Originally Posted by
Jaywalk3r
I'm not so sure.
The smaller wheel must rotate faster for the same tangential speed, so the linear speed of the spokes on the smaller wheel should be faster.
Think of what the tangential speed is at the ground, in the center, and at the top. That's the speed that the spokes (and hub) are moving through the air, at those three points. Do those speeds change when the radius changes?