Juggler2

Generally speaking, what are reasonable expectations as far as ride/handling/performance regarding longer wheelbase bikes? With regards to overnight touring (maybe 200 miles, tops) and commuting.

Also, how does the degree of head tube tilt effect the bike?

TIA

fietsbob

For the in depth answer.. you might read up on the subject..

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cny-bikeman

Not a simple question at all b/c there is interplay among various factors and you can't always optimize one thing w/out sacrificing something else - responsiveness, stability, toe and heel (pannier) clearance. Very rare for a good quality bike to have any significant handling issues, so primary focus is usually ride quality and fender/tire or pannier clearance. As for head tilt you have to combine that with fork rake to get trail before you can compare.

Al1943

A longer wheelbase will make very little difference in handling except at very low speeds. The longer wheelbase will take a bit more space to make when making a big change in direction.
A more layer back head tube angle will increase steering trail helping the bike maintain a straight path. A bike with more trail will feel more stable but not turn as quickly.
Increasing fork rake offset will decrease trail, decreasing rake offset will increase trail.

AEO

If everything else was the same, then longer wheel base will result in less agility and more stability.

something to do with "moment of inertia".

oldbobcat

A slacker head angle with correct rake will give you slower, but still light, steering. In general, slacker angles and longer stays lead to a smoother ride. Longer stays will also make the bike less susceptible to shifts in weight distribution. That is, the rider's mass is far enough ahead of the rear axle to counter the mass of loaded panniers.

Jeff Wills

This is very comfortable, and makes a superb commuting and touring bike. That doesn't stop me from joining in the local club time-trials:

DannoXYZ 

Typically a well-designed bike will have geometry that matches wheelbase to head-angle, fork-rake and trail for balanced handling. In practical terms, wheelbase will make no difference in overnight touring experience. Wheelbase just determines how tight of a circle you can ride at low-speed, like making a U-turn on the sidewalk. In that regard, the twitchiness/steering-response you feel when riding has more to do with head-angle and fork-rake.

For touring, you'll want a more relaxed head-angle with lots trail for stability. That really makes the miles more comfortable as you don't have to work at keeping the bike going straight. That gets tiring on long rides.