Jan Heine wrote:
> At 10:46 AM -0800 2/18/07, Chuck Schmidt wrote:
>> Racers rode their race bikes with a fixed gear when they began
>> their training every year, hence the need for horizontal dropouts
>> on race bikes.
>>
>> Chuck Schmidt
>
> Good point, Chuck. And with the higher clamping forces of quick
> releases, pulling the wheel off-center wasn't a problem any longer
> - at least not in racing and training. (Pulling a trailer and
> starting from a traffic light is a different issue...)
>
> Jan Heine
This is why it was common to use chain tensioners (called "chain tugs" today) with wing nuts back in the day. They made pulling the wheel off-center impossible no matter how strong you were and the wingnuts didn't have to be that tight.
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA USA
http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)