Originally Posted by
Minion1
Someone who's been involved in this argument more than me is going to pipe up and say its negligable in the real world because the intertia discussed above only occurs when rolling from a complete stop. Changes in momentum at the wheel while riding are infintesimal.
A couple of things OP. Weight difference between hubs is very hard to feel. Because of the moment of inertia, the farther away from the axle centerline the more the added weight matters....but only for accelerating really.
I will tell you where it really matters...in the world of mountain biking. I own a 29er which have taken over the mtb scene but not without a fair outcry initially in particular because of moment of inertia mostly. Fat tired larger wheeled mountain bikes do not accelerate as quickly as a 26 inch bike...but they tend to hold their speed better and why they are starting to dominate mtb racing throughout the world although Europe has been slow to embrace 700c rim size mtbs.
Further...the wheel weight thing I believe for the amateur doesn't matter as much as wheel stiffness but if racing you want the lightest, stiffest wheelset you can find...and lightest tires without or without lightest tubes.