I see things through a couple of lenses. I have had a CL rotor come loose on a ride that I know I cranked down and it really sucked - whereas with a regular rotor I always have a t25 - but it has only happened once. I also don't tend to bend/warp rotors much so straightening them isn't always a big advantage (although it is why I always buy solid steel rotors instead of the composite steel/aluminum ones).
On the other hand, wrenching in a shop I've seen a lot of loose CL rotors. With the 6-bolt running rotor bolts a bit loose isn't going to damage either member of the friction-loaded system, the hub or the rotor, and it is much more obvious that the rotor is loose (sound and feel). On the CL system, the splined interface does wear and in all the hub v. rotor cases, I've seen that now have an outsized amount of play in them it's the hub that's wearing. Replacing hubs costs a fortune compared to replacing rotors and my concern is once that spline interface is worn the rotors will continue to come loose (although I don't keep track of it in such a way that I can back that up with numbers).
I think it's important to remember that the rider who lubes their chain a night before the ride is the exception to the rule. In my experience, the average rider is more likely to have loose lock-on grips that throttle than to do any kind of routine bolt check.
Aug. 21, 2021, 8:10 a.m. - Andrew Major
I see things through a couple of lenses. I have had a CL rotor come loose on a ride that I know I cranked down and it really sucked - whereas with a regular rotor I always have a t25 - but it has only happened once. I also don't tend to bend/warp rotors much so straightening them isn't always a big advantage (although it is why I always buy solid steel rotors instead of the composite steel/aluminum ones). On the other hand, wrenching in a shop I've seen a lot of loose CL rotors. With the 6-bolt running rotor bolts a bit loose isn't going to damage either member of the friction-loaded system, the hub or the rotor, and it is much more obvious that the rotor is loose (sound and feel). On the CL system, the splined interface does wear and in all the hub v. rotor cases, I've seen that now have an outsized amount of play in them it's the hub that's wearing. Replacing hubs costs a fortune compared to replacing rotors and my concern is once that spline interface is worn the rotors will continue to come loose (although I don't keep track of it in such a way that I can back that up with numbers). I think it's important to remember that the rider who lubes their chain a night before the ride is the exception to the rule. In my experience, the average rider is more likely to have loose lock-on grips that throttle than to do any kind of routine bolt check.