Originally Posted by
itsthewoo
Just to clear some things up in this thread:
- A lighter bike will not give you a faster top speed, but will allow you to accelerate faster (F = ma)
Yes. Marginally, because bike weight is low as a % of vehicle weight.
(Note: the exception is on an incline. However, assuming you start and end at the same altitude, you're doing pretty much the same amount of work either way.)
The second part is untrue because air resistance dissipates kinetic energy: energy for the total bike + rider + air system is conserved, bike energy is not.
- Chopping off weight in the wheels/tires will give you the greatest benefit in this area as you need to both move and rotate that mass (i.e. you must provide the energy for both linear and rotational motion)
Yes, but it will be minute. Because cuttable wheel weight is so small compared to rider mass and work against air and road resistance.
- However, lighter wheels also means that the work done by drag forces will be more effective, and thus you will lose speed more quickly when you are coasting.
Not in anyway that matters. Energy stored in your wheels is tiny. Spin them with the wheels off the ground and then apply the brake. Both responses speed up and slow down are instant.