Bike Axle

Bike axles are an integral part of your drivetrain and help keep your wheels attached to your bike. They come in a wide variety of sizes, thus when searching for new bike axles there are myriad factors to consider, starting with what brand and whether you are in need of a standard or thru-axle type bike axle. In either case, they’ll be sized according to length and diameter, which is represented in millimeters. JensonUSA carries an assortment of bicycle axles, both thru-axle style and conversion bike axles that you thread into your hub.

Not so long ago, the majority of bike frames and forks utilized slotted dropouts that provided a place for the hub axle to rest. Then a quick release skewer was slid through the hollow axle and clamped everything in place. But in recent years thru-axle setups have become the norm on mountain bikes and are becoming increasingly popular on road bikes, gravel bikes, cross bikes, and many other drop bar bikes, too. This type of bike axle threads directly into the frame or fork, and is secured by either a tool or an attached quick release mechanism. This style has a larger diameter for extra stiffness and security, which is especially important on disc brake-equipped bikes that are more susceptible to issues of alignment, lest your brake rotors rub on your brake pads.

Axles do come in different lengths and diameters. There are specific front axles and rear axles that come in different lengths and even have different thread pitches. Front wheels will typically use a 100mm or 110mm length, while rear wheels will use a 135, 142, or 148mm length. The thread pitch is mostly based on the fork or frame. These can often be brand specific, so if you have a Fox fork, then you’ll want to get a Fox thru-axle. This can be problematic in certain instances where the front fork will have a different brand than what the rear of the bike uses.

Whether you’re converting your wheels from one axle size to another or need a new 15mm thru-axle or 12mm thru-axle because your current one is worn out, JensonUSA has you covered. We stock bike axles from companies like RockShox, Campagnolo, DT Swiss, Chris King, Easton, Stan’s NoTubes, and SRAM. And if you have any questions, pick up the phone to give one of our Gear Advisors a call. They’re ready and waiting with the answers you need to get the right part for your bike. You can email, chat, or call them at 888-880-3811.