The "
Softail 2" rear stays are supposedly designed to be horizontally rigid but vertically compliant. Local, small Portland company that is now owned by an Asian manuf. - Specialized killed them off with a lawsuit saying the "Stumptown" (a PDX nickname) was too close to "Stumpjumper" so they had to discontinue it.
http://bikeportland.org/2006/03/20/l...rogresses-1071
That thing looks like it would ride like a truck, as in a full-size Dodge Ram truck. I don't make recommendations to people re the disc/canti drama (but I do ride discs myself).