It’s what the manufacturers say we want. I don’t think road angles are right either as we ride more upright on a mountain bike. Road tend to be 73 74° but with an offset seat post of 2.5 to 1.5 cm so the effective seat angle is more slack. But 76 plus degrees with a zero offset post is better for super steep sections of say 30-40% which compromises maybe 1% of a given ride? I’d rather have a slacker seat tube angle for most of the ride and longer stays to keep from looping out. A few years ago the media was telling us steeper SA was more efficient and for the most part today they say it’s more comfortable.
Feb. 5, 2022, 9:05 a.m. - Andy Eunson
It’s what the manufacturers say we want. I don’t think road angles are right either as we ride more upright on a mountain bike. Road tend to be 73 74° but with an offset seat post of 2.5 to 1.5 cm so the effective seat angle is more slack. But 76 plus degrees with a zero offset post is better for super steep sections of say 30-40% which compromises maybe 1% of a given ride? I’d rather have a slacker seat tube angle for most of the ride and longer stays to keep from looping out. A few years ago the media was telling us steeper SA was more efficient and for the most part today they say it’s more comfortable.