srinath.the.man

Is this strange, or pretty much normal -




Basically the drop out isn't slotted all the way across on the drive side.
Thanks.
Srinath.

BlazingPedals

Looks normal to me. It's got the integrated derailleur dropout instead of one that bolts into the slot; so the slot doesn't need to be open as far back.

DorkDisk

There's a version of this that has the rear portion milled out but leaving a center rib. When there is a skewer you cannot see a thing and it is frustrating trying to get the wheels back.... and then realizing you cannot

Litespud

That's a little weird, especially considering that the NDS dropout is milled all the way back.

MikeyMK

Perhaps the provision is for when a derailleur isn't specified. In that case the slot is needed for chain tensioning, whereas here it isn't.

bakerjw

I thought the same thing at first but on the NDS, you can see where the quick release has worn into the paint a bit. Likely there was a spacer in there.

I'd like to see a picture of the other side of the bike.

Trakhak

Not a mistake.

If I remember rightly, that dropout design was introduced to ensure that the sprockets would be optimally positioned for the then-new indexing derailleurs. The NDS end was milled to enable centering of the wheel. That dropout design preceded the common use of vertical dropouts.

OldTryGuy

Former Schwinn Dealer ---

srinath.the.man

Ok, I am not fixie'ing this bike then. Cos its all intact and might as well keep it as a unit and sell it as such.
Thanks.
Srinath.

JanMM

That makes sense.

Wilfred Laurier

This is so the axle is properly position wrt. the derailleur, but the longer slot on the NDS allows adjustment if the frame is not perfectly aligned.

Many less expensive bikes with horizontal dropouts use a 'claw' type rear derailleur, and the claw acts as a spacer exactly the same way as this short dropout.

Hiro11

I love this forum. Someone posts a extremely esoteric question about a thirty year old, low-priced bike and someone else knows the answer.

_earl_

Is there a way to remove that safely and cheaply without ruining the structure of the dropout or frame?

JohnDThompson 

That "feature" is to position the derailleur for optimum indexed shifting performance. It took a while for marketing departments to get their heads around the idea that customers wouldn't be offended by vertical dropouts.

If it bothers you, you can take a round file and extend the slot all the way back, like it is on the non-drive side. But why bother?

79pmooney

That accomplishes two things. It located the wheel correctly for the derailleur and it is easy to build and align. All the builder has to get right is the vertical since the user can center the tire by hand. (Dropouts with full slots and no stops are more difficult because yo have to simultaneously locate the hub fore and aft and center the tire if you are using a quick release. Two stops makes putting wheels in straight really easy, hence all older race bikes had the adjustable screws on both sides but just the drive train stop is barely harder and barely slower.

So, cheap to make. Cheap to get past quality control. Easy to use. What not to like? Oh yeah. It looks wrong.

ofajen

You could, but the only benefit would be for running SS or FG. In that case, I would recommend the greatest possible care in precisely following the current dropout surface on the upper part of the dropout, as that aligns the wheel to the frame.

Otto