Comments on: This is not a trick question

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By: JT

JT — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:00:19 +0000

Freewheel? Of course it has an effect. The whole shabang is only as fast as it’s slowest part. The freewheel does provide some resistance.

But I don’t think it would be so significant as the quality of the parts and craftspersonship in building the hubs unless it was a reeeeeally crappy freewheel.

By: JT

JT — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:56:40 +0000

This is my first post on this site–which I think is pretty cool.

I’ve had remarkable luck in this respect with my last two bike purchases–which were also my first two new bicycles–a Trek 8000 (2004) and Trek 1500 (2007). They both coast faster than any other bike in any tour I’ve ridden. People have actually commented to me that they didn’t see me do one pedal stroke over several miles at a shot.

Both the mountain bike and the road bike came with Bontrager Select wheels, which are made by DTSwiss. I never cleaned out and regreased the hubs on the these wheels because I was afraid it would effect this outstanding performance. And sure enough the hubs were still excellent long after I had worn out the rims and eventually trashed one wheel on the mountain bike.

When I trashed a wheel on the mountain bike, I switched from the Bontrager Selects to Mavic. The new wheels, with their fancy sealed bearings and all, just can’t compare. They’re very good but unremarkable when it comes to coasting.

So I say it has to be something about the hubs, probably the quality of the bearings and where they seat. Or more likely it’s the quality of the craftspersonship of the people who originally put them together.

By: ross

ross — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:47:45 +0000

Has nobody considered the dynamic balance of the wheels? If you have a valve hole on one side and not on the other that makes for a bit of a difference in mass on either side. Take that wheel out of the frame and spine it quickly and you have a big wobble to deal with. That wobble will slow you down. Its amazing just how many manufacturers don’t balance their wheels. My new mid range mavics descend a lot faster than my old mid range shimano wheels.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:19:44 +0000

The reason is that on a single speed, you have a lot more initial speed when you come over a crest. On a geared bike you are riding on a very short gear. It takes a lot of time to get up to speed and back to longer gear. On a single speed you are always in 48/16 or something. So when you start the descent, it takes no more than two powerful pedal strokes to get to coasting speed.

That and weight and tires.

The freewheel teeth have absolutely no effect.

By: The D

The D — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:23:53 +0000

1) Heavy, hard tires
2) Heavy rims
3) Aero position
4) Longer gear cresting the hill
5) Less FW drag

= Fast Fatty Downhill on the Single Speed.

By: Red

Red — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:26:24 +0000

Most people seem to think weight. But I don’t but it. I have the same thing. I have a 24 year old Trek 720. That think is a coasting race car. It’s amazing. I have other bikes of similar weight that don’t coast the same.

I have had the same question.

By: PsySal

PsySal — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:15:50 +0000

Has to be aerodynamics, unless there is a really very major difference in rolling resistance (unlikely). Aero resistance increases with the square of velocity, so in a fast situation it’s going to mainly be that.