What types of end widths are available for gravel bikes?

There are four types of road bike end widths

There are four main types of end widths for road bikes, not just gravel bikes.

1. 100mm
2. 130mm
3. 135mm
4. 142mm

Of these, 100mm is the front end width and this is common to almost all road bikes. However, there are two types of fixation methods: quick-release and through-axle.

On the other hand, the width of the rear end differs depending on the brake standard. 130mm is the standard width for quick-release hubs used on rim-brake bicycles. On the other hand, the same quick-release type may be 135 mm wide for disc brake vehicles.

142mm width is the standard for current disc brake bikes, and the fixing method is through-axle. Since quick release and through-axle have different end standards, it is not possible to install the different types.

For through-axle gravel bikes

When the wheel fixing standard is through-axle, the standard end width is 100mm at the front and 142mm at the rear. Since most gravel bikes have disc brakes, this combination is the major one.

However, for some MTB-based gravel bikes, 148mm wide thru-axles are used in some cases, so check the specifications table on the manufacturer’s official website for this area.

For quick-release gravel bikes

Although not found on current models, some older models or inexpensive gravel bikes may have quick-release disc brakes.

For quick-release gravel bikes, the front is 100 mm wide and the rear is 135 mm wide. Note that this is also different from the 130mm rear end width for rim brake bikes.

Note that most quick-release disc brake wheels are 135mm wide, so they cannot be installed on rim brake vehicles whose frame standard is 130mm end width.

For through-axle/quick-release mixed gravel bikes

Some entry-level gravel bikes have mixed end standards, with “through-axle front and quick-release rear”.

In such cases, the front is often a combination of “100mm wide through axle” and rear “135mm quick release”.

In this case, it is quite a hassle to procure wheels. You can use current disc brakes only for the front, but for the rear, you will have to look for older 135mm wide quick-release wheels. In this case, you will have to use different model wheels for the front and rear.

However, disc wheels from wheel manufacturer Mavic and older Fulcrum disc wheels come standard with an adapter to convert the rear end, so you can use either wheel. In this case, you can use the same wheel on the front and rear.

Gravel Bike End Width Comparison Table

Type	Fixed System	Front End Width	Rear End Width
Rim brake	Quick release	100mm	130mm
Disc brake	Quick release	100mm	135mm
Disc brake	Thru-axle	100mm	142mm

Check the end width when buying a gravel bike

As we have seen, the small standard difference in end width can greatly affect wheel selection and even future upgrade customization.

In particular, there are extremely few types of 135mm quick-release disc brake wheels, and only a few types are still in circulation today. In this sense, Mavic wheels that still come with conversion adapters for disc wheels are valuable, but we do not know how long Mavic will keep the conversion type.

So, when buying a gravel bike, be sure to check the end width standard and buy a “100mm/142mm through-axle type” bike.