I understand the effects of the changes, just more interested in why someone chooses 'X' bike over 'Y' bike, purely based on half a degree in either angle.
A whole generation of keyboard enthusiasts think they have more knowledge than the top engineers and designers of absolutely enormous bike companies?
I wager the top engineers mostly don't have a clue, how many actually ride the same trails we do? I have been 'sticky becking' a little at a new prototype frame that's being built / designed over the last few years and was asked to ride it and write a report, I can assure you some of the top freelance deisgners don't seem to have a clue about geo, probably great at maths however.
I'm 6.3 and mostly legs, after riding an owning many bikes, my favourite reach measurement is 475mm, not 480 and not 470, precisely 475. Anything longer is a compromise, real steep stuff with drops mid descent I am way too far forward - hanging on but not actually controlling the bike, or too short out of the saddle technical climbs are too crowded. 475 for me is the perfect medium and is the first time a bike has fit quite well.
I don't care about HTA, that can be modified +/- 2 degrees, STA is very important, steeper is better in every regard, help keep the front weighted for climbing, efficient pedaling position and all that.
Unlike Zaf, 430-445mm is an incredible difference in the way a bike handles, it takes heaps more effort to throw a barge around. Shorter stays are better in every regard except super steep climbs and doing 70+km don't a fire road. Geo is a compromise, depends what you want from a bike, my gravel bike has the longest chain stays I could find for a boring straight ling stability - but for the purpose I want its perfect.
Also, the current craze of longer and slacker is completely retarded, driven by marketing and aimed at the enduro sheeple. Unless you only ride 'flow' trails, you 510-530mm reach with 455mm stays are great, on anything with some tight corners, steep shoots and anything where a playful bike would be fun, the barge of a bike is shithouse. Market will swing back sooner rather than later in regards to geo and sizing, and the market will be flooded with ginormus bikes in the coming 18 months when people realise 1300mm wheel bases are shithouse for anything other than the dumbed down straight line WC circuit.
Quality Saturday night rant over.
Actually... no its not, why do I need such a shitty low BB, do bike designers actually ride the pieces of shit they designed, I wager not a single one has ridden up a loose rocky climb, where its impossible to avoid pedal strikes, then you come to a halt. Dave Turner has higher than normal BB's on his bikes (normal being retardedly low) for this very reason, Banshee and Rocky mountain offer adjustable geo (top brands) which helps alleviate this, and Transition increased the BB height on the Scout in 2017 - I bought that bike as it had the perfect geo for all round riding.
Rant is now over, going to watch clint eastwood killing people, or cry when he gets himself killed to save the zipperheads.