Originally Posted by
Wildwood
The bike to grow with you as you age. Top tube was only 1cm below normal. The seatpost has setback. Saddle choices also influence setback variances. The current Brooks scoots me forward, while the relatively long stem seems to put me more squarely between the wheels (50/50 weight distribution), and BB drop at 8cm aids for stable feel. Evenly balanced fore/aft and low is heavenly on high-speed descents every ride.
80s Sport / Touring? Depends - whether the manufacturer leaned toward Sport or Touring.
Labels to describe a bike are easier to understand than explaining geometry - for the majority of buyers.
Not sure about Serotta on headtube extensions but Ben used 8cm drop more than most builders. There were many variations of headsets following the switch to 1 1/8th steerers. Several raised the headset stack. Or so I believe.
The big problem here is that there is no current standardized description of what an Endurance bike is, just that it somehow departs from what a racing bike is in some definable (or marketable) way.
But the '80s sport tourer was also a bike with more relaxed steering geometry and longer wheelbase, and generally came with shorter stems for decreased reach and fatter tires/medium reach brakes. We think of them differently because they generally had 27" wheels and were 'entry level' rather than premium, but the effect was the same.
BTW, here's a 2000 Serotta with a likely low BB, extended head tube and shock absorbing frame device. Pretty damn endurancy.
https://bikingbicyclegarage.com/prod...-yrPwHO82nL9y5