Originally Posted by FarHorizon
Decades of experience spawned the "one-inch rule." There is a good reason for it whether you think so or not. Despite your assertions that clothing or habit can compensate for a lack of top tube clearance, common experiences by tens (hundreds?) of thousands of riders disagree. For road bikes, an inch of clearance is prudent; for MTBs, more.
Decades of experience...experience of what exactly and by whom?
I can quantify my assertions, you have yet to quantify yours. All you've provided thus far is idle conjecture.