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From: fred@varian.UUCP (Fred Klink)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: How To Make Your Bicycle Faster (and set a new hour record)
Message-ID: <330@varian.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 18:59:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: varian.330
Posted: Wed Jun 19 18:59:34 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Jun-85 05:28:30 EDT
References: <1644@reed.UUCP> <8300004@ada-uts.UUCP>
Organization: Varian, Walnut Creek, CA
Lines: 22

> > 3) Wheels.  Light wheels are important because they are revolving
> > weight, i.e. 1 pound of tires feels like 3 pounds of frame,
> 
>    While 1 pound of tires might FEEL like 3 pounds of  frame,  it
> actually  takes only 2 times more energy to accelerate 1 pound of
> tires than 1 pound of "static" components.

In setting the world's hour record last year, Francesco Moser used
wheels with *heavy* rims (I don't recall the actual weight).  The
theory was that while a little slower to accelerate, the momentum
of the heavier rim would require less energy to keep going than a
conventional, very light track rim.  His bike also had a number
of other radical design changes like delta frame and moon-disks.
In any case, the heavy wheels didn't hold him back: he shattered
the hour record and went out the next day and broke his own, new
record again.  In the past breaking the hour record has shattered
the rider and is often implicated in shortening a racer's career.
However, Moser used energy so efficiently that he not only broke the
record twice but has continued to race and win some of Europe's most
demanding races.

PS: Moser is 33 years old.