I don’t disagree, I viewed “faster” as in pedaling speed on flat ground. The slacker bike will be faster or at least more comfy in steep dh sections.
While on the subject, front end weighting and thereby grip is hugely affected by HTA and I think a lot of mtb community dismisses that due to tire size, suspension and body position. A roadie will not give up an aero position long term to achieve front end weighting so to some degree, the geometry needs to suit for a more static rider position.
I do think road bikes (which I like) put too much emphasis on “fast handling”. My slack enduro bike handles great but I also use a lot more body english and the tires are huge…so apples to oranges. And too slack does make smaller movements (think peloton groups…which aren’t relevant to non-pros) and slow speed handling less efficient (ie wheel flop).
I don’t buy into “slack is better” for everything. It’s not Stone Age, just different uses. BMX tracks are not super tight, but ride a slack enduro or steep DJ and you’ll see the steep DJ is better (and slack compared to an actual BMX bike which feels even better in its home environment.
Feb. 13, 2025, 8:49 a.m. - Bikes
I don’t disagree, I viewed “faster” as in pedaling speed on flat ground. The slacker bike will be faster or at least more comfy in steep dh sections. While on the subject, front end weighting and thereby grip is hugely affected by HTA and I think a lot of mtb community dismisses that due to tire size, suspension and body position. A roadie will not give up an aero position long term to achieve front end weighting so to some degree, the geometry needs to suit for a more static rider position. I do think road bikes (which I like) put too much emphasis on “fast handling”. My slack enduro bike handles great but I also use a lot more body english and the tires are huge…so apples to oranges. And too slack does make smaller movements (think peloton groups…which aren’t relevant to non-pros) and slow speed handling less efficient (ie wheel flop). I don’t buy into “slack is better” for everything. It’s not Stone Age, just different uses. BMX tracks are not super tight, but ride a slack enduro or steep DJ and you’ll see the steep DJ is better (and slack compared to an actual BMX bike which feels even better in its home environment.