Originally Posted by
Howard
There are a lot of different opinions about geometries, and this could get weird pretty quickly. I probably should have put a disclaimer on the post "all other things being equal, I find an 80's MTB geometry to be a little less comfortable ... " I used one for a commuter for a couple of years.
Let's turn the question on its head: "what good thing comes from having the bottom bracket higher?" Ground clearance comes to mind, but not a lot else.
For me, a lower BB means I can reach the ground without having to totally leave the saddle. It isn't much, but it is a little thing and I like it. The weight's a little lower when I'm moving, and that helps a little too. No doubt others will have different thoughts.
I find that bikes are a lot more stable with lower bottom brackets, I don't know if its a function of there being a lower center of gravity during pedaling (or if that even makes sense) but cornering, riding hands free, and just over-all stability seem to be related. I know that having your load lower on a loaded touring bike improves handling, and always figured it was the same principle.
CMC