If you're going OVER imperfections (i.e. high pressure tyres), you lose some energy going 'up'.
If you go THROUGH imperfections (lower pressure) you don't lose so much energy going 'up' as the tyre absorbs rather than bounces you.
If you go THROUGH imperfections (lower pressure) you don't lose so much energy going 'up' as the tyre absorbs rather than bounces you.
Tire hits bump, causing energy B to impact tire. The whole bike and rider go 'up' or just the tire goes 'up'. How is the former causing more energy loss? The amount of energy is B either way.
I can see how one is more comfortable, because the tire takes the hit and not me, but I don't grasp the difference in energy.
_ \________/
\___/x\___/ versus x
The bump is basically static.
Take a look a slow motion video of riders on a rough road, say some Paris-Roubaix footage and you can see this.
> Studies by the U.S. Army found that the more discomfort vibrations cause, the more energy is being absorbed. And the amount of energy that a vibrating human body can absorb is significant – the U.S. Army’s study measured up to 2000 Watt!
Let's not imagine how that study was conducted ...