I have to say, I've been wondering that for some time.
I remember elevated chainstays from back in the day.
They do look shoot.
my commuter has got elevated chainstays and derailleur gears. it's definitely stiffer around bb than all (4) steel bikes i previously had, but less stiff than my other alloy bike with usual chainstays. for commuting it's a perfect bike - clean, comfy, reliable, fast enough and very low maintenance. the photo below was taken on a 476km weekend tour.
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I have a question about belt drives.
Why does the frame need to be openable? Why not set the tension so the wheel isn't all the way down the dropout so it can be pushed further forwards thus loosening the chain and making it removable?
*facepalm*
Belts are good, I know a guy that rides one and definitely doesn't treat it with kid gloves.
This one in fact: http://www.donhoubic...com/2010/12/30/
I guess the reason they're not more popular is the frame has to allow for replacing the belt, probably costs a bit more to manufacture.