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A question: for non track use, can anyone explain why it is better to have rearward opening ends for fixed?
When you are laying down all those watts as you set off from the lights* if the wheel moves forward it doesn’t drop out of the dropouts.*haven’t tightened the wheels nut properly.
Chaley-
Hi Chaley, I'm sure you yourself always tighten those wheel nuts efficiently, and possibly that's why you haven't noticed that if you don't get them tight the wheel just pulls over and jams against the left hand chainstay. It must be practically impossible to get the wheel to fall out of the frame in that way - I've never seen or heard of it happening.
However, it's certainly true that there is a theory that it can happen - just no evidence!
clubman
There is a much simpler solution.
The forward opening dropouts which were a standard feature on road frames for many decades (say 1910 - 1980, at least) are angled down towards the front. This is precisely to maintain the correct angle of the brake blocks (pads if you will) as the wheel moves in the
fork end.
The attached pic of my Gillott shows this angle - I could find a clearer example, but I happen to have this one conveniently to hand.
A question: for non track use, can anyone explain why it is better to have rearward opening ends for fixed?
I can see disadvantages (eg: with mudguards it's difficult to get the wheel out to change a punctured tube), but no real advantages.