Would this date from the times when the back wheel had to have a greater
range of movement fore and aft? To cope with flip/flop hubs and riders who
would wring the last drop of use out of a chain by moving it further back in
the long dropouts of the day. Dropouts got shorter for sure with the
Campagnolo short dropout (When?) and even vertical dropouts with no
capability for chain adjustment at all. The slots in the earlier calipers
were longer too so that the shoes had a greater range of up and down
adjustment because as the wheel goes back in the dropout the rim rises
relative to the brake shoes despite the dropout slots going up and back
too. Am I right or am I havering? (Havering = talking a load of hooey)
Mark Stevens Evanton Scotland