In the old days most road bikes had the frame geometry of criterium race bikes and so had steeper head tube angles and less fork rake. Great for short criterium race courses but terrible on the open road, especially at high speeds. At the other end of the spectrum are the bikes built for use by triathletes. I owned a Dave Scott Centurion Ironman bicycle and it was perfect for long rides and fast downhill descents with full control of the bike.