Well, not counting friction, that is. But there should be very little difference in friction between an old bike of high quality, well maintained hubs, pedal bearings, crank bearings, chain, etc., and the friction load of an new CF bike. Compare a modern road bike to an old city/commuter bike, or a bike with fatter tires, and it's a different story.
Mike
On 8/2/07, Ray Homiski <classicbicycle@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Casual riders will hardly benefit from the latest and greatest carbon
> fiber
> toy. It is a matter of fitness and ability (skill). I know that I have
> ridden modern CF bicycles and old steel bikes and when I approach a hill
> it
> still causes the same amount of angst. I am not a fast rider by any
> stretch.
> At my skill level the weight difference between a high end CF bike and a
> vintage steel model is negligible. I can compensate for this by going to
> the
> bathroom before I ride or removing some clothing or just using one water
> bottle. I still go back to my grammar school science class. The amount of
> energy it takes to walk the bike up a hill or ride up a hill is the same.
> I
> cannot cheat physics. It takes me just as much energy to carry a bike up a
> hill as it does to ride it over that same hill.
>
>
>
> If some one looks at me cross for riding my old bikes, I take it in stride
> knowing that no matter what bicycle any of us owns, it takes the same
> amount
> of energy to go over a hill for a given weight. We all experience this
> when
> we gear up to go over a hill. If we are able to go over the hill in a high
> gear then it is harder to pedal but uses fewer pedal strokes. If we gear
> it
> down we pedal easier but more strokes. Same amount of energy just spread
> out
> differently.
>
>
>
> Bottom line at my level of riding, someone who can kick my butt on their
> CF
> bike will kick my butt on a steel bike. It is the fitness level not the
> bike.
>
>
>
> Ray Homiski
>
> Elizabeth, NJ