Originally Posted by
unterhausen
My understanding of why MTB's designers have been moving to slacker angles is because when the suspension fork is compressed, the HTA can get pretty steep.
A big part of it is that the wide stance on the handlebars gives the rider a ton of leverage on the steering. Geometries that are excessively weighty and floppy in road posture with 42cm drop bars can feel natural in an MTB posture with 80cm flat bars.