Originally Posted by Machka
I've had bicycles with sloping top tubes since 2000. They've been around for a while now!
Personally, I like them and when I ordered my custom Marinoni, I specifically mentioned that I wanted a sloping top tube. It's a whole lot easier to get on the bicycle, when you're very tired after riding all day and all night, etc., when the top tube isn't so high.
Some of us have short legs and to fit a frame- I either go too small and fit a longer bar stem or get a bike that fits. One Thing I have found from mountain biking is that a small Triangle is more rigid. Transfers pedal power to the back wheel more efficiently and the rear triangle does not flex as much.(Smaller front triangle- Tighter rear one.) Less flex does mean less power loss. When I went to a road bike this year- I naturally went to a Compact frame. I tried one of my mates Non-Compact on a ride and It did not feel right. He is the same size and the bike fitted but I did not feel part of the bike