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Old 05-11-2008, 10:14 PM   #1 (permalink)
monroe74
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What's better on hills: DWL or Pulse up, Glide down?

"Hammering it up hills is way less efficient than coasting up it and getting back to 55 going down"

Well, this is the part that really confuses me, because lots of people talk about DWL, but I'm not sure it always makes sense. Let's say I can climb a grade at a steady 30 mph, with a small, steady throttle.

Let's say I can climb the same grade, at 70% throttle, which causes my speed to go from 30 to 45, as I travel up the grade. Of course, let's assume that there's no stop sign right over the crest of the hill. In other words, let's assume that my 45 mph momentum as I crest the hill will be fully used. (And assume constant top gear in both scenarios.)

For various reasons I've become convinced that B is more efficient than A. With a large throttle opening, I do a better job of converting fuel into kinetic energy, and then I can use that kinetic energy for a nice long EOC after I crest the hill.

I've become convinced that the essence of effective P&G is to consistently avoid small throttle openings. Trouble is, this seems contrary to DWL doctrine.

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