I bought a lugset on eBay from France in May this year for 16.50 Euro, th
e equivalent of USD 25.83 (!). The rear dropouts are Super Champion (Osgea
r) model 25c, without the fixed-gear facility. In his superb Osgear arti
cle in the V-CC "Boneshaker" magazine of Spring 2000, Gordon Selby dates
these dropouts to 1938, and labels them as the "Touriste" model. See pic
s on http://smg.photobucket.com/
My 1939 R O Harrison has the Model 25a ("Course") lugs with the fixed gear slots. See:
http://smg.photobucket.com/
What intrigues me is that the "Touriste" model has the prongs which were in tended to locate the wheel rapidly when it was being replaced after a punct ure - you just rolled the wheel up the spikes and into the dropout - which , I would have thought, is mopre of a requirement for racing machines. Super Champion produced at least two models of dropouts without the prongs , the model 25 of 1935 and a 1939 variation, according to Gordon's arti cle.
Incidentally, I've built another R O Harrison with normal (non-Osgear) fo rward-facing dropouts, and fitted a four-speed Osgear Professional, and have experienced no fouling of the striking fork when removing the wheel ; maybe I've just been lucky. The vertical dropout would certainly be ad vantageous when replacing the wheel quickly under pressure, though. When I've built up my ROH with the Osgear ends (just back from being re-chromed and enamelled) I'll put this to the test.
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
> From: jpweigle@sbcglobal.net
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:59:13 -0400
> Subject: [CR]Vintage dropout pictures.
>
> Vintagista's,
> Thought these 3 dropouts might be of interest?
> http://www.flickr.com/
> The Osgears are very unique and a prized posession.
>
> Enjoy,
> peter weigle
> Lyme, Ct.