Originally Posted by asgelle
Here we go again. Inertia plays virtually no role in road cycling. The third sentence directly contradicts the first two.
http://www.biketechreview.com/archive/wheel_theory.htm
"How can it be that wheel inertial forces are nearly insignificant, when the advertisements say that inertia is so important? Quite simply, inertial forces are a function of acceleration. In bike racing this peak acceleration is about .1 to .2 g’s and is generally only seen when beginning from an initial velocity of 0 (see criterium race data in Appendix D )"
Not sure if I understand how inertia (objects in motion REMAIN in motion) is a function if acceleration (CHANGE in motion), but I agree that inertia is but a small factor in wheel performance. Then again, so is weight, so I just had my broken wheels rebuilt with thicker spokes and replace my carbon fork with a steel one. My butt couldn't be happier, and I didn't notice any drop in my average speeds.