Is there a “Tom Anhalt - Tire article for Idiots Guide”, great information. Unfortunately, my pea brain couldn’t exactly process it all. Does the lower watt factor equate to less resistance = faster?
Thanks.
Is there a “Tom Anhalt - Tire article for Idiots Guide”, great information. Unfortunately, my pea brain couldn’t exactly process it all. Does the lower watt factor equate to less resistance = faster?
Thanks.
Yes. The less power that gets used to overcome rolling resistance, the more there is to put into overcoming wind resistance (and gravity, if you’re going uphill).
As in golf, the lower the number, the better 
Just to be sure that I understand: According to the links in the article, tires should be pumped up to 140-150 psi to achieve the lowest amount of rolling resistance?
Straight from the horses mouth. God bless slowtwitch and thanks Tom.
Just to be sure that I understand: According to the links in the article, tires should be pumped up to 140-150 psi to achieve the lowest amount of rolling resistance?
If you’re racing on smooth plastic rollers (or a surface similar to that), then yes
.
Straight from the horses mouth. God bless slowtwitch and thanks Tom.
At least you said “mouth”…
on smooth plastic rollers
Yeah, that’s what I gathered from prior threads. I think I might be getting thrown off by the title of one of the charts. “AFM_Bumpy_Data_BTR_rev1.pdf”
But it does say “smooth and 1000 hz roller data” when I open the link.
on smooth plastic rollers
Yeah, that’s what I gathered from prior threads. I think I might be getting thrown off by the title of one of the charts. “AFM_Bumpy_Data_BTR_rev1.pdf”
But it does say “smooth and 1000 hz roller data” when I open the link.
OK…how about “on smooth plastic rollers, or smooth plastic rollers with small wires taped to them…”? 
Seriously, the best I understand it, that data set was Al’s attempt at trying to measure on the rollers some “non-smooth” rolling resistances and the effects of pressure. However, it’s not clear to me that he was able to duplicate the effects of riding on a typical “road roughness” surface. Why this is so could be for a myriad of reasons. For example, was the frequency and amplitude typical of a road surface? Does the compliance of the plastic rollers themselves make a difference? etc. Even Al isn’t quite convinced that his temperature compensation for the narrower tire was “valid”.
If you really want to “geek out”, here’s some links to some threads on BTR that discussed this data when Al first posted it:
http://biketechreview.com/...ghlight=bumpy+roller
http://biketechreview.com/...ghlight=bumpy+roller
http://biketechreview.com/...ghlight=bumpy+roller
As a tease, I just want to let you know that I’m going to be attempting to measure “on the road” if there is an increase in resistance to forward motion with increasing pressures above an “optimum”. I’ve got a couple of different ways I’m going to try to skin that cat, so I’m hoping I’ll be successful. I’ll keep y’all posted and you’ll be reading about it here in the future.
I’ve mentioned before that there is a small set of data that indicates that higher pressures aren’t faster on “real roads”…just not enough to be completely convincing, although theoretically it makes sense. Besides, one thing that people forget is that higher pressures reduce the contact patch size and the tire compliance, which can also have an adverse effect on handling/cornering.