Originally Posted by
badger1
Couldn't agree more -- in fact, I'd go so far as to say that these kinds of things are where any real differences in speed come from, as between bikes, rather than '26" or 700c' wheels. Geometry and ride position (affects both aerodynamics and pedalling efficiency), even chainstay length, overall weight (to a point), all of these things have marked effects.
I commute on a 48x19 fixed gear rush hour with 700x23c wheels and 26" mountain bike with 1.2" slicks. I always feel like the fixed gear bike is by far the faster of the two even with the relatively low gearing. The fg feels faster when i get up to speed on open bike paths. The fg is a lot easier to maintain speed. When i get the mountain bike up to speed, even in the highest gear (42x11), i feel like i really have to work to keep it there. The only time the mountain bike feels faster is when i get to bomb down the bridges in nyc...the funnest part of my commute.
However, i never attributed this difference to geometry, weight, and aerodynamics. I would like to put 650x23c wheels on my fixed gear bike to see the difference in speed at different velocities.