Originally Posted by
Skipjacks
I also get your point about the wattage in real world vs the hypothetical mathematical world. But....the equations in the hypothetical mathematical world are still valid. And they equal "not much difference in energy needed for an extra pound"
True, the math works out the same. It doesn't matter how much the rider/bike weigh or the initial speed, the extra weight will take exactly the same watts to accelerate whether you start from 0 or 22.4mph. 6 watts may only be 0.4% for a sprinter but it's 3% for a rider who only puts out 200W.