Larry Strung wrote:
>I have a rather beat old PX-10 frame hanging about that I would like
>to make into a fixed gear bike for fall/winter/spring commuting. My
>vision of this bike includes changing the drop outs for track
>versions - ideally Simplex ones to replace the Simplex road ends on
>the bike presently.
This would be a BIG mistake, in my opinion. The stock Simplex dropouts, possibly with the derailer hanger tab cut off, are better than anything else ever made for a road fixed gear. The old long Campagnolo 1010 dropouts are very nearly as good (but not as strong, 'cause they're drilled & tapped for adjuster screws, which are a liability in this application.)
The old-fashioned rear-opening fork ends used on most track bikes are much less convenient, and have no countervailing advantages. Dropouts, such as your Simplex units allow for much easier wheel removal/replacement, because you don't need to derail the chain from the chainwheel.
Also, the Simplex dropouts are angled instead of purely horizontal.
This angle is roughly perpendicular to the seat stays (depending on
frame size). This is a big advantage if you want to use a rear brake
and a flip-flop hub, because it allows the use of different-sized
sprockets without re-adjusting the brake shoes.
>Many of you will just say to run the bike with the road ends, but
>the rear derailleur hanger + cable guide bothers me on a fixed gear
>bike. The cheap way out would be to heat the cable guide off, and
>grind the derailleur hanger off - but that kind of smells of
>butchery.
Cut the hanger off, file it smooth. Do the same for the cable stop if it bothers you that much, but it would be foolish to downgrade the bike by converting to old-fashioned fork ends, and you'd ruin the chrome. This is not just the "cheap way," it's the best way!
Sheldon "Dropouts Are Better" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772, 617-244-1040, FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
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