Interesting stuff! For sure one thing you're pointing out there is that - shocker - there's a pretty big difference between racing (even at a non-pro level) and trail riding. The fatigue aspect you point out and being more comfortable on slightly more conservative geometry is insightful.
I heard a bit of chatter last week about Moir and his famous use of smaller frames for racing, especially for such a big guy. What I heard was that he determined that there is more time to be made up in slow/tight corners in EWS courses - favouring a smaller/tighter bike - than there is to be lost in fast sections that favour a longer bike. Furthermore, as a strong pro rider who's comfortable with speed, he apparently is less concerned about front center length and stability than the average rider (at least compared to the advantages of a shorter bike). So for him, a shorter bike has advantages that may not be applicable outside of the EWS pro use case. Thought that was interesting as I hadn't heard it put that way before.
Oct. 25, 2022, 10:42 a.m. - Pete Roggeman
Interesting stuff! For sure one thing you're pointing out there is that - shocker - there's a pretty big difference between racing (even at a non-pro level) and trail riding. The fatigue aspect you point out and being more comfortable on slightly more conservative geometry is insightful. I heard a bit of chatter last week about Moir and his famous use of smaller frames for racing, especially for such a big guy. What I heard was that he determined that there is more time to be made up in slow/tight corners in EWS courses - favouring a smaller/tighter bike - than there is to be lost in fast sections that favour a longer bike. Furthermore, as a strong pro rider who's comfortable with speed, he apparently is less concerned about front center length and stability than the average rider (at least compared to the advantages of a shorter bike). So for him, a shorter bike has advantages that may not be applicable outside of the EWS pro use case. Thought that was interesting as I hadn't heard it put that way before.