Originally Posted by ExMachina

Perhaps I misread you initial post since I thought I was talking about wheels too Anyway, I agree, that a heavier bike/wheel combo will take more energy to get up a hill.

However, after having had my morning coffee, I am more certain than ever that neither the weight nor the distribution of weight in a wheel set (provided that the overall weight of the bike stays the same) will by itself affect the total energy expended by a rider (ie, an avg speed over a set distance). Wheel weight and wheel weight distribution will only affect the rate of acceleration/decelleration--the work being preformed by the rider will stay the same.