Wait, are you telling that the axle does not actually touch the dropouts but is supported by locknuts and wheel nuts or QR skewer nuts? Also, where did you get the idea that spacers go outside locknuts, not between cone and locknut?

By the way, if the locknuts are tight (they aren't always, and this is one of the big failures of bolt axles), the axle should have tension between locknut and outer nut, and the center section should be neither compressed or tensioned.

yeah spacers go around the axle, but between the cone nut and the locknut, so they're retained.

@Criggie - I actually have a slight fear of cornering. I blame the scars all down my right arm.

heh nothing wrong with that. I have a healthy respect for a certain downhill corner., And for ice generally.

Both incidents resulted in pain and bruising and blood.

Oh and gravel on corners.

I once read something somewhere, that said cornering confidence increases over time, until it very suddenly drops off

I've found that to be very true

alex: hehehehe that's rule 64, which is exactly what I commented under Mith's strava ride.

@ojs let me rethink that without forgetting locknuts.

You think the force between locknut and bearing inner ring is high enough to prevent the spacers from tilting and shifting?

@ojs doesn't the centre need to be under tension to pre load the bearings. Especially when they are angular load bearings?

I think I've to consider 120 mm hubs with spacers after all. Pro: neat, cheaper than 130 single speed hub, robust freewheel, need to build wheel Con: no narrow-wide freewheels, chainline needs to be planned beforehand, need to build wheel, more expensive than second hand wheels

One might file down every other tooth on a wide-chain freewheel cog for a narrow-wide narrow chain.

Might not be worth it, since expect for Absolute Black noone seems to bother with narrow wide at the rear.