I'm relatively new to cycling, so haven't had a lot of experience on different bikes. Given that my interest is primarily in vintage, I figured this would be an appropriate place to ask (plus everyone here is great)

I've heard my UO-8 has 'relaxed' geometry. What exactly is this referring to, and how does it affect my ride? I've also heard such and such 'with that fork rake' - what does this mean?

Does lugged vs. welded steel affect ride/handling? I think mine is considered 'gas-pipe', is steel really that much more bump absorbent than aluminum/Ti/CF (maybe this shouldn't be in the vintage area )