The dropouts are vertical, the bike tracks true hands free. The tires are the Performance Forte Kevlar Evolution ETT folding bead. They are durable and cheap and I've ridden these for years, though they have changed in appearance over time, so I wouldn't bet the rubber compound has stayed the same.
This is also by far the stiffest frame I've ever ridden, I wonder if that puts more lateral force on the rear tire, so causing faster wear?