Originally Posted by
nlerner
This thread inspired me to measure some chainstays on the fleet. Interestingly, the relatively modern bikes that get ridden the most have 43cm-length stays. My 2020 Rivendell Roadini has 44cm stays, so a bit longer. My '74 Raleigh Int'l has 43cm stays. The only thing significantly shorter is my Lemond Zurich with 41cm stays (and I really like the way it rides; great climber and very stable descender).
My favorite bike to ride is my Gios Compact Pro, which has 39.5CM chain stays. Really great bike to ride. But no way would I want that to make that a touring bike. I think the longer chainstays nowadays is due to increased tire sizes becoming more popular, and therefore, the really short chainstays are likely a thing of the past outside of TT specific bikes.