Two-decade-old standard!
As I understand it the [**patent expired**](https://patents.google.com/patent/US6371252B1/en) in August. While there have been limited non-Shimano Center Lock rotor options (Magura, SRAM) for years now, I'd expect an uptick in the availability of basic replacement rotor options as well as budget CL hub options - where non-Shimano Center Lock hubs have been higher-end to date - DT Swiss, Industry Nine, Chris King, etc.
I'm seeing Center Lock coming in from two directions. One, Shimano has been massively pushing their wheel program the last two years, and common now for low-to-mid level mountain bikes with Shimano builds to have Center Lock mounting. Kona is an example I throw around. Rocky Mountain too.
It's true that there's a huge exception of bike companies doing their wheel programs. I know that cuts out a lot of bikes - Giant, Trek, Specialized - but let's see what they're doing in two years.
Then look at after-market wheel brands. DT Swiss still does 6-Bolt for OE customers (the Canyon Lux Trail I tested for example) but try buying a non-Center Lock wheel from them aftermarket. Santa Cruz / Reserve is Center Lock. Reynolds is Center Lock. Enve is Center Lock. King is Center Lock. Ibis is an interesting one where their cheaper wheels are 6-Bolt but the top-end options are Center Lock, which would indicate to me where they're going.
I also don't think that, like Presta valves, we can discount the influence of high-end road bikes on mountain biking. It's not as simple as ignoring that many companies that make 6-Bolt hubs/wheels for MTB are only making CL now for Road/Gravel. Bontrager is an example, Specialized/Roval have Center Lock road wheels too, as does SRAM/Zipp.
Industry Nine still offers most of their mountain wheels in both Center Lock and 6-Bolt, so they're the canary that I'm watching. As with all this stuff, it will be fun to come back in 3, 5, 10(?) years and see where we're at. I very much prefer 6-Bolt as well and if I was king of mountain biking it wouldn't be going anywhere.
Feb. 9, 2022, 11:18 a.m. - Andrew Major
Two-decade-old standard! As I understand it the [**patent expired**](https://patents.google.com/patent/US6371252B1/en) in August. While there have been limited non-Shimano Center Lock rotor options (Magura, SRAM) for years now, I'd expect an uptick in the availability of basic replacement rotor options as well as budget CL hub options - where non-Shimano Center Lock hubs have been higher-end to date - DT Swiss, Industry Nine, Chris King, etc. I'm seeing Center Lock coming in from two directions. One, Shimano has been massively pushing their wheel program the last two years, and common now for low-to-mid level mountain bikes with Shimano builds to have Center Lock mounting. Kona is an example I throw around. Rocky Mountain too. It's true that there's a huge exception of bike companies doing their wheel programs. I know that cuts out a lot of bikes - Giant, Trek, Specialized - but let's see what they're doing in two years. Then look at after-market wheel brands. DT Swiss still does 6-Bolt for OE customers (the Canyon Lux Trail I tested for example) but try buying a non-Center Lock wheel from them aftermarket. Santa Cruz / Reserve is Center Lock. Reynolds is Center Lock. Enve is Center Lock. King is Center Lock. Ibis is an interesting one where their cheaper wheels are 6-Bolt but the top-end options are Center Lock, which would indicate to me where they're going. I also don't think that, like Presta valves, we can discount the influence of high-end road bikes on mountain biking. It's not as simple as ignoring that many companies that make 6-Bolt hubs/wheels for MTB are only making CL now for Road/Gravel. Bontrager is an example, Specialized/Roval have Center Lock road wheels too, as does SRAM/Zipp. Industry Nine still offers most of their mountain wheels in both Center Lock and 6-Bolt, so they're the canary that I'm watching. As with all this stuff, it will be fun to come back in 3, 5, 10(?) years and see where we're at. I very much prefer 6-Bolt as well and if I was king of mountain biking it wouldn't be going anywhere.