[pvd]

I was surfing around last night and found these: https://www.interlocracing.com/frame_dropouts.html

"Sliding Dropouts
New for 2009! A robust set of sliding dropouts developed with Tange Design. Flanged stainless steel arrow head shape. Because it's stainless steel so you don't have to paint the sliding surface. Includes integrated eyelets for fenders/racks.The dropout pieces are 7075 T6 aluminum feature a derailleur hanger and disc brake mount. An affordable alternative. (Not available in stores. Established frame builders can call order this from The Merry Sales. Co.) "

Anybody tried these yet?

How's the quality?

How's the price?

 

[Rody]

Peter,

I gotta order from them on Monday...I'll get the skinny.

rody

 

[Walt]

Interesting

I had an account with Merry Sales 6 or 7 years ago, and finally gave up on them in disgust, as it was pretty clear they couldn't do anything right. Maybe they've gotten better since then. Those certainly look nice (if very derivative of what Mark makes), though I prefer the slot/tab type drops to the hooded variety.

Rody, let us know what you think when you get 'em, eh?

-Walt

 

[Rody]

Walt,

I doubt I'll be ordering the sliders...just getting the info for the board. I prefer the tabl style over hoods for longevity reasons.

Actually, I'm trying to chase down a couple sets of Quasi Moto 650b tires as QBP and Kirk have been out for ages, looking like Merry Sales is the last distributer with a bunch.

rody

 

[dbohemian]

Walt,

I doubt I'll be ordering the sliders...just getting the info for the board. I prefer the tabl style over hoods for longevity reasons.

rody

Can you clarify on the longevity issue? I like the tab style too. That is almost all my own dropouts have tabs. I have had great luck though using the wright style drop out or hooded type. Especially the paragon type that give a lot of surface area to build up a fillet or make a full circumference TIG weld. Although I don't use them a lot they always seemed to me to be a great engineering solution.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles

 

[pvd]

I would prefer the hood style, but think that the hood should be offset all the way to the inside. With sliders, the stay meet the DO all the way inboard. I tend not to use the hoods because of the cost more than any other reason.

Get back with the scoop Rody!

 

[Schmitty]

Ugh... those are going to fail at the weld over and over again....

 

[pvd]

Ugh... those are going to fail at the weld over and over again....

hoh?

 

[themanmonkey]

I would prefer the hood style, but think that the hood should be offset all the way to the inside.

As I understand it back when the Breezer dropouts appeared one of the reasons to have them hooded the way they were was to spread the seatstays for clearance. Of course back then they were for MTBs and no one used them for road bikes. Whether or not it makes a difference who knows.

 

[pvd]

Actually...

I was over at Joe Breeze's house about four days ago talking about bike design. We both agreed that the Breezer (hooded) drop out allowed the tube and dropout to be as structurally strong as possible. No mention of clearances. He also mentioned where he got the idea from. It's very interesting when you hear the real story behind things.

 

[dbohemian]

Ugh... those are going to fail at the weld over and over again....

I don't believe they will. I have used hooded drops for quite some time and had great luck with them. the famous wright brothers also, as far as I know used this design and from an engineering perspective they should be a whole lot more resistant to failure than a tab type. Saying this is like saying main frame tube joints fail.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles
http://www.bohemianbicycles.com

 

[themanmonkey]

Actually...

I was over at Joe Breeze's house about four days ago talking about bike design. We both agreed that the Breezer (hooded) drop out allowed the tube and dropout to be as structurally strong as possible. No mention of clearances. He also mentioned where he got the idea from. It's very interesting when you hear the real story behind things.

The folks who were selling them and putting them on bikes back in the day were not Joe, so I'll guess they added some more "marketing" to the things. The other thing I head at the time was it was for ease and speed of production because they could be easily tig welded instead of brazed. Did he mention anything about that? So where did he say he got the idea from?

 

[Thylacine]

I'm a bit torn here. On the one hand I despise people who blatantly rip-off the hard work of others, but then again there is some glaring holes in Marks product range that are equally annoying, such as the hole that this product fills - a flanged slider designed specifically for steel stays and not simply one made from steel using the exact same design as that for Ti.

 

[Walt]

I love Mark...

..but I agree. The steel hooded sliders (as well as most of the other hooded steel drops) are a bad joke - I usually machine half the hoods off, and it's hard to make them look nice.

He is usually pretty responsive to good ideas, though. They are often so far behind keeping up with demand that I think he can't spare a lot of attention for new ideas.

BTW, I'm bugging him to do a post-mount slider. Everyone should email him and ask for them...ISO is SO 1999.

-Walt

I'm a bit torn here. On the one hand I despise people who blatantly rip-off the hard work of others, but then again there is some glaring holes in Marks product range that are equally annoying, such as the hole that this product fills - a flanged slider designed specifically for steel stays and not simply one made from steel using the exact same design as that for Ti.

 

[Thylacine]

What I really want is some Life chainstays without the swaged end....paired to a dropout designed specifically for them.

With disc brakes, the old standard of 10-13mm diameter at the end of the stays just doesn't cut it anymore.

Walt, I don't like your chances with post-mount. He'd have to make a jig specifically for it as it adds another axis to his milling. If he's having trouble keeping up now, I'm not sure where he'd find the time for something like this!

Still, I hassled the crap out of him for the Ti flanged sliders, and even though he hates my guts now, look what we've got! Ti flanged sliders!

 

[dbohemian]

. I usually machine half the hoods off, and it's hard to make them look nice.
-Walt

Keep in mind that although huge for TIG they do work well for fillet brazing. One of the issues with Joe Breeze's model was that the fillet would go down to almost nothing along the bottom and then be a potential failure point there. That much room allows for a full circumference weld/fillet which is nice.

All the pro's know how many people tell you they want something and then you build it and 5 pony up and the other 100 evaporate. I think mark is just keeping his inventory down, makes sense.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles

 

[coconinocycles]

Still, I hassled the crap out of him for the Ti flanged sliders, and even though he hates my guts now, look what we've got! Ti flanged sliders!

having moots order 1000 pieces or so probally helped, too.......just sayin'. steve.

 

[coconinocycles]

Actually, I'm trying to chase down a couple sets of Quasi Moto 650b tires as QBP and Kirk have been out for ages, looking like Merry Sales is the last distributer with a bunch.
rody

here you go, Rody: https://www.bti-usa.com/public/category/TR/TRTB/all/KP6501?page=1#KP6501 steve.

 

[Schmitty]

I don't believe they will. I have used hooded drops for quite some time and had great luck with them. the famous wright brothers also, as far as I know used this design and from an engineering perspective they should be a whole lot more resistant to failure than a tab type. Saying this is like saying main frame tube joints fail.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles
http://www.bohemianbicycles.com

These aren't the same hooded drops that anyone has been using. The hood with the extreme length will be trouble I think.

 

[pvd]

These aren't the same hooded drops that anyone has been using. The hood with the extreme length will be trouble I think.

I'm still confused about what you are talking about.