David,
I am no frame painter but I have delt with thousands of new bikes in business and hundred's (if not thousand's) of repainted frames.
A modern quick release skewer can exert thousands of pounds per square in pressure. Phil Wood stated a horriffic figure (I don't recall but I think it was 30,00 psi, comment anyone seems high but maybe my perception) in older liturature about the pressure of a skewer under compression on bearings.
At any rate A good serrated axle locknut and a good tight serrated skewer will I feel devistate any paint in a short while. It is consievable if it does not the wheel could slip. In otherwords the skewer should purchase into the metal dropout. Cosmetically, in use no genuine harm will come and cosmetics will not be affected in use unless your wheel moves around alot (rear only) and that is not a problem with vertical dropouts.
Chrome suffers the same problem as it will chip and flate (doulbe ditto if it's not taken care of) but I must say maytimes chrome on dropouts can last for decades. My old friend All Chrome Rene Herse Demontable has no flaking or coorsion on the dropout faces whatsoever and it has minimal care in this department.
Nickel plating is harder but could the wheel slip more easily? Alex Moulton and other top builders (on this list I think) has been using Stainless Steel dropouts on his top models since 1982 with long lasting results but the advantage here is no plating to fail since stainless is uh; through and through , well uh, stainless steel.
I do like that Italians tend to chrome the dropouts on their older machines with some critssim. Because of potential durability of the chrome ( many last through several repaints however) some people feel paint is superior to chrome but I like to think top products are made both ways.
Just my 7ยข on the subject,
Gilbert Anderson
The North Road Bicycle Company your bicycle outfitter 519 W. North St. Raleigh, NC 27603 USA ph toll free in USA :800/321-5511 Local ph: 919/828-8999 E-Mail: cyclestore@aol.com
In a message dated 2/25/01 6:47:59 PM, davidg@iag.net writes:
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This is a question directed at the frame painters. I have two bikes that
have been repainted and have noticed that both have the paint chipped of
down to primer on both the front and rear dropouts. Is this a common
problem, or is this the result of a poorly prepped and painted frame? How
does one prevent this from happening, since it really detracts from the
overall finish on a bike?
David Goerndt >>