Hi, Geary: Sorry for waiting so long to reply. I just saw your new post. As far as stability in hill climbing, after a short learning period, you should not wobble or wonder in any significant way. Remember, most upright riders wobble a bit too in slow speed climbing. I have ascended many, many thousands of feet (I ride in the Sierras of southern California) and no dangerous wobblies yet. And, of course, the more experience you get, the straighter the line you can hold.
You should know, however, that all other things being equal (ha!), short wheel base bikes have better slow speed handling. On my previous SWB, I could easily creep up hills at about 3--3.5 mph, sometimes a bit slower. In my defense
I usually don't go this slow! But I wanted to see just how slow I could move and still remain in control. The SWB was amazing in this regard. A long wheel base is more difficult to manage at such low speeds.
If you are seriously considering a SWB, think about one that is suspended. This would be very nice to have for long tours. LWB bikes naturally absorb lots of road shock, so suspension isn't really needed.
BTW, if I were to buy a LWB again, I'd probably go with the Longbikes, "Slipstream"--a beautiful, solid bike with dual disk brakes and underseat steering. I hope to own one some day.
http://www.longbikes.com/Best of Luck!
Scott
