Answers in quote apply if you are paying for your bike yourself. Of course, if you could tell the difference you wouldn't be asking. Your sponsor would know what bike to give you.

None....Comfort is more important.

The rough calculation is not that difficult. You do it.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've been doing some commuting back to days on the two bikes I mentioned earlier and I have an additional observation.

The bike with bottom bracket higher off the ground (the lower 'bb drop') banks when I turn it, meaning I lean to that side and off I go.

The bike with the lower bb, (higher 'bb drop') is more of a "turn the handlebars" experience - it's more agile because of that.

The rake is similiar between the two (2mm difference) and the stems are about 15mm different so that is a likely contributor, but if I had to guess, the BB drop is mainly responsible for the different feels.

I disagree. There are probably differences in head angle which would account for the different ways the bikes steer.

Only half a degree between them, but you're probably right... I'm likely underestimating the the factors between the two or oversimplifying.

Case in point, for these two similarly spec'd bikes, one has toe overlap and one doesn't. That's makes a strong case for your point, right there.

I love my Privateer, but it's built as a single-speed. The geometry is quite similar to my Bianchi Volpe, and also to the All-City Space Horse, which I was also looking at when deciding which frame to do this build on.

My favorite bike has a lot of BB drop, 80 mm. I don't know if that has anything to do with why I like that bike so much, but it rides really nice. That said, I have to be careful when riding that bike to remember not to pedal when cornering. My pedals have struck the pavement more times than I can remember on that bike, and it's always a bit of jolt when it happens but it's never caused me to spill. Anyway, that's something to keep in mind if you tend to pedal through the corners.

Depends on a couple of things. First, how often you have put a foot down on your commute? If you are footing a lot at stop lights, the lower BB helps, especially if you can do it without getting off the saddle. Secondly and this is more subjective, how the bike feels and handles for YOU. I like low BB because I feel like I am riding "in" the bike rather than "on" it. On my old Mercier 300 I can dab with 700x35's. When it is converted to 650b it is really low- 254mm and I need to be careful pedaling around corners, but it rides and handles like a dream for me.
The full suspension bike I had in the 90's was like riding a tall horse and I hated it other than steep downhills.
It really is a matter of preference, but I prefer low BB always.
Ride both on your commute route, a preference will show itself if there is one.
Tom Palmer,
Twin Lake, MI

what made you choose the privateer over the space horse? price?

Pretty much, yeah. I was already pushing my budget as it was, and that $200 difference wasn't insignificant. Also, the listed weight limits for the rack-mounting braze-ons concerned me.

are the rack-mounting braze-ons for the privateer rated for a heavier load? i didn't see that listed anywhere.

also, just for reference, what size frame is that in the photo?

I don't think there's a weight rating listed anywhere. The Space Horse was the only one I looked at that had any mention of it.

My frame is the 48cm one, which is essentially the same as my 51cm Volpe and similar to my 53cm Raleigh One-Way.

As others posted above, low BB is better for touring almost always; more stable, easier to put a foot down, etc. But we need to keep perspective. A lot goes into a bike. BB drop is one small factor. Small enough that unless you are racing fix gears, rarely anything close to a deciding factor.

I have owned (and still tend to choose) a few high BB bikes. Several had superb handling. (I don't like pedal strike In my racing days, I used the very high BB on my racing bike, a full 11", to advantage all the time, pedaling deeper into and sooner out of corners.)

If you are set on choosing between the Aurora Elite and Marrakesh, you could use the BB drop as a tie-breaker but make sure you actually have a tie. Don't pick the bike that will not suit you as well because it has a lower BB. (I haven't looked at either bike. I'm talking about the importance of BB height and don't want to sway my argument with opinions on the two bikes.)

Ben

Where did you get the pirate flags?

They're just cheap things from a costume shop in Boston, about $3 each, maybe less. I got them for the Treasure Island themed Boston Bike Party ride over the summer, and kept them on there until about a month ago.

A few reasons for high BB.

Fixed Gear? No coasting on corners.
Long Cranks? 200mm?

It doesn't sound like you will be in either of these categories.

I wonder if all pedals are created equal. Perhaps some of the new power pedals are also thicker and wider, and might also benefit from a higher bottom bracket.

Another can be large platform pedals. My old 90's MTB with 175 cranks and large pinned platform pedals scraped one time when I accidentally had the inside pedal in the 6-o'clock position through a corner. That was when I was still a relative n00b.

Oh, maybe I should add to the list.

Those people with toeclips and like to ride with the toeclips downward (ok, at least a few pedal strokes).

Thanks. I went with a pirate theme for this year's Halloween group ride. Might do it again next year but with flags.