I think that reduced body weight makes much more of a difference even lb for lb. Even with no change in strength, reduced body weight increases strength to weight ratio. Lighter body weight increases VO2Max, i.e. results in increased performance. Reduced body weight also requires less calories per mile to move (except on downhills). Reduced body weight is not just about the strength to carry the load, it's about the efficiency of the engine. The limitation on this is the ability to maintain strength/fitness at a lower weight.
The weight of the bike on the other hand, really just primarily affects climbing and acceleration. At a given fixed speed, a 30+ pound bike on a flat course can be just as "fast" as a much lighter bike, In fact, if the 30 point bike is more aero, it can be much faster! Case in point - I know a guy who rides a velomobile, it weighs a lot (40lbs?) and is slow as molasses up hill, but on flats and downhills he is as fast as even faster than pro cyclists on a diamond frame bike. Think of it this way, who do you think would be faster a pro cyclist on a touring bike or an overweight cyclist on a pro bike? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
