Originally Posted by
base2
But if you can expend only 200 watts for the same speed, you can go further for the same tiredness at the end of the day.
Or for the same 230 watts you can go faster.
It's watt savings per tire. And it can be significant compared to what you are comparing it against. (20-30 watts when compared to Gator Hardshells, for 10-15% savings, for example.)
Your example of wind is a variable. Rolling resistance is a constant.
Even at 5-10 watts total savings, the GP5K'stires themselves are ~$15‐30 cheaper per tire than the next comparable competitors. I'd hardly call that wasted effort.
I see you points. But your scenario only mainly comes into significance if 1) you're riding steady-state, 2) on the flat, 3) without much wind, 4) without much cornering, 5) your front and rear weight distribution is 50/50 ratio.
In real world situation, things are not this ideal to allow you to realize the rolling-resistance superiority of the GP5000.
The advantage of drafting makes the advantage of rolling resistance a low priority on the list of "things to do". I see plenty of (presumably timid) riders not willing, or unable to draft effectively.
In mountain descents, cornering counts, and the GP5000 is not the top performer in cornering, not close.
while the argument of "if you could use less wattage to go the same speed, then you'd be able to go further" sounds compelling from a strictly quantitative point of view, but in the real world riding, real world century'ing with your buddies, real world racing, nobody has won or lost anything based on tire rolling resistance. It makes very little sense to place great emphasis on tire rolling resistance between all the "top tier tires". And this is my main point. (And Gatorskin is not a top tier tire.)