That plush ride is also due to the S-curve downtube, which elongates elastically easier than a straight tube, and the spindly fork blades. Oh look, a mountain triple crank, because they need a granny low for those huge tires, without a massive pieplate of a low gear at the cassette.

This reminds me of a female standup comic routine, "I'm going to continue getting facelifts until my face meets in the back of my head." That's what 36s on the same wheelbase look like to me.