bfd...Smarty doesn't like to listen. You see he is always right because he is so smart.
You hit the nail on the head. It is a fad/trend and people want it for that reason and that reason only. There is absolutely no reason or rationale for the compact frame. Just like the 1 1/8th head tube it was for cost savings by the big manufacturers. Giant was first. I read Bicycle Retailer and that is the exact reasons given to the merchants.
It wasn't too long ago that Ti was the big in thing. Everyone wannabe was buying ti frames, ti bolts, ti water cages etc. and paying way more than most of it was worth. Now it is carbon and folks are doing the same thing. Campy and their $800 crank that was such a poor design that they redid it in one year is a perfect example. Whoever paid that much just wanted the newest and hottest crank out there not any performance increase. The water bottle cages are another example. The Record ones are an unreal price. However I have seen now where if you buy the group they throw in the cages.
The person I know who has forgotten more about bikes and racing than most know is completely against the compact frame as they tend not to be as stable in high speed descents...50 mph up over 60 mph. He feels Beloki's problem stemmed from the frame acting up and he grabbed the brake and it locked up the rear brake and it takes hardly any time at all to melt the glue and roll a tubular off. Watch carefully next time they show it and watch his hands. Lance was the only one to say he locked up his brakes and he had the best view. He said that right after that stage and it kind of went unnoticed. I'd suspect that since he saw the brakes lock up that he immediately was looking for a place to bail out. I'd guess that is why he was able to avoid him. Without any warning at all he would have not been able to do that.
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