Originally Posted by
leon6782
I realize that all the comments here disagree, but this rolling resistance must add up over time. I can genuinely feel a difference in resistance when spinning the wheel slowly by hand.
?
Yes, you can feel the difference when turning the axle. The point that you’re missing is that it makes no difference in the real world.
Here’s how you test it: put a power meter on your bike. Ride a time trial course at a sustainable power level. Record your time. Go home, switch wheels, then ride the same course at the same power level. Record your time. Do that 9 more times. Remember to record all the variables: weather, tire pressure, what you ate for lunch, etc.
Now, is one wheelset consistently faster? There’s your answer. Is there no consistency? That’s also an answer.