RE: [CR]REARWARD FACING DROP-OUTS redux

(Example: Production Builders)

Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 08:12:01 -0800 (PST)
From: "Fred Rafael Rednor" <fred_rednor@yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: [CR]REARWARD FACING DROP-OUTS redux
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <BAY115-F113F54376B7DE5DF3AC2AABFB20@phx.gbl>


Neil,
    The photo of the Granby, in particular, was truly educational. Thanks.
    What struck me as particulary interesting, is that if you used a derailleur - like that Cyclo - which mounted to the chain stay, you really could have a bike that might be reconfigured quickly for road racing, track racing, touring or simply for running errands around town.
     Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)


--- neil foddering wrote:


>
> Thank you Norris, this clarifies it perfectly.
>
> For anyone interested, you can view the following at:
>
> http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v396/hadendowa/Claud%20Butler/
>
> 1. Photos of a road/path frameset, badged as a Claud Butler,
> but I'm
> dubious of this. Whilst not relevant to this thread, idf
> anyone can
> positively identify it, I'd be most grateful.
>
> 2. Pictures of rear dropouts, with adjusters, on my 1938
> Granby. For some
> unknown reason, they are not the Granby patent ones, but
> Brampton 9s, as illustrated on:
>
> 3. a scan of page 109 from the 1932 Brown Brothers
> catalogue, which,
> together with:
>
> 4. a scan of page 110 from the 1932 Brown Brothers catalogue
> shows the
> various features mentioned by Norris, including the
> wheel/chain adjusters
> and the small spigots pressed or forged or machined into the
> very end of
> each drop-out (see first engraving at top left of page 110
> for the latter).
>
> 5. A scan of the relevant page from the 1939 Claud Butler
> catalogue.
>
> Neil Foddering
> Weymouth, Dorset, England
>
>
>
> >From: Norris Lockley <norris.lockley@talktalk.net>
> >Reply-To: norris.lockley@talktalk.net
> >To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >Subject: [CR]REARWARD FACING DROP-OUTS redux
> >Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:09:32 +0000
> >
> >I have only just dashed back from ameeeting and am now
> trying to find some
> >relaxation by reading the Clasicrendezvous List. So far I
> have read only a
> >selection of contributions, but felt that I might be able to
> explain why th
> >is type if horizontally rear-facing drop-outs were used. If
> someone has alr
> >eady put forward this expanation please accept my apologies
> because I haven
> >'t yet had time to read all the contris yet.
> >
> >
> >
> >Some members have correctly stated that the long rear slot
> permitted the ra
> >pid change of gear ratios, by replacing the single
> sprocket...usually a fix
> >ed gear one, the chain taking up the slack of the chain or
> vice-versa
> >, hence the longer than usual slot..longer than those on
> long Campag
> >forward-facing gear drop-outs.
> >
> >
> >
> >This type of drop-out was particularly popular in the 40s
> through to the la
> >te 60s in the UK when the road-track fixed gear commuting
> bike was popular,
> > the bike also doubling up for a spot of track racing, or
> even for
> >competit
> >ive roller racing during the winter wet season, in the
> club-house.
> >
> >
> >
> >I can't speak for this type of drop-out in the States but in
> the UK, where
> >the use was predominantly with fixed gear it was customary
> and indeed essen
> >tial to use the drop-ots in conjunction with wheel/chain
> adjusters. These w
> >ere pressed steel affairs fairly long with an eyelet that
> slotted over the
> >non-Q/R axle. On to this eyelet was welded a threaded rod
> that passed throu
> >gh the centre of a U-section piece of steel that located up
> against the ver
> >y end surface of the drop-out
> >
> >
> >
> >When in place the wheel would be pulled rearwards until
> quite tight and the
> > track nuts tightened, but not fully so. The mechanic would
> then set his
> >sp
> >anner of the small nut at the end of each adjuster rod ,
> gently pull the wh
> >eel backwards and in this way gradually fine tune the
> tension of the
> >chain, until it had just the correct tension., and then lock
> the track nuts
> > up firmly. If the frame was slightly out of track and the
> wheel not
> >exactl
> >y central in the stays or the wheel itself not built true,
> the adjusters co
> >uld compensate as necssary. It was an incredibly accurate
> way of tensioning
> > a chain and also centering the wheel. The fact the the
> adjuster butted
> >ver
> >y hard against the end of the drop-out when the chain was
> fully tensioned r
> >endered it impossible to pull the wheel over against the
> stay even under sp
> >rinting conditions.
> >
> >
> >
> >Several models of track-ends made in the UK during that
> period appeared to
> >be very chunky and had two small spigots pressed or forged
> or machined into
> > the very end of each drop-out. These spigots located on
> the inside faces
> >o
> >f the U-section part of the adjuster and virtually locked
> the adjusters fir
> >mly into position.
> >
> >
> >
> >A similar but smaller ajuster was very common on single
> speed roadsters and
> > kids' bikes for a very long time.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Norris Lockley Settle UK
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >---- Msg sent via TalkTalk WebMail -
> http://www.talktalk.net/
> >
> >_______________________________________________
>
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
>

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