Originally Posted by
Andrew R Stewart
Not sure I agree. I haven't seen studies about spoke tension effecting efficiency. But I do know the difference between feed back and efficiency. That so many people don't is why there's the misbelief that fatter tires are slower then skinny ones. Slow reaction is not less speed. Andy.
Well, I haven't done any studies, but I've killed more rear wheels than I care to count. One thing I started noticing was that it felt like it was taking more and more energy to climb the hills I have to climb every day. Then, inevitably the wheel would finally really show me that it was toast by starting to break spokes. As soon as I put in a new, properly trued wheel, it was amazing the difference I felt. It was like the difference between heading out on my commute on a day where I got enough sleep and had a decent breakfast versus the commute home after working an overnight shift and not having eaten for hours.
Makes sense to me that a wheel that is mushy from all the spoke tension being gone would rob you of a lot of the energy that should be propelling you forward.
My zwei pfennig anyway.