RE: [CR]Track ENDS/Nutted Fasteners

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

From: "Mark Bulgier" <mark@bulgier.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: RE: [CR]Track ENDS/Nutted Fasteners
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 08:48:22 -0800


Warren Young wrote:
> First, they are track ends, not dropouts.

I don't think "ends" is useful terminology. In my opinion it never was; it isn't specific enough or evocative enough of what the parts do. But aside from all that, now that virtually all manufacturers, distributors, retailers and riders call them dropouts, dropouts is the word that gets the idea across. That is the point of communication isn't it?

I'm not really that relentlessly practical in everything, I do have some dying or dead linguistic usages I will still fight for (it's champing at the bit, not chomping!). But in this case I just never liked the term ends - or especially fork ends, when used for rear dropouts, as the English editions of Campy catalogs called 'em. Fork ends in the rear? That hurts! ;^)

Anyway, I won't think less of you for carrying on this crusade, but I won't go along with it. It ever was and will be "track dropouts" for me. I apologize in advance if that grates on your ear.

Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA