Originally Posted by
bikingshearer
Shorter tubes are always stiffer than longer tubes of the same type. Take a foot long pice of PVC pipe and a three foot long piece of the same diameter and thickness of PVC pipe, I gurantee you will be able to bend the longer one more than you can bend the shorter one, 'Tis the same for steel, or carnon fiber, or aluminum, or titanium, or unobtainium, or any other tube. .
But when we talk about bicycles, we are only talking about inches or fractions of inches - so is the difference in stiffness measurable? and if it is measurable, what is the bottom line to the rider? Am I faster? If so by how much? What are the measurable benefits to a compact frame?