I might as well stir the anthill again - $1,500 bikes (from **most** manufacturers) are built with angles that would have been considered "track" racing bikes only a decade or two ago. These frame angles may be spiffy for racers, but they don't provide stability worth a darn! In general, the older the bike, the more stably it will ride. Yes, some can learn to ride today's bikes just fine (even *without* hands), but the average rider shouldn't expect stability without a LOT of practice on the bike. The new ones just aren't as forgiving..