Quote:
Originally Posted by sevencyclist
I think the weight of the wheels are the weight of the wheels. Where energy is sapped is when rotating momentum is scrubbed by applying the brakes. It takes slightly more to accelerate back up to speed. So in a pure climb, whether weight is located in the rims or hubs or the frame does not change how much energy it takes to climb up. However, as soon as brake are used, then lighter wheels have slight advantage of getting up to speed quicker and lose less when brake applied.
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I completely agree with the momentum part, this is one of the laws of physics. The other factor that comes into play is aerodynamics, which is why deep carbon rims are faster. So from a dead stop, is it easier to accelerate with lighter rims?