Originally Posted by
IANative
This is a hypothetical question with regards to a comfort-geometry road bike vs. a racing-geometry road bike. Or endurance road bike vs. competitive road bike, etc....
For the sake of the discussion, let's assume that the two bikes are identical in weight and have identical (or comparable) components. And we won't flip or slam any stems, or do anything else to the factory configurations that would alter the bikes from their intended purposes (i.e., comfort vs. race). Finally, let's assume that a single, physically fit, experienced rider goes through a custom fitting to be properly fit to each bike.
Question: Would the rider be faster on the competitive road bike as a result of the more aggressive, "racing" geometry?
The 'race' bike will typically have a shorter head tube than the 'comfort' bike putting the rider in a more aerodynamic position. This should make him a little faster, as long as he is fit/flexible enough to ride in that position.
The handling of the race bike will usually be 'quicker', too, but some people would call it 'twitchy.