Originally Posted by corwin1968

I think you are using the term "trail" in place of "wheelbase", in your explanation.

Trail is a front-end measurement that is a product of head tube angle and fork rake. Grant's Rivendells are generally mid-trail bikes.

Other than that, your comments follow traditional wisdom and are exactly the characteristics that Grant prefers in a bike: low bottom bracket, high handlebars, long chainstays and long wheelbase. His newest bike, the Clem Smith Jr., has chainstays that are over 50cm long!

I know very little about the Trek 910 but if it's built with those characteristics back when Trek was a small, specialized frame maker, I have no reason to think a Rivendell would be any better.

ETA: I went to VintageTrek.com and checked out the geometry of the 1979 Trek 910. Grant's bikes generally have lower BB's, longer chainstays and longer wheelbases than the 910. In addition, the 910 has 73/73 angles while Grant's touring bikes have 72/72, which is more relaxed and considered more comfortable.

The 910 has much lower trail than a comparable Riv (Trek=49mm vs Riv=66mm) and that comes down to personal preference. I think the 910 falls more into the old "Sport Tourer" category, which is all but extinct but highly regarded, based on what I've read.