[ire]

I have a question regarding rotating mass; on one hour record attempts the riders ride on the flat part of the track, so wouldn't a really heavy rim benefit them? It would be hard to bring up to speed, but wouldn't the rotating mass make maintaining a high speed easier? I'm asking becuase I have a delusion that if I trained for the rest of the summer I may have a shot at our velodromes record.....the fitness would lead perfectly into cross season

 

[Westy]

I thought I read that the one hour record was set on a rear wheel that weighed 10lbs.

A higher reflected inertia at the pedals allows you to use your energy more effeciently. Since even the smoothest pedal stroke has power pulses a high inertia limits the small accelerations/decelerations associated with the pulses. Since going a constant speed is more efficent it can make you faster. However I'd say that the difference for a normal person would be quite small.

 

[ire]

I thought I read that the one hour record was set on a rear wheel that weighed 10lbs.

A higher reflected inertia at the pedals allows you to use your energy more effeciently. Since even the smoothest pedal stroke has power pulses a high inertia limits the small accelerations/decelerations associated with the pulses. Since going a constant speed is more efficent it can make you faster. However I'd say that the difference for a normal person would be quite small.

I don't know, maybe it was a heavy wheel; I was thinking something more extreme, like 20-30lbs per wheel. Doesn't the Rotor crank claim to smooth out the accelerations/decelerations by providing constant power through the stroke?

<edit> Did anyone see the wheels HED made that were a solid steel rim and weighed around 40lbs per wheel? It was used as an extreme example of how rotating weight affects the bike, I saw them on cyclingnews.com