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Lighter rims tires accelerate faster
Last Post 09/01/2014 09:43 AM by carl x. 7 Replies.
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Oldfart

Posts:511

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08/30/2014 11:22 PM
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/e-thirteen-finally-answers-the-age-old-question.html Interesting video.
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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08/31/2014 09:57 AM
Parlor trick.

1) you rarely accelerate from a stopped position when riding, and hardly ever racing. The accelerations when moving are very different in terms if moments of inertia.

2) weights used in this video are very different. The reality is that bike wheels are much lighter, and the weight differences at the ends of the wheel are much smaller. The real world application of this is barely negligible differences.

Sure, if you have a choice between two wheels with identical performance attributes, choose the one with lighter weight around the perimeter. But if you start making trade-offs in terms of performance (traction, durability, aerodynamics, etc), weight should not be the determining factor.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Ride On

Posts:537

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08/31/2014 05:06 PM
I was thinking about weight vs aero today.

Due to an injury I hadn't been on a fast group ride in about a year. I went on one Sat. I knew to stay pretty near the back due to questions about my fitness and bike handling skills.

As we've all experienced , being in the back of a 50 person group rolling along the flat you feel pretty good. The guy up front is pushing a good amount of watts more than me in the back. We hit some rolling hills and sure enough it no longer feels easy. The delta between the guy up fronts watts and my srinks. Knowing I'm 10lbs over weight plays with my subconscious as well.

As we roll along on the flats, being a typical pack I have to slow and accelerate from time to time but my inertia is high so it never feels hard. On the hills same thing happens I have to slow and accelerate from time to time and it is way harder. It's really hard to over come momentum on a hill.

It's easy to see why a race/ride breaks apart on a hill not on the flats.

I appreciate being aero while I'm on my own trying to go fast, but my subconscious knows pain is dished out on hills. That pain is a vivid memory and no matter what when I think cycling I think less weight = less pain. It's hard to have my brain override my feelings
Gonzo Cyclist

Posts:568

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08/31/2014 06:03 PM
I always thought that sure, a lighter wheel spins up faster, but a heavier wheel will carry momentum much better once rolling, but a lighter wheel would corner better because of less rotating mass, and less gyroscopic effect making the bike want to stand up in corners
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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08/31/2014 08:53 PM
Unfortunately, Ride On, perception (these light wheels "feel" faster) and reality (these aero wheels ARE faster) often don't align.

As you noted, you have a few extra lbs to get rid of....those are much more significant to your performance on the hills than a couple hundred grams on your wheels.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Oldfart

Posts:511

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08/31/2014 09:44 PM
Changed the tires on the Nomad today. That added about 150 grams to each wheel. Rode the same climbs today as yesterday. Probably 25% pitches in places. Climbing was harder and I was feeling better today.
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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08/31/2014 10:10 PM
Casings, tread pattern, rolling resistance, PSI, etc will make a much more dramatic impact on your efforts than weight, OF.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
THE SKINNY

Posts:506

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09/01/2014 09:43 AM
didn't leonard zinn do experiments with weighted vs non-weighted wheels a couple of years ago?
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
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