Bike Forums - View Single Post - So, what will be the next useful major improvement in road bikes?

09-02-11 | 08:32 AM

#179

bud16415

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2011

Posts: 1,141

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From: Erie Penna.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhyFi

Did you even read the part of your statement that I quoted? Gearing CAN NOT be considered to be "cheating" human power. Gearing does not create additional power (which is impossible), nor does it store it for later use. Gearing is a trade-off between speed and power, nothing more. To assert otherwise is silly, almost as silly as your assertion that coasting downhill with nice bearings and aero gear is somehow storing power for later use - no, that would be minimizing losses due to friction, not storing power.

If you are riding down a hill on a single speed bike and anticipation of an upcoming climb and your rate of speed coasting is such you can't spin fast enough to increase said speed you will reach the low point of the hill at some terminal speed and with some amount of kinetic energy stored in the combined mass of your body and bike and the speed you are moving. That energy will allow you to coast up the new hill "X" distance. (Stored energy) If you now have a bike with changeable gearing that allow you a taller gear that allows you to add additional speed reaching the bottom of the hill you will have additional kinetic energy stored and travel a distance "X Plus". If your bearings and clothing allows your speed to improve they will also add to your storage of Kinetic energy. If the hill is long and fast and there is a stop sign at the bottom and it now requires braking that stored energy has to be somehow removed and it is removed thru heat of friction brake pads and tires and if you assume a upright posture heat of friction wind against your body. Wasting that energy will have to at some point will have to be paid back assuming your final destination is the same elevation as your starting destination.

So it all comes down to that stop sign. if it isn't there it isn't cheating to coast part way up the hill. if it is there and you save the energy long enough to stop at the bottom it is cheating.

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