I really didn't want to get into the which is better argument. I mainly was looking for a pseudo-scientifc explaination of why a bike made with a compact frame would be stiffer, not whether stiffer is better. I suppose I could have asked whether riders of compact frames have noticed the increased stiffness but there is a BIG problem with that - most compact bike are modern bikes and are likely to be stiffer because of the larger diameter tubing, oversized bottom brackets, etc and thus the effect of the compact frame design will be masked by the other factors. Somebody might say, "yeah, my compact frame is much stiffer and handles great" but is that because of the compact design or the other factors?