I think I've seen some Litespeed aero frames with that design too.
Originally Posted by
Andy_K
Shifting can degrade with variations in wheel placement.
Brakes may not line up if the wheel is not properly placed.
The wheel is difficult to remove if fenders are installed.
It's ugly.
I've used long horizontal dropouts. One of the first things one learns is to always TIGHTEN down the rear wheel.
As far as brakes, just get some kind of position adjuster, so the the position is always the same, and it gives something for the wheel to torque against.
The fender argument would depend on how long the fenders are. One could catch most of the mud by an extended bike rack that goes out straight behind a rider.
Something like these track dropouts might be reasonable on a touring bike. I could imagine a situation where one would get a trashed rear derailleur, and require dropping the derailleur, picking one gear, shortening the chain and limping back to town.
