Originally Posted by bmwstbill

I have asked myself this same question. I am new to bikes and jumped right into commuting to work with an old body.
Now 8 months later I have 6 working bikes and a couple in process. I just paid $300 for an Italian frame because it had a long seat tube but a shorter than usual top tube.

Anyway I measured all my frames...guess what, every one is a little different. When the snow came I switched from my Gazelle which is an '80's racing framed road bike with 27" wheels to an old Giant Iguana MTB with 26" studded tires. As far as comfort I was not happy because the stem on the MTB was short vertically and long horizonally, the Gazelle has a Nitto Technomic long vertival reach stem and that got my head way up more. With bifocals I saw better. The MTB has me in a crouch so that with hat(s) and hood, bifocals and cold windy weather it's hard to see down the road.

You can bet something is gonna change for next year. The reach to the bars and stem on my MTB just isn't right. I am riding it to work every day but it's not very enjoyable cause i can't look around easily. I like a frame that's bigger. The Gazelle I can just barely stand over. Underway it's really relaxing to ride, high,but quick to turn with a short wheelbase.The mtb by comparison is work in every sense on the road.
bill