Could be a bullshit stat, however, bikes with suspension lose energy because the rider's pedaling energy is absorbed somewhat by bouncing the bike up and down o

Could be a bullshit stat, however, bikes with suspension lose energy because the rider's pedaling energy is absorbed somewhat by bouncing the bike up and down on its shocks. Because a wheelchair's operator makes it go by cranking directly on the wheel, a similar loss of energy wouldn't happen. A free-rolling vehicle is going to lose energy on a bouncy surface because some of its potential energy is expended bouncing up and down, so I'd say that smoothing out the ride will help.