Re: [CR]Wheels make you faster, not frames.

(Example: Production Builders:Frejus)

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 08:48:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Wheels make you faster, not frames.
To: nick Bordo <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <619292.24937.qm@web28007.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>


Nick, we have had that discussion here, but maybe not recently. It is an undisputed law of physics that weight far from the center of rotation is much more important in acceleration and deceleration of a rotating object than weight close to the center of rotation. Thus the weight of the rim and tires are more critical than anything else, at least for acceleration and braking on level ground.

Don't know what you mean by "modern" wheels, but if you mean recently made conventional alloy rims, they probably are not any lighter than a lot of classic rims, and maybe a good bit heavier. In The Day there were mass produced rims as light as 260 gm and probably some even lighter. I think most more recent alloy rims are a good bit heavier. This is mostly because the increasing number of rear cogs and the resulting greater dish demanded stronger rims. But perhaps you are referring to carbon fibre wheels, which perhaps do have much lighter rims. I really don't have a clue about these, as I've never owned a pair, and have no interest in doing so.

Regards,

Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX

nick Bordo <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr> wrote: I posted yesterday about riding an old bike on modern wheels, and tried to infer a point that I will state more clearly so people can violently disagree with me: the point I wanted to infer and nobody picked up on was: the most important part of going fast must be wheels. OK, less loss of transmission of energy through the frame and drive train is a factor arguing in favour of expensive frames -although a lot of expensive frames are works of art tubing-lug-paintwise but hopelessly flexible and/or inefficient- but in my experience, light, rigid, highly inflated and "friction free" wheels are the ones that make you really fast. Actual frame weight within a range of a couple of kgs is not important to me, it doesn't really come into the inertia equation. If I empty my pockets, I save 500 grammes. You know what saving that much weight on a frame costs ?

The only thing you can throw money at which will make you faster is wheels. Or EPO and Testosterone from Italian doctors. If there has been a lot of discussion on this topic (wheels, not Italian Doctors), I'd really appreciate it if someone could point me to the thread.

Nick Bordo, Agen, 47 France

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