Originally Posted by
Dahon.Steve
The relationship to get a larger wheel up to speed is greater which I agree. But what happens if you have two wheels the same size with one hub weighing much more than the other? How much energy would I expend after 10 miles, 20 miles 100 miles? I'm sure after 100 miles, the amount of energy used would be significant.
Also, the weight of a Deore cassette is .78 lbs when added with the hub brings it to 1.88 lbs. Therefore, this difference is not 40-50% at all. The Nexus 8 weights nearly 100% more than a Deore hub and cassette combined! (3.7 / 1.88)
It's the total weight that matters for acceleration and climbing hills. Hub weight is basically just weight. And unless you're a racer who's at his/her ideal weight
or your carry your bike a lot, it really just doesn't matter that much for most applications.
If your wheels have a large moment of inertial (rotational equivalent of mass) and you're going quickly and therefore the wheel is spinning quickly, this will amplify the so-called gyroscopic effect.