Hello Sterling; remember me, Norris Lockley, one of the english guys who occasionally buys from you on Ebay.
I'd like to ask a favour of you,please. Ihave been following the contributions on the CR chat line about the pros and cons of vertical and horizontal drop-outs. Not being registered yet with the list - I just don't appear to have the computer skills to log on properly as a member - so I can read what's put on but not reply. I notice that you have sent in a contribution latterly and I wonder if you would submit my short contribution for me. I would be grateful if you could acknowledge me as the author, not that I am seeking notoriety, just that I want to make a point with someone.
I started building frames way back in the 50s, so I think that I had a head start on some of the builders who currently contribute their wisdom on a regular basis to the List. My contribution goes something like this:-
One of the distinct advantages of the horizontal drop-out is, as has been pointed out, that it permits an out-of-true wheel to be accommodated better in between the chainstays, there being no room at all for adjustment with verticals. One of the other reasons they became popular back in the 50s - I was framebuilding then - is that in those days cyclists often had only one bike that they had to adapt to multi-use. It wasn't uncommon in England at that time to ride a bike every day to work, possibly on fixed, then rig it onto derailleur gears and a saddlebag for the weekend's Youth Hostelling trip, and then ride out to a Sunday morning time trial event, dismantle the guards and the saddlebag, discard the 28/30mm tyres and wheels and drop into the frame a pair of lighter sprints for the race - these having been carried out on the trip on a pair of Constrictor or Cyclo wheel carriers ffixed to the front spindle and strapped with toe-straps to the handlebars. The long drop-outs permitted, by their room for adjustment the use of a fairly wide variety of rear tyre widths ie. the fatter tyre had the wheel pulled further back in the horizontal slot, and the lighter and narrow sprints further forward, thereby effectivly shortening the wheelbase at the same time for the time-trial.
With the advent of greater amount of disposable income, many cyclists owned several bikes, one for work, another for touring or club runs, and yet another with narrower tyres and a shorter wheelbase, for racing. As more purpose specific bikes were sold so the vertical drop-out become popular on race-orientated frames.
Hope you can oblige with this historical perspective.
Bye
Norris Lockley