Originally Posted by
pgjackson
So what makes these more comfortable? The seat is still higher than the bars which is going to put you in the exact same riding position as a bike with "race geometry". A longer headtube makes no difference if the overall effect is the same riding position.
Not a whole lot of saddle to bar drop happening there. Bikes like this tend to have longer forks, giving them a taller stack than a race bike of a similar size. The head tube isn't significantly longer than it would be on a race bike, but it sits higher. With that stem flipped up the bars would be dead even with the saddle or slightly higher.
What makes a bike like this comfortable is a little more forgiving geometry, in this case a more forgiving material (steel), and the ability to run cushier tires which can be run at lower pressures to soak up the rough stuff. The chainstays on the Enigma look a little more stiff than some (a good thing my book).