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Old October 24th 18, 01:13 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Sir Ridesalot
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Posts: 5,270
Default rear-facing dropouts

On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 6:59:59 AM UTC-4, Emanuel Berg wrote:
Today there was a gorgeous open-frame steel
bike from the 60s or 70s, with the favorite
635 tires.

The only wrench in the machinery is that it has
rear-facing dropouts, and the o-bolts to grab
the rear wheel axle to tighten the chain were
missing. If it ever had any! Or were they
always there on such bikes?

I think such, now exotic spare parts can be
difficult to find... Can you get away
without them?

I read [1] that on track bikes, also with
rear-facing dropouts, they don't have them (the
o-bolts). But I suppose people set the tension
before every race! I also read that track bikes
do not have QRs, because "threaded nuts will
hold the chain tension far longer", and that
such bikes have a more robust, 1/8in chain.
I bring this up because it seems to contradict
what was said in another thread that QR is
stronger than nuts. Obviously, people don't
race track bikes as others do commuters!
Unless I'm missing something else (I never even
saw a track bike IRL).

BTW aren't all nuts "threaded"? Except those
who participate in reality TV shows...

[1] page 188 in
@book{complete-road-bike-maintenance,
author = {Guy Andrews},
ISBN = {978 1 4081 7093 9},
publisher = {Bloomsbury},
title = {Complete Road Bike Maintenance},
year = 2013
}

--
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http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573


Rearward facing slots for holding the rear wheel in place are called TRACK ENDS not dropout.

No, the thread bolt with washer and nut to go on the threaded axle of a coaster brake or 3-speed bicycle aren't mandatory. they were mostly used to make it easier to replace the wheel in the same location it was in before removal for changing a tube or tire.

Track bicycles can have every bit as much strain on the drivetrain as any derailleur equipped bicycle. Since most rack bicycle racing is done on an indoor track there is not the same need for a quick release as there is on a road bicycle racing on the road where there is a lot more chance of getting a puncture and thus needing to QUICKLY change the wheel.

I don't know if it's still going on but in recent years there was quite the movement of bicyclists using fixed gear or track bicycles for commuting due to the simplicity of such bicycles i.e. no derailleurs or shifters ,or (in a lot of cases) brake levers and brake calipers.

Cheers
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