I LOVED mine, it was stolen out of my garage in Chicago. Mine was a 24” frame, might be why I didn’t find mine to be too stiff. Never used a front rack so no experience with the jitters. 28’s with fenders is true, but I ran mine with 32’s and race blade clip on fenders.
For me it was zippier than a touring bike, but more predictable than a racing bike. Toss a lunch and a sweater into some small rear panniers and it was my favorite long day in the saddle/commuter bike.
When it was taken I ended up replacing it with a ‘79 510 in full Ishiwata 022. For me the rides are pretty comparable, but I never had the chance to ride them back to back.
Full disclosure, this was my best condition bike. Everything was original and in beautiful, shiny condition. If that colored my impression of the ride I wouldn’t be surprised.
Damn I miss that bike.