Neil,
That's no theory, that's the reason! Vertical drop outs allow for the same short stays, and ease of wheel removal also. Anyone who has had the experience of having to deflate a tire to squeeze it past the seat tube knows this for a fact.
Grant McLean Toronto, Canada
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England wrote-
OK, here goes with my theory:
On a bike designed for ultra-close rear wheel clearance, it makes
sense to
have a rear-facing dropout - the wheel just has to be fitted in to the
dropout slots, and moved forward as far as it will go. No need to
fiddle
about, making sure that the wheel is correctly aligned, as you would
with a
forward-facing dropout, and with the wheel spindle braced against the
end of
the track dropout, extra insurance against it pulling over. With a
forward
facing dropout, some allowance has to be made to move the wheel
forward in
order to release it from the frame, so closer clearance can be
achieved with
a track dropout.