[QUOTE=alcanoe;12252759]
Originally Posted by
Robert Foster
How would we escape the idea that is "no one" that races road bikes for a living uses wide or fat tires? We could debate it all we want but from experience we know what is harder to push past 25 MPH on the flat and we know what wins races. But this topic comes up anyway. Comfort is a different issue.
QUOTE]
I think it's easy to explain. They ride faster/longer where both aerodynamics and weight play a big role in winning. Those bigger tires are heavy and the weight is at a long lever-arm which really eats up energy in acceleration. Then at higher speed, bigger tires/rims (and more spokes) likely cause more air drag especially from off-angle wind.
I've never averaged more than about 15 mph on a 70 mile ride. That's far lower than even the 2200 mile TDF. Air resistance is not a big factor for me except in a wind.
Another interesting tidbit about bike technology and racing from Bicycle Quarterly Summer 210: regression analysis shows that the average speed increase of the TDF (Tour de France) matches the increase in Average speed trend of runners from 1950 through 2010. In other words it's not the bike, but the riders. Training/nutrition drives the improvements.
There was a big improvement in cycling in the '30s as they paved those roads in the mountains and the more modern frame geometry was locked in to about what's used today. They checked the data against one classic, Milan-San Remo and saw the same trend for that one day race.
Al
True and the Faster longer part ends the debate on what is faster. If there were a speed advantage then even TT bikes would have fat/wide tires. A quick study of what the teams do with computer modeling would convince most of us that they are riding the equipment that gives them as much of an advantage as is legal.
It is hard to accept the contention that fat/wide and heavy will give you a speed advantage when in real life we can't see it. We aren't saying they are not comfortable or safe but faster? Bench racing is always nice but on race day the one finishing first, second and third is proof of a theory.
