Increase in unsprung weight is also bad for suspension[1] and handling[2]. Here's something they don't mention in the article: the location of the mass in the

Increase in unsprung weight is also bad for suspension[1] and handling[2]. Here's something they don't mention in the article: the location of the mass in the wheel has a direct relationship to torque. The same mass located in the hub will take less torque to move than if the mass were located in the rim. So acceleration could in part be improved merely by relocating mass in the wheel. (But that's just wheel acceleration torque; you'll still need to do the same amount of work to move the same total mass of the bike at the same speed) Also, for the same weight tire rubber, wider tires would create increased friction and slow the tire down more. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass#Effects_of_unsprung_weight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass#Effects_of_unspr... [2] http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/unsprung_weight.html http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/unsprung_weight.html