your frame, you want stiff and you want strong. That’s steel. Titanium makes a fine material for a skewer, but it’s generally used for QRs designed to be very light. That means a smaller diameter skewer, and an external cam.
Big Skewers
Get the biggest skewer that will fit through a hub. That’s generally a touch under five millimeters.
RELATED: The Right Way to Use a Quick Release
A Few of our Favorite Quick Releases
We checked, and all of the QRs below pass the “#2 pencil test” described in the quick release recall. However, you should always check for yourself that the skewers on your bike are safe.
Shimano Dura Ace 9000
If we were to recommend just one quick release, the Dura Ace 9000 would be it. It has all the stuff in our anatomy list above, including steel serrations on the adjusting nut, and the smoothest, best-working internal cam around. These particular QRs cost about $100 a pair. The Shimano Ultegra 6800 QRs are almost as good and will run you around $40 per pair.
Campagnolo
Tullio Campagnolo is credited with inventing the internal cam quick release, and the company continues to make a fine one with all the features we like. This one comes with its higher-end wheels. It is also sold aftermarket, though at a premium price—about $120 a set—while a lower-end version is available for $100. A similar quick release is also offered with Fulcrum branding.
Bontrager RL
The quick release that comes with Bontrager’s mid- to higher-end wheels has everything on our list, plus a pressed-on steel serrated ring on the adjusting nut. It also has captured springs, so it won’t fall on the floor when the QRs are pulled from the hubs. A new, sleeker-looking Bontrager internal-cam QR will be unveiled soon. They currently cost about $40 a set.
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