Seem to remember that back in the 70's the trend on road/touring bikes was for larger frames (with really high top tubes). Does anyone else recall this trend?
Having a bit of a nostalgic moment (& a giggle) remembering some of my bikes from the 70's & 80's - the colours and frame shapes were criminal. Recall having a touring bike whose headtube was like a scaffolding pole - the frame was so noodly it was like riding a slinky.
We had to ride large frames - the average seatpost then was only about 6" long, so having more than 3" out of the frame was dicey.
It certainly made it more comfortable for riding distance because the tops of your bars were higher due to the long headtube. People who really wanted to get down to it used deep drops on their bars.