• CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Yes fuel economy. Energy expended per distance traveled or power needed to maintain a given speed. Just the fuel in this case is burned by your own body.

          At world class levels, a few watts here and there will make a big difference by the end of a race.

          • Arcka@midwest.social
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            1 month ago

            Aah, gotcha. I had thought that

            Probably less these days

            was in reference to this part at the end of the parent comment:

            cars generally float around the 32 psi area

            and I haven’t seen anything to contradict all the previous literature on under-inflated automobile tires being worse for fuel economy.

            • CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Yeah it’s because the theory has been that high pressure decreases tire deformation and this is more efficient. This is where the wisdom of under inflated tires become less efficient. However lower pressure (like 80-90 psi) allows bicycle tires to absorb road imperfections and vibrations which actually ends up slightly more efficient. But if you go too low efficiency will be negatively affected.

              Airplane tires actually have very high pressures to prevent hydroplaning, which is more important than ride quality or fuel efficiency for them.

              • Blaster M@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                Also planes have to land, and the impact on the tires is like hitting a pothole. You don’t want the tires to touch rim at ~200 MPH on a many-million-dollar vehicle

      • Tja@programming.dev
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        1 month ago

        Source?

        All the studies I’ve read (and my experience) show that narrower tires and higher pressures improve economy. Less traction and less ride comfort are the tradeoffs, respectively.