After having my bike worked on recently at the LBS I noticed that my rear axle lock nuts are arranged so that the smooth/flat sides are contacting the dropouts. To clarify, I'm discussing the lock nuts that go outside the cones, not the axle/track nuts that secure everything to the frame.

I removed the wheel and loosened the lock nuts for the sake of some photos.

I thought that seemed odd, and maybe an error.

From observing photos of other people's axles, it seems like the rough/beveled/textured/grooved/serrated edge should face away from the center/wheel and towards the outside/frame. The opposite of how mine are installed.

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the common orientation. Rough side faces out, smooth side faces in.

             <rough|smooth]             [smooth|rough>

[etc] [frame] [lock nut] [etc. hub stuff] [lock nut] [frame] [etc]

The photos I've found all seem to imply the rough side touching the dropouts is the right way to do it, but I can't find any conclusive results for bike axle nut which way or bike axle nut which direction.

Is that a general rule for axle lock nuts that the rough side should always face the dropouts?

After having my bike worked on recently at the LBS I noticed that my rear axle lock nuts are arranged so that the smooth/flat sides are contacting the dropouts. To clarify, I'm discussing the lock nuts that go outside the cones, not the axle/track nuts that secure everything to the frame.

I removed the wheel and loosened the lock nuts for the sake of some photos.

From observing photos of other people's axles, it seems like the rough/beveled/textured/grooved/serrated edge should face away from the center/wheel and towards the outside/frame. The opposite of how mine are installed.

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the common orientation. Rough side faces out, smooth side faces in.

             <rough|smooth]             [smooth|rough>

[etc] [frame] [lock nut] [etc. hub stuff] [lock nut] [frame] [etc]

The photos I've found all seem to imply the rough side touching the dropouts is the right way to do it, but I can't find any conclusive results for bike axle nut which way or bike axle nut which direction.

Is that a general rule for axle lock nuts that the rough side should always face the dropouts?

After having my bike worked on recently at the LBS I noticed that my rear axle lock nuts are arranged so that the smooth/flat sides are contacting the dropouts. To clarify, I'm discussing the lock nuts that go outside the cones, not the axle/track nuts that secure everything to the frame.

I removed the wheel and loosened the lock nuts for the sake of some photos.

I thought that seemed odd, and maybe an error.

From observing photos of other people's axles, it seems like the rough edge should face away from the center/wheel and towards the outside/frame. The opposite of how mine are installed.

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the common orientation. Rough side faces out, smooth side faces in.

             <rough|smooth]             [smooth|rough>

[etc] [frame] [lock nut] [etc. hub stuff] [lock nut] [frame] [etc]

The photos I've found all seem to imply the rough side touching the dropouts is the right way to do it, but I can't find any conclusive results for bike axle nut which way or bike axle nut which direction.

Is that a general rule for axle lock nuts that the rough side should always face the dropouts?

After having my bike worked on recently at the LBS I noticed that my rear axle lock nuts are arranged so that the smooth/flat sides are contacting the dropouts. To clarify, I'm discussing the lock nuts that go outside the cones, not the axle/track nuts that secure everything to the frame.

I removed the wheel and loosened the lock nuts for the sake of some photos.

I thought that seemed odd, and maybe an error.

From observing photos of other people's axles, it seems like the rough/beveled/textured/grooved/serrated edge should face away from the center/wheel and towards the outside/frame. The opposite of how mine are installed.

As far as I can tell from my research, this is the common orientation. Rough side faces out, smooth side faces in.

             <rough|smooth]             [smooth|rough>

[etc] [frame] [lock nut] [etc. hub stuff] [lock nut] [frame] [etc]

The photos I've found all seem to imply the rough side touching the dropouts is the right way to do it, but I can't find any conclusive results for bike axle nut which way or bike axle nut which direction.

Is that a general rule for axle lock nuts that the rough side should always face the dropouts?