Originally Posted by
acidfast7
Within the context of an average cyclist, this is the "commuter" forum after all, human being riding a bicycle in real world conditions, I would argue that the reduction in aerodynamic drag afforded by a small wheel is negligible compared to the total aerodynamics drag of the bike+rider.
I believe that this is correct. While the smaller wheel is slightly faster due to less aerodynamic drag, for most commuting use the difference is not large enough to be important.
What is more noticeable in some commuting is that when accelerating from a stop the smaller wheel feels significantly faster. (wheel mass and rotational mass are significantly less). If your commute involves crossing multiple busy roads without the benefit of traffic lights, getting across more quickly feels like a big deal as fast moving traffic approaches!.