From: jbrandt@hpl.hp.com (Jobst Brandt)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Kestrel 500
Date: 11 Jun 1998 01:28:16 GMT

Dan Rishworth writes:

>> If you buy any bike, realize that it may not be a "life-time" bike.
>> However, I think  many of the newer carbon  bikes  from many of the
>> top manufacturers (such  as Kestrel) are  built as well as any  out
>> there.

>> Of course, the 500 has smaller wheels than your typical 700C
>> wheeled road bike -- you might find that you have great
>> acceleration, but you're working harder to keep the same speed over
>> the long haul.

> This is a common misconception about smaller wheels. There will be
> no difference in the amount of power required to maintain a constant
> speed.  They will be easier to accellerate and will decellerate more
> quickly, but if your speed remains constant there will be no
> difference between 650 and 700 wheels in the power required to
> maintain that speed.

There is a difference and that lies in the rolling resistance and
losses of riding over road roughness.  You'll also not that most
Moulton like bicycles have suspension, not because it is a feature,
but because it is a necessity if you don't use soft balloon tires.  An
additional drawback is the unusually large chainwheels required to
give a conventional set of gears with small wheels.  There are reasons
why wheels are the size they are.  It is not by coincidence.

Jobst Brandt <jbrandt@hpl.hp.com>