Ann, It should be obvious to you by now there isn't a quantifiable answer why you like one geo over the other. Everyone that posted has given good info but I think you wanted to have a number that points to geo nirvana. There isn't one. I suspect regarding front end handling, some people like more and others like less trail. Your H2O bike has more trail than your Trek and this is quite perceivable in the feel of the front end. This combined with the different seat angle, you're probably sitting in a position that suits your fancy. Different people like different positions. I'm glad that you've found one that you like.
Curt Goodrich
Minneapolis, MN
> I'm hoping someone here has some insight for me on geometry and ride
> characteristics.
>
> First of all, it seems awfully suspicious that a degree here or there in
> angle would cause me to be a noticeably far more effective cyclist and
have
> the ability to change the "feel" of the bicycle so radically.
> Since both the bikes I've ridden a lot recently fit me so well, and I can
> document fairly detailed geometry specs, I thought I'd check this out with
> the brain trust here. Maybe someone can explain this to me!
>
> Trek:
> Seat tube 73.25 degrees
> head tube 73.5 degrees
> bottom bracket drop 7.5 cm
> wheelbase 99.6 cm
> fork offset 4.2
>
> Waterford:
> Seat tube 75.3 degrees
> head tube 72.8 degrees
> bottom bracket drop 7.5 cm
> wheelbase 984.9 cm
> fork offset 4.2
>
> The Trek is full 531, frame and fork. The Waterford is 853, triangle, 531
> fork, 531 head tube and TrueTemper platinum stays. Obviously there is a
> significant weight difference...
>
> What I've noticed specifically, is the Waterford is much more responsive
to
> increased pedaling speed, corners nicer, is more responsive to steering
and
> it is easier to get a nice rhythm out of the saddle.
>
> Since the wheelbase differences are pretty minor, are all these
differences
> just due to the head and seat angles?
>
> If so, that means that my Montelatici will handle more like my
> Waterford. Stevan tells me that the head tube is 72.5 and the seat is
75.0.
>
> I know this stuff is probably uber-geek to be concerned with, and Ray (my
> really nice boyfriend - credit him and mom with the Birthday Waterford)
> tells me to stop quantifying fun, but it is my nature to know why, and
> thats what I wanna know!
>
> On another, more classic tack, when did all this attention get paid to
> geometry in bicycle manufacture? Did the people riding the 49 Giro know
> this stuff, or at least the people making their bicycles? Did everyone
> follow the same school of thought??
>
> Ann Phillips, Atlanta Ga - where the sun has shone for the last three
days
> and bicycles got ridden!