Rene Herse SL Dropouts

Rene Herse SL dropouts are smaller and thinner than the original SON dropouts, which were designed for German city bikes. Rene Herse SL dropouts use the original SON insulator and contact plate for reliability and ease of service. The material surrounding the insulator has been reduced to a minimum, and the positions of the eyelets for fender and rack have been optimized. This isn’t just more elegant (and lighter), but it also makes for a stronger dropout. A channel guides the wire into the fork blade.

The left dropout does not have an insulator, so it can be smaller than the right one. (You never see both dropouts at the same time!) To ensure that the bike does not fall over when placed on the ground with the front wheel removed, the tips of the right dropout are extended slightly to match the height of the left dropout. A stainless steel plate ensures perfect connectivity even on powdercoated forks. The dropouts are made from 5 mm-thick rolled SS41 steel.

Framebuilders use these dropouts to build a fork for connector-less SON SL hubs. Strong CrMo steel is easy to braze. Requires an SL connector kit.

Pro Tip: Since the Rene Herse dropouts are thinner than the SON version (but plenty thick for strength), the SON insulator tabs must be sanded off slightly so they don’t protrude on the outside of the dropout.