Originally Posted by
meanwhile
1. I checked papers and books on frame design (trail distance is THE critical parameter for handling.)
Trail is certainly one key part of the handling equation. But it's not the
only part...
The position and width of the handlebars also has an impact. If you make the stem on your bike 6" or 12" long, you haven't changed the trail but I
guarantee it's going handle differently! This is basic geometry: the length of an arc is proportional to the radius. Which is to say: with a longer stem, you have to move the bars further to get the same amount of front wheel movement you'd get with a shorter stem.
The good news is that your body compensates for minor differences in stem length without any problem. I've ridden 100mm and 120mm stems back-to-back on the same bike. I really noticed the difference for the first mile or so, but after that the only way I knew which one was longer was by the amount of lower back pain I experienced at the end of the ride
