Originally Posted by
Eric F
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how planing (if it's actually a thing) can possibly add more power to propel a bicycle down the road. If energy loaded into the frame is returned by spring action, how can it be more than the additional energy input? If we assume that energy loaded into the frame during the pedal stroke actually is returned to help propel the bike, wouldn't a stiffer frame just increase the quickness of the return?
If you could get more energy out of a system than was put into it, you could solve a lot of the world's problems. And they'd have to rewrite a whole bunch of textbooks.