Understanding Bottom Brackets & Shells

[MartinC]

If by simpler solutions you mean chain tensioner or horizontal dropouts, then yes, except they each bring other disadvantages.

Yes, horizontal drop outs work fine and couldn't be simpler or lighter. Slight drawbacks can be wheel removal (if you've got short stays, unlikely on a hub geared bike) and alignment of brake blocks when you move the wheel (more of a problem with track ends not with old fashioned 15-30 degree forward facing horizontal drop outs)

 

[al78]

Personally I can see the simplicity, or lack of pissing about, in keeping the dropouts and BB as fixed points and using a tensioner. To be fair no-one ever looks at a derailler bike and says that's a shoot way of achieving chain tension.

The advantage of getting rid of the tensioner is that you can install a chaincase or a Hebie chainglider and have a completely enclosed drivetrain protected from road crud, minimal maintenance, much longer chain life, approaching the robustness of a car.