compared to conventional through-axle dropouts / through-axles:
less weight
clearly user friendlier, quicker fitting and removal of rear wheel
for the first time a toe and camber adjustment of the rear wheel is possible. For this, the thread insert in the right dropout is replaced by an excentrical thread insert which can then be adjusted to the desired position
Maximum lateral stability and stiffness thanks to the cone which achieves a play-free connection in axial as well as radial direction
Sorry I should have specified that I was talking 135x10 through axle not quick release.
While I don't doubt your sources
an independent opinion (as opposed to manufacturers marketing) is always worth a look:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/12x142-explained.html
The goal of the 12 x 142 is not to make a stiffer rear end, although it will be inherently stiffer than the equally convenient 135 quick release system that we're all used to, but to combine the best of both a quick release and a thru-axle design. Yes, we can all manage to install a thru-axle rear wheel on our current bikes without much hassle, but after playing with the new 12 x 142 layout I can honestly admit that it was even more effortless to use. The system's auto wheel centering feature meant that I didn't have to flip the bike over or struggle to line up the hub opening with the axle before pushing it through - just drop the wheel in and slid the axle home. I'm not saying that I'm all for it, but I think it's important to remember that a bike is the sum of it's parts and that if bikes never evolved, even if only in small steps that we're seeing now, we'd still all be using threaded loose ball headsets and cup and cone bottom brackets on our bikes. When it comes down to it, no one needs the new 12 x 142 axle size, but there are benefits to it that are worth looking at.
