As above, we all know it’s a winning feeling (tho IME you wheelie less with longer on steep climbs), but why? Has anyone given it much thought?

Weight more over the back wheel?

Steeper seat angle that the above would normally require makes it more comfortable and thus easier to appreciate?

FWIW my HT has a slack seat angle and thus puts my weight right back but it feels like a slog on the climbs.

More unstable so skips around more and therefore feels faster…….I think. That said at 6ft 3 I don’t like some of the super short stayed 29ers as I think the bike rides better with a longer stay despite it not being on trend…. Short people probably disagree as a short stay on a 29er probably feels long to them.

Not sure it’s seat angle – surely if you’re going properly fast on an MTB, especially an HT, you’ll be stood up, so it’s probably more to do with the relationship between where your feet are and where the back wheel is. (Obvs seat angle affects climbing and whatnot, but once you’re out of the saddle it’s largely irrelevant.)

I thought short seat-stays were out of fashion at the moment what with the current trend for ultra-long enduro-barges and whatnot?

I thought short seat-stays were out of fashion at the moment what with the current trend for ultra-long enduro-barges and whatnot?

Bikes for having fun on the trails vs bikes for serious racing.

Certain amount of cross-over between those two groups though.

Eeee, I remember when having short chainstays really meant something…

No idea of the science behind it all, but my 29er hardtail with sliding drop outs is easier to move the back end around with them at shortest and much easier to jump with, also feels great riding berms, I’m not sure that it wouldn’t be faster in the long setting but much more fun to ride.