Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Verburg
Not so, there is only acceleration when the input is greater than the opposing forces of friction and aero. 20N is only ~4.5lbs, but again power depends on speed so if you have 20N @ 10000rpm that's a lot of power, but 20n at 10rpm not so much
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You're right, I was confused.
Aaschen's comment that the drive could hold the weight at any point on the rim is interesting and, I think, disproves my assumption that the drive must produce a constant 20 N of force. If the weight is parked at 5 oclock it will produce less force (tangent to the rim). If it is parked at 6 oclock it will produce no force (tangent to the rim).
It also seems that, if the weight has very low friction to the rim, then it might not require much energy to hold it at 6 oclock. So maybe it could remain in this "idle" low energy state for most of the race, then switched to 3 oclock for the key attack or sprint or climb.
Yes, this whole discussion has emphasized how pathetically weak the human engine is.