Originally Posted by
HTupolev
What matters for tire selection isn't the rolling resistance of the tire versus the aerodynamic drag of the whole system. It's the rolling resistance of the tire versus the difference in aerodynamic drag caused by the tire selection. If you change to a tire that's 10W-faster-rolling but 5W-higher-aero-drag at 20mph, you're going to save 5W at 20mph regardless of whether the rider's body is in a tuck that's producing 100W of aero drag or an upright posture that's producing 170W of aero drag.
Correct, but aerodynamic resistance (from any part of the bike/rider system) continues to climb exponentially, while rolling resistance is essentially linear. You will overwhelm that 5W through more aerodynamic drag at 22 or 23 mph (using imaginary arbitrary made up numbers made up for this discussion)