Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site varian.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!tektronix!zehntel!varian!fred 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.