Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
Unless it doesn't.
Mass is mass is mass, and gravity does not increase because it's on an object that is spinning.
The linked "Alpe d'Huez" is, to put it mildly, rather imprecise. One test run, lots of variables.... A 30 second difference over 50 minutes is 1%, which is surely within the margins of error of such a casual experiment.
No, the rotational weight thing isn't about gravity, the effect on climbing. Rather rotational mass affects acceleration on flats as well as hills. With regard to acceleration without any gravitational effect rotating mass is more diffucult to accelerate than non rotating mass . The greater the radius of rotation of the center of mass, the more harder to going.