neil foddering wrote:
> OK, here goes with my theory:
>
> On a bike designed for ultra-close rear wheel clearance, it makes sense
> to have a rear-facing dropout - the wheel just has to be fitted in to
> the dropout slots, and moved forward as far as it will go. No need to
> fiddle about, making sure that the wheel is correctly aligned, as you
> would with a forward-facing dropout, and with the wheel spindle braced
> against the end of the track dropout, extra insurance against it pulling
> over. With a forward facing dropout, some allowance has to be made to
> move the wheel forward in order to release it from the frame, so closer
> clearance can be achieved with a track dropout.
There's only one problem with this theory: On a fixed gear bike, the position of the axle in the slot depends greatly on the gearing chosen and the chain length needed to accommodate that gear. Unless the frame was specifically designed and carefully constructed to use a single, specific gear ratio and chain length that placed the axle in the forward-most position, chances are you'll seldom be able to achieve that ideal situation. Maybe a tandem-style elliptical BB shell could do it, but I don't see single-rider fixed gear frames being built that way.
--
-John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA