Well yes........you would go slower with all that baggage breaking the wind and a higher bar position, I assume, making you less aerodynamic. Your climbing would also be slower.
What I am talking about is minor weight differences (as the original poster mentioned) like between a 23 pound bike and say a 29 pounder. Those differences can't amount to much but 40 pounds of touring gear, I agree with you.... that is a large enough difference to make a difference. I have several upright bikes ranging from 21 pounds to 35 pounds and one recumbent that weighs 30 pounds. The recumbent is a full 3-5 mph faster on flat and rolling terrain and the uprights seem to ride about the same to each other on similar terrain. Over mixed terrain all of them average the same overall times in my experience. If I were doing a whole bunch of climbing I'd want the lightest bike possible with the lowest practical gearing....if it fit me well and was comfortable on bumpy roads.Therein lies the problem, a long wheelbase, low geared, fendered, able to take baggage, fat tired bike is the most comfortable, best climbing and versatile machine available but it doesn't weight 20 pounds. I just love my current ride with fat 41's at 60 psi they really smooth out the road surface and on long rides that makes a difference for me. At the end of the day I am not as beat up and I have yet to experience a flat. I have bikes that are slightly faster and I mean very slightly but I always go back to the one that is most comfy. On Aug 3, 9:52 pm, Anne Paulson <anne.paul...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 6:27 PM, charlie <charles_v...@hotmail.com> wrote: > > Holy Cow!..........The only way one bicycle is (noticeably) faster > > than another is if your position is more aerodynamic. > > Wow! That must mean that when I ride my touring bike loaded up with > all my stuff next month in the Sierra, I'll be just as fast as I would > be on my unloaded Roadeo! > > Or not. I think probably not. Bike weight makes a difference on hills. > A big weight difference makes a big speed difference. > > -- > -- Anne Paulson > > My hovercraft is full of eels -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
