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From: bhilden@druxj.UUCP (HildenbrandBE)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Frankie Moser's Hour Record(*BIG SPOILER*)
Message-ID: <1019@druxj.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Jun-85 16:02:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: druxj.1019
Posted: Wed Jun 26 16:02:56 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Jun-85 06:56:09 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 33

So old Frankie Moser set a new hour record not once but,
twice last year.

The REAL story is not the weight of his equipment(as some
misguided netter would like you to believe) but, the
AERODYNAMICS of the bicycle, wheels et. al.  To be
sure, the disk wheels now in use in International racing
are heavy(some weigh as much as 6 lbs.) but, the decrease
in wind resistance afforded OUTWEIGHS the disadvantage of
the heavier weight over conventional wheels.
Give Frankie a conventional pair of spoked wheels that
weigh six pounds and we'll see who breaks the hour record.

BTW, as far as energy expenditure is concerned, Freddy 
Bracke, who set the SEA LEVEL hour record in 1967, rates
as the fastest of all time.  Both Big Eddy and Little
Frankie went farther but they were at ~7000 feet so less
wind resistance and easier pedaling.

As far as Frankies 1984 season is concerned, sure he won
Milan San Remo, but, his Giro D'Italia victory was
dubious at best.  About the only people not paid off were
a couple of tourists from Norway who happened to be watching
stage 14.  Also, Moser's fans literally pushed him up the climbs
(the press called it the "Moser train").  Not to mention that
he used his disk wheels in both individual time trials and
still only beat Laurent Fignon by a minute and a half.

So, lets seperate the weight related item from the aerodynamic
ones.

Bruce Hildenbrand
ihnp4!druxj!bhilden