Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Angled dropouts on a SS

Hello all,

I recently saw a custom bike with surly horizontal dropouts (the ones with the derailleur hanger) welded at an angle. To clarify, the drops were not horizontal, but about 10-15 degrees tilted up - like old campy drops in reverse. This set up reportedly allows you to adjust chain tension without readjusting your brakes (I'm talking rim brakes here). I've thought about this and I think it's too good to be true. I don't see how you could ever change the wheelbase of the bike without readjusting your brake pads. Do any of you Bike Ho's out there have any experience with this set-up? Please share.

Peace,
BK

sure, this makes sense..

imagine you had perfectly horizontal dropouts, and that your brake was on the rim, directly above the hub. that would allow you to move the wheel back and forth in a dropout for about 2 inches with only very small up-down movement of the brake shoes on the rim. now imagine tilting this whole setup about 35 degrees to the side. the brake would be in its normal position and the dropouts would be angled upward.

Bike-Ho???

Many road frames have the type of dropouts where you can shorten or lengthen the wheelbase without having to readjust the brake pads. My Litespeed Classic frame allows that. But you're talking about where the dropout ends (forkends) protrude rearward at an upward angle? That, I've never seen. But again, brake pad adjustment is not necessary. The rim pretty much remains in the same position near the brake bridge no matter where your axle is on the dropouts.

George

Hmm...so if this scheme works in the real world, why don't I see more SS frames set up like that? Are we witnessing the birth of a revolution, or yet another doomed experiment in bike technology?

I am willing to be the living experiment...my mtb is scheduled to undergo dropout replacement surgery, and I think I will spec the angled variety. I'll keep y'all posted.

BK

Um, well classic single speed horizontal dropouts ARE angled up like that, and for exactly this reason (prevent brake readjustment). They just don't open toward the back. Rear-entry dropouts have historically been used on track bikes only, which don't have brakes so no need to worry.

Howdy,

Behold the only example of the angled dropouts I've been able to find on the web:

http://www.huntercycles.com/sspeed.html

Check out the top image.

To the Fixer, can you actually range your wheel through the entire length of the dropouts on your Litespeed without needing to readjust your brakes?

And to Shrimpx, I am not sure what you mean by classic single speed dropouts. In any case, you remind me that have Raleigh 3spd in the Bike Cave that I can experiment on...

BK

Buddha.......saw the pic. The upward angled trackends do make a lot of sense on SS frames. Neat idea.
Like many classic road bikes out there, yes, I can move my rear wheel front and back without readjusting my brake pads. Classic road dropouts.....but not too common these days.

George

Right on, Fixer

It IS a neat idea, especially if it works. Thanks for the reply...I suppose its case closed until I can field test my mtb post-op.

Peace
BK

Howdy,

Behold the only example of the angled dropouts I've been able to find on the web:

http://www.huntercycles.com/sspeed.html

Here's another:
http://www.mtbjournal.com/article.php?sid=307
It's a prototype by Joe Murray, although I have heard he is no longer involved with the project but his partner is still moving forward with it.

And some pix:
http://www.absss.org/mtbjsublime.htm

Good to hear from you, RiderX

I had to miss out on the Fairmount SS gathering, sadly. It was actually back in those urban woods that I caught a stick in my derailleur and trashed my right dropout - obviously I was offending the SS spirits there.

Anyway, I checked out the Sublime and it has provided some more food thought. Thanks. I am leery, though, of forward facing dropouts for high torque applications (mtb'ing, fixed gear riding). I can never seem to eliminate rear wheel scoot on my fixie, which has forward facing drops. In the case of the Sublime, forward drops make a lot of sense, and make wheel removal easier. However they prevent you from using chain tensioners. I think Joe Murray gets around this by using jumbo washers.

By the way, I read about your ride on the C&O some time ago...you're a dedicated single speed fiend. Big ups.

BK

Good to hear from you, RiderX

I had to miss out on the Fairmount SS gathering, sadly. It was actually back in those urban woods that I caught a stick in my derailleur and trashed my right dropout - obviously I was offending the SS spirits there.

Anyway, I checked out the Sublime and it has provided some more food thought. Thanks. I am leery, though, of forward facing dropouts for high torque applications (mtb'ing, fixed gear riding). I can never seem to eliminate rear wheel scoot on my fixie, which has forward facing drops. In the case of the Sublime, forward drops make a lot of sense, and make wheel removal easier. However they prevent you from using chain tensioners. I think Joe Murray gets around this by using jumbo washers.

By the way, I read about your ride on the C&O some time ago...you're a dedicated single speed fiend. Big ups.

BK
Yeah, I was looking for you up in Philly. Too bad you missed it, good time had by all.

I agree that I would prefer forward facing dropouts, although both of the bikes I've had setup as fixies never have slippage problems. Used to have some occassional ones on my SS until I started using chain tugs.

As far as the C&O goes, that was a great trip. We did another one in August, this time on the Greenbrier in WV. 160 miles in 2 days on the fixed w/ camping gear. Words and pix that my friend posted can be found here (http://forums13.consumerreview.com/crforum?viewall@100.3fNeaIO9Qxb.20@.efc2fd0).

WV is really fat. I just went camping in the Monongahela Forest for the first last month - it was breathtaking, especially when you consider the entire state had about 5 trees left in it 75 years ago.

You look like one salty dog in all those pics, Riderx. For some, the day is not complete without a daily dose of pain.

BK