Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey.....Not always

Many will know that pedals will have a reverse thread and it is fairly common on screw thread bottom brackets as well. But what about thru axles? As far as we know they are all conventional right hand threads. However, for the second time in a month a customer has come into our workshop because they couldn't get an axle undone. A bit worrying as they only require about 12nm of torque. Many axles can be accessed at both ends with a lever or Allen of the correct size. All will have a 'cap' on one end to act as a stop that pushes against the frame or fork. Think about that for just a moment.  If you try to undo the axle from the wrong side no matter how much force you use all you will be doing is tightening it. If you remove or insert the axle from the end with the 'cap' righty tighty and lefty loosey applies. Try it at the other end with enough force and something will eventually break.