Evolving axle standards can be maddening for riders who have a favourite set of wheels.
Very few front hubs are easily adaptable to various thru-axle sizes and that means an expensive wheelset rebuild, or new fork purchase when the cycling industry introduces new standards.
As road and gravel bikes have migrated to accepting the 12mm thru-axle standard, riders on 15mm axle wheels find themselves potentially in a bind – having to invest in either a new front-wheel or fork.
A more affordable solution is now at hand, courtesy of Forkmods. True to its name, the company has produced a range 15- to 12mm axle adapter kits, for a diverse collection of frames.
Inspiration for this thru-axle solution came from the frustration experienced by Forkmods founder, Adrian Hodgson. Seeking to upgrade the wheelset on his 2016 Trek Domane 6.9 Disc, Hodgson discovered a dearth of options due to the fork’s 15mm axle standard.
After scouring the internet for aftermarket kits, Hodgson eventually identified a component with potential and suggested a joint-venture, which is how Forkmods came into being.
The Forkmods kit consists of replacement threaded ends, flange reducer sleeves and an aluminium 12mm thru-axle. Aware of the various propriety parts involved with some front fork and wheel combinations, Hodgson is producing an array of kits, specific to certain brands and their individual models.
Its product inventory currently has conversion kits for Specialized, Trek, Focus, Fox, 3T, Lynskey, Merida and an ever-expanding portfolio of new bike models and forks.
For those riders who wish to have greater wheelset convergence between their frames, the Forkmods kit is a relatively inexpensive bridging component, at only AU$120.
