"2. "Vertical" dropouts require very precise frame building with no means to alignin the wheel if the frame comes out a little "off"."
Actually precise frame building is required whether the dropouts in question are horizontal or vertical. Alignment becomes a problem with either if "off" and sometimes results, when fixed, in something that the un-aided eye can see as not ideal.
For example, the Zeus I sold had horizontal dropouts in which the downward angle of attack was not the same in both. Result was that moving the rear wheel forward resulted in the wheel moving toward the drive side seatstay a couple mm.
Robert Shackelford San Jose, CA USA
Quoting John Betmanis <johnb@oxford.net>:
> A couple of reasons I can think of:
>
> 1. It's a carry-over from the way road bikes were always made, before
> derailleur gears were common. Tradition.
>
> 2. "Vertical" dropouts require very precise frame building with no means to
> alignin the wheel if the frame comes out a little "off".
>
> To me, the front facing horizontal dropouts on lightweight bikes always
> looked elegant when compared to the rear facing flattened pipe chainstays
> on the rod braked roadsters most people rode when I was a kid.
>
> At 08:01 AM 26/08/2009 -0400, Stronglight49@aol.com wrote:
> >Stupid questions:
> >
> >1.) Noticed something in the photos of the Della Santa frameset
> >which brought to mind something which I never understood.
> >Is there a reason for using horizontal dropouts on a modern
> >road bike frame built for use of a rear derailleur?
> >
> >Call me lazy, but I really hate fidgeting with the rear wheels on
> >my old bikes - especially those (now most) which have mudguards
> >fitted.
> >
> >I have my own theories about the need for long dropouts -
> >something which was never required (or wanted) on classic
> >Touring bikes, even during the 1940s.
> >
> >So, next question:
> >
> >2.) What was the TRUE reason for use of long (or even shorter)
> >horizontal dropouts throughout the On Topic period?
> >
> >Feeling rather naive, but it seems that design of most ANY derailleurs
> >produced during the past 25 years or more have finally made horizontal
> >dropouts... as obsolete as buttons on trouser flys.
> >
> >BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA
>
>
> John Betmanis
> Woodstock, Ontario
> Canada
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> --
> PRIVACY WARNING: For auditing purposes, a copy of this message has been
> saved in a permanent database.
>
--
PRIVACY WARNING: For auditing purposes, a copy of this message has been
saved in a permanent database.