I just wanted to close out this mystery and thank you all for the tips. I'm pretty sure what I was experiencing was a combination of factors, in no particular order:
1) The chain was definitely too tight. Proper, looser tension helps, more so while pedaling than coasting. The WI freewheel still appears to have a good deal more drag than the Shimano, on the stand, but after swapping them back and forth a few times I can't say it's really noticeable on the road. 2) The tires were a biggie. Replacing the JB's with the Kojaks made a big difference. Upon removing the JB's I was very surprised how stiff the carcass is. Much more so than my wire-bead 35mm TG Paselas, and no comparison at all with a Kojak or folding Pasela. I have folding TG Paselas on the bike at the moment and even they feel much better than the JB's (despite the widespread derision of the TG, I've been quite happy with TG Paselas in the past, especially the folding version) 3) Riding position - it's clear that the upright position of the Alba bars is not doing me any favors aerodynamically or biomechanically. As I'm planning to use my QB as a town bike for now, I'm happy to live with this and just relax and be slower, now that it doesn't feel so much like the bike is actually fighting me. I lowered the bars a bit, and taped the front curves, too. I find the hand positions there are very comfortable and more powerful - great for climbing and headwinds. My last few days of riding on the 'Beam have been more enjoyable and I feel like the bike is displaying more of its true character. -Pete in CT SingleSixtySidepullSam... and QuickerBeam -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/b5-mQWrNmTkJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@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.
