Originally Posted by
profjmb
To Abu Mahendra: I guess neither of us is able to say definitively because neither has ridden the other bike. (I assume you have not ridden a Pocket Rocket.) But I do have a
PR and several road bikes, and they're pretty similar in feel. Do you feel the same about your Dash Altena?
No, I do not. For the reason mentioned before. 700c/622 wheels feel, handle, react differently to 406ers. The diamond frame geometry in big wheel bikes also plays a part. This is one reason I've got a 622er in the works. I am a big fan of 406/451ers, but no 'it feels like a big wheel bike' Kool-Aid for me, thanks.
622 rim vs. 406 wheel
The Altena is just an example. Everything that I've said before applies to the likes of the Tyrells, PCs, etc. That is, none of them will truly feel like a roadbike, but all, apples and apples, can go as fast as the others. Any claim that one is faster than the other would have to account for the range of cognitive biases.