Hi group, I may be wrong but I always had the impression long horizontal dropouts were needed for double fixed rear hubs.{1930's and 40's road racing} The two sprockets could be somewhat different tooth counts Eg. optimum for flat terrain, plus one with a higher tooth count for hills. The size wouldn't be able to vary much, just a couple of teeth, but it would be better than a single cog only. The chain length would be set up to allow the big sprocket in the extreme forward position, and the small in the extreme rear position. Touring bikes of the day;especially French often had derailleurs which were often not allowed for racing, and therefore had no real need for a fairly large range of rear axle position. Anyone know for sure? Greg Lone Langley B.C. Canada
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