Tight rear triangles were all the rage in the 70's in Southern California, I had a bike that I could not run a Del Mundo on, too close. That bike had its place, with its high Bottom Bracket and 165 mm cranks provided the ability to sprint to victory out of the last corner while others scraped their pedal. Not my 100 mile day ride though.

Later, I found I could still win without the think about riding all the time handling.