I sold a compact frame I had to a friend last year. He set it up similarly to his current non compact road frame. He's an A grade(your Cat 1) rider here. He says it "feel" faster too and "seems" to be faster against his training partners etc on it.
Mostly I got it to build up a single speed(it was cheap secondhand) but looking at the frame angles I thought 'No' - it reaffirmed for me that I hate the look of compacts .
I especially think they look stupid on the racks of the back of cars - skued at an angle.
I also wouldn't like to own a bike which had just been pumped out of somewhere like and including the Giant factory in the Far East - which it seems to me a lot of store bought compacts are.
I have a semi compact bike - which I think still looks as good as a trad frame set up.
Mostly I got it to build up a single speed(it was cheap secondhand) but looking at the frame angles I thought 'No' - it reaffirmed for me that I hate the look of compacts .
I especially think they look stupid on the racks of the back of cars - skued at an angle.
I also wouldn't like to own a bike which had just been pumped out of somewhere like and including the Giant factory in the Far East - which it seems to me a lot of store bought compacts are.
I have a semi compact bike - which I think still looks as good as a trad frame set up.