Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Actually I was more interested in the academic question of what the effect of the larger frame size would be on out-of-the saddle handling than in sowing seeds of dissatisfaction in your mind. I'm really pleased you are so fond of the Venturi just the way it is. I'm still riding some steel in my mix of bikes and wouldn't trade it, so I know whereof you speak. I was just wondering about the handling issue you brought up is all.
Enjoy for many years to come.
Yes, that's what I understood you were getting at, so no worries there. As I said though, I don't know that a larger frame would do much, as I think the handling characteristic is derived from the exceptionally aggressive geometry, in particular the very steep HTA-- which is steeper than most, and in fact steeper than any I can think of-- and not resulting from front end weighting.
Regarding steel in general, this is my my fifth steel road bike, and one of two currently in the stable, and my affection for it derives not from the fact it's steel, but for the handling characteristics, which are on a whole different level from any of the other steel road frames I've had. It's stiffer, more responsive, and better balanced than my current Lemond BA or my old Bridgestone RB2, Diamondback Master TG, or Lotuses Challenger or Legend. I guess I had a Schwinn Letour in the there during the mid 80s, too. None of it high-end stuff, really, but nonetheless my frame of reference.