Phil Wood Skewers

[AngryScientist]

I didnt even know Phil had skewers out there, but now that i do, i am disappointed. pretty big $, especially compared to the other "standards" out there. the disappointing part is the plastic bushing that the lever mates to. it's a wear part and plastic is really a cheap-o selection for this part.

hope skewers, on the other hand use brass in this spot, and make for a much more durable and secure closure. of course campy and shimano have the internal lever, and Paul had the newest cool QR's.

I would have expected something a little better engineered by Phil - no?

http://www.avt.bike/images/Phil_Wood/Skewers/Phil-Wood-QR-Skewer-Blue.jpg

compared to the brass bushing hope:

http://static.jensonusa.com/images/Color-Image/Zoom/0/G0000G2T.jpg

and of course these new Paul levers:

http://brimages.bikeboardmedia.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/paul-components-red-white-blue-QR-skewers2.jpg

[pbarry]

There should have been a warning! in the thread title: Severe aesthetic problem within--Do not open till you've had your coffee.

Those Phils are just wrong.

[AngryScientist]

yes, they look just like the generic crap that comes with stock $200 wheelsets.

[Candyman]

If we are just talking aesthetics they are nowhere near as bad as the Paul's!

[Lewis Moon]

Skewers are one of the few pieces of ShimaNo gear I'll stoop to use.
Nothing so wrong with Ultegra/Dura Ace/XT/XTR that would make me want to spend more. Those plastic chunks are complete crap.

[bicycletricycle]

Paul's are not ugly, they are funky.

Extremely well made like all paul stuff.


Those Phil's look like cheap Taiwan, ···

[AngryScientist]

Paul's are not ugly, they are funky.

Extremely well made like all paul stuff.


Those Phil's look like cheap Taiwan, ï½·ï½·ï½·

exactly.

[Cicli]

Those Phil skewers are cheesy.

[bicycletricycle]

It's really surprising, what in the heel happen with those?

External cam skewers are always crappy. maybe everyone at phil uses bolt on hubs and doesn't know anything about QRs.

[AngryScientist]

it is surprising.

chris king, for example - doesnt make QRs. I assume they just havent put the thought, time and engineering into it yet. i would have expected Phil to have NO offering until they can put out something good. and they arent cheap either.

[AJosiahK]

not into these at all.

too bad, would have expected a little better looking at least.

[8aaron8]

Is it me or are they just like the American Classic's http://static.jensonusa.com/images/Color-Image/Zoom/6/G000128F.jpg

[FlashUNC]

They look like badge engineering.

Shame. The Pauls are, to use a technical term, fantastic.

[Bradford]

Does anyone know how well they work? They look good enough for me if they work well.

I have one set of Hopes and everything else is Shimano. The Hopes look great but I'm not impressed with how they work at all. Shimano off of ebay would have been a better choice.

[Lewis Moon]

Does anyone know how well they work? They look good enough for me if they work well.

I have one set of Hopes and everything else is Shimano. The Hopes look great but I'm not impressed with how they work at all. Shimano off of ebay would have been a better choice.

All external cam QRs work crappily...it's a design flaw that they can't fix.
Stick with internal cams or the DT RWS.

[bicycletricycle]

all external cam qrs work crappily...it's a design flaw that they can't fix.
Stick with internal cams or the dt rws.

+1

[R3awak3n]

everyone always talks about internal cams. I have both, I love my campy skewers of course but on most of my bikes i have external cam skewers and I never had a single problem. I really do not see the design flaw since they not only work for me but for tons of other people out there.

I like internal too don't get me wrong but see nothing wrong with external.

The phill skewers are nice looking, I like them but i agree with the plastic bushing. I have a set of TI spesh skewers that I actually really really like and they have that plastic bushing and I see that is starting to crack. I need to replace them soon. They could have done much better, specially for $120.... that is outrageous for any pair of skewers.

Also, the paul skewers are ugly. Calling them funky is just a nice word for ugly. They don't fit with most bikes and I just don't like the way they look but that is just my opinion. They are also overpriced but most paul stuff is, I guess MIUSA but also because its paul

[Plum Hill]

What may appear to be plastic may in reality be engineering plastic, like Delrin. No big issue then.

[sandyrs]

everyone always talks about internal cams. I have both, I love my campy skewers of course but on most of my bikes i have external cam skewers and I never had a single problem. I really do not see the design flaw since they not only work for me but for tons of other people out there.

I like internal too don't get me wrong but see nothing wrong with external.

The phill skewers are nice looking, I like them but i agree with the plastic bushing. I have a set of TI spesh skewers that I actually really really like and they have that plastic bushing and I see that is starting to crack. I need to replace them soon. They could have done much better, specially for $120.... that is outrageous for any pair of skewers.

Also, the paul skewers are ugly. Calling them funky is just a nice word for ugly. They don't fit with most bikes and I just don't like the way they look but that is just my opinion. They are also overpriced but most paul stuff is, I guess MIUSA but also because its paul

Overpriced is a loaded word. I had cheapo stock external cam skewers on my cross bike and experienced the fully tightened rear skewer (believe me I know how to tighten a skewer) slipping COMPLETELY OUT OF THE VERTICAL DROPOUT when I stood to pedal from a standstill going uphill. Combination of really weak clamping and flexible frame, I think.

I've never had an incident with my Paul skewers and I like what they look like so I'm glad to own a pair. They are expensive, yes. They are not overpriced to me.

Those Phil skewers look like cheap crap trying to capitalize on the resurgence of ano'd decorative parts without any substance behind them. They may not be cheap to make but they give that impression to my eye. Diff'rent strokes and all that.

[bicycletricycle]

The thing that proved it for me was horizontal dropouts on road bikes, external can skewers tend to shift under hard efforts. At least that was my experience . A switch to shimano or campy always fixed it.

Of coarse this is not a worry for vertical dropouts but then why would you choose to have your wheels held into your bicycle less good than they could be ?


Also, aesthetics are subjective. I really like the look of the Paul skewers, you may not but that is neither here nor there, what can be said is that they are excellently crafted and hold the wheel in very securely.

I know they look clunky or partsy in comparison to some others, also some people don't like orange. But some people do like clunky orange things :)

[jemoryl]

yes, they look just like the generic crap that comes with stock $200 wheelsets.

Exactly. There are details of these that look exactly like some skewers which came on Velocity branded, Formula made hubs that I own. Well, they work OK, but I'm sure the Phil version probably cost more than the entire Velocity hub set.

[bicycletricycle]

What may appear to be plastic may in reality be engineering plastic, like Delrin. No big issue then.

The quality if the plastic doesn't seem to be the issue, salsa skewers use a high molecular weight plastic quality plastic and still don't hold as well. On the other hand, artificial knees and hips use PE, basically the same as in milk bottles.

[R3awak3n]

The thing that proved it for me was horizontal dropouts on road bikes, external can skewers tend to shift under hard efforts. At least that was my experience . A switch to shimano or campy always fixed it.

Of coarse this is not a worry for vertical dropouts but then why would you choose to have your wheels held into your bicycle less good than they could be ?


Also, aesthetics are subjective. I really like the look of the Paul skewers, you may not but that is neither here nor there, what can be said is that they are excellently crafted and hold the wheel in very securely.

I know they look clunky or partsy in comparison to some others, also some people don't like orange. But some people do like clunky orange things :)

I think that if they offered different colors it would be better for sure. At least all black or all silver. I am sure they are nicely crafted as all paul stuff is and in terms of how they look, they are a personal thing I guess.

I don't have any bike with vertical dropouts so that could be why I have been ok with external cams. I also think there are different kinds of external cams, my weight weenie skewers feel fleemsy, they feel like they dont have as much clamp power and I have thought about replacing them but so far they have been fine so they are staying. On the other end my spesh external cam skewers have tons of clamping power, feel great when they are closed and really clamp the wheel.

[bicycletricycle]

Also, Paul may seem overpriced when compared to cheaply made imported components but that is not a fair comparison. Something may cost more than you want to pay but that does not mean it is overpriced, those are two different things.

making anything out of quality materials with decently paid employees is expensive but the results can be worth it.

[sandyrs]

I think that if they offered different colors it would be better for sure. At least all black or all silver. I am sure they are nicely crafted as all paul stuff is and in terms of how they look, they are a personal thing I guess.

I don't have any bike with vertical dropouts so that could be why I have been ok with external cams. I also think there are different kinds of external cams, my weight weenie skewers feel fleemsy, they feel like they dont have as much clamp power and I have thought about replacing them but so far they have been fine so they are staying. On the other end my spesh external cam skewers have tons of clamping power, feel great when they are closed and really clamp the wheel.

There's definitely a wide range of quality when it comes to external cams. I have some Carver carbon wheels that came with externals, and they have a nice long lever arm that lets me get plenty of clamping force. I'd like to get internal cams on that wheelset too but fiscal responsibility dictates otherwise. No issues so far (fingers crossed)

[jds108]

everyone always talks about internal cams. I have both, I love my campy skewers of course but on most of my bikes i have external cam skewers and I never had a single problem. I really do not see the design flaw since they not only work for me but for tons of other people out there.

I like internal too don't get me wrong but see nothing wrong with external.


I have a Ti bike with semi-vertical dropouts. The external cam skewer slipped, so after an internet search Dura Ace was the clear answer. No slipping ever since. Those Ti dropouts have to be much harder than steel - despite how hard I clamp the skewer, there is no mark made on the dropout.

[Lewis Moon]

everyone always talks about internal cams. I have both, I love my campy skewers of course but on most of my bikes i have external cam skewers and I never had a single problem. I really do not see the design flaw since they not only work for me but for tons of other people out there.

I like internal too don't get me wrong but see nothing wrong with external.

The phill skewers are nice looking, I like them but i agree with the plastic bushing. I have a set of TI spesh skewers that I actually really really like and they have that plastic bushing and I see that is starting to crack. I need to replace them soon. They could have done much better, specially for $120.... that is outrageous for any pair of skewers.

Also, the paul skewers are ugly. Calling them funky is just a nice word for ugly. They don't fit with most bikes and I just don't like the way they look but that is just my opinion. They are also overpriced but most paul stuff is, I guess MIUSA but also because its paul

There are two problems with external cam skewers: The biggest is the actual size of the cam. On internal skewers it's pretty small, so the leverage advantage on the arm is high and the mechanical drag on the cam low. It works a lot better.
The second is the delrin or other plastic used in an attempt to lower the friction on the bigger cam. It's softer than metal and deforms. Also. unless the cam is spherical, like the KCNCs, the plastic bushing needs to be "managed" every time you put the wheel in the drops. No problem for the integrated internal cam.
I'm not saying external cams don't work, I'm just saying they don't work nearly as well as internal cam skewers. I just couldn't be bothered to use grade B gear when grade A gear is so cheap.
The original inventor had it right. Who was that, anyway?

[bobswire]

There are two problems with external cam skewers: The biggest is the actual size of the cam. On internal skewers it's pretty small, so the leverage advantage on the arm is high and the mechanical drag on the cam low. It works a lot better.
The second is the delrin or other plastic used in an attempt to lower the friction on the bigger cam. It's softer than metal and deforms. Also. unless the cam is spherical, like the KCNCs, the plastic bushing needs to be "managed" every time you put the wheel in the drops. No problem for the integrated internal cam.
I'm not saying external cams don't work, I'm just saying they don't work nearly as well as internal cam skewers. I just couldn't be bothered to use grade B gear when grade A gear is so cheap.
The original inventor had it right. Who was that, anyway?

Had to be Campagnolo! :)

[54ny77]

ain't nothing finer looking since.

http://racevelo.com/379-thickbox_default/Campagnolo-Quick-Release-Skewer-Super-Record.jpg

Had to be Campagnolo! :)

[Cicli]

Had to be Campagnolo! :)

And they work perfectly. :beer:

[spacemen3]

Velocity is now making internal cam skewers:

http://www.velocityusa.com/product/accessories/quick-release-skewer

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/0802/products/Velocity_QRs_large.png?v=1379900487

[Lewis Moon]

Velocity is now making internal cam skewers:

http://www.velocityusa.com/product/accessories/quick-release-skewer

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0098/0802/products/Velocity_QRs_large.png?v=1379900487

From the web page:
"Our internal cam quick release skewers outperform conventional levers by enclosing all clamping parts inside the skewer body, for clean, reliable service."

So, when did external cam skewers become "conventional"? Everything old is new again.

[oldpotatoe]

Not a fan of 'some' VO stuff but these are nice.

[R3awak3n]

specially since the campy ones those are copys of are going for $100 or more. I got a pair at $70 on ebay not too long ago, looks like I got a good deal

[Formulasaab]

All external cam QRs work crappily...it's a design flaw that they can't fix.

Have you ever used the Crank Bros Split ones? They are quite trick. I've got a set.

[Cicli]

Have you ever used the Crank Bros Split ones? They are quite trick. I've got a set.

they are nice. As far as external cam QR's its hard to beat the ones from Hope. I also had some from Woodman that had a brass cam. They were nice too. Now, Its Campagnolo on everything.

[AngryScientist]

the Hope ones work perfectly fine on standard vertical drop outs. i've got a few sets in service that have been problem free.

my bikes are in the car pretty often, which means front wheel off, so my front QRs anyway, get a lot of action.

[Cicli]

the Hope ones work perfectly fine on standard vertical drop outs. i've got a few sets in service that have been problem free.

my bikes are in the car pretty often, which means front wheel off, so my front QRs anyway, get a lot of action.

And that's where I had issues with plastic bushings. The Salsa skewer gave out in short order when the wheels saw a lot of R&R. I gave up on the plastic bushing cheapo skewers along time ago.

[christian]

Wow, those are really horrid.

[Wakatel_Luum]

I use Campagnolo, Mavic and Hope...they all work fine...

I like the Phil's...
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/05/4c4dbae7738f1814ba19248f5aa3eb11.jpg

[Peter P.]

The specs on the Phil Wood web site say the "Lever Pivot Material" is stainless steel. Are they referring to the pivot INSIDE the lever or, are you sure the black piece in the OP photo is plastic and not the stainless they're referring to?

At $120 they're definitely out of range of my tight wallet but the color option is definitely appealing.

[verbs4us]

For about 40 years I used Campy NR QR until just recently bought a new bike, in a dizzying leapfrog of about 6 bike evolutionary generations. Am using Phil quick releases and they are fine. A bit more of a find-tuned modulation of grip than the Campys--that is, the lever pressure advances more linearly. They look a little klunky to my eye (but then ... everything not preceded by "Brev." looks klunky to me) but feel well made and secure and I'm getting used to them. Like everything Phil, they are probably 20% heavier than everything else on the market. And I can give them to my great grandchildren.

[Martygarrison]

I think they are gorgeous.

[Cicli]

For about 40 years I used Campy NR QR until just recently bought a new bike, in a dizzying leapfrog of about 6 bike evolutionary generations. Am using Phil quick releases and they are fine. A bit more of a find-tuned modulation of grip than the Campys--that is, the lever pressure advances more linearly. They look a little klunky to my eye (but then ... everything not preceded by "Brev." looks klunky to me) but feel well made and secure and I'm getting used to them. Like everything Phil, they are probably 20% heavier than everything else on the market. And I can give them to my great grandchildren.

You want clunky, Look at the Paul skewers. I had a set, they are beautiful and work wonderfully but are massive and look out of place on the bike.

[R3awak3n]

I just got a pair of these of ebay. similar design to tune internal cam

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2013/06/145-659x440.jpg

they don't have the tune logo so I don't know if they are tune or not. The picture above is from contadors bike so if it works for him, works for me.

[bikinchris]

In order of how well they work (not just out of the box):
Shimano Dura Ace/XTR
Campy Record
Paul
Other branded internal mechanism skewers
Open skewers from brand names
Most other generic internal mechanism skewers
All other open skewers

Paul actually did a good job with their skewers. The funky colors drive me nuts though. Orange only goes with orange. If they make an all black skewer, they would sell more. I can't believe I admitted something from Shimano works. Their skewers are smoother than Campy but not really head and shoulders better.

[moose8]

I got a pair of those paul anniversary skewers awhile ago and they are great. But realistically in terms of function i haven't noticed any difference between the myriad other skewers i have, except maybe they are smoother opening and closing but i only do that when i flat or change cassettes neither if which happens very much. But i like how they look.

[spacemen3]

The Bontrager RL internal skewers are great, too.