Not sure where to post this but i was wondering about cranks on both bike winter and racer
On my winter bike when i spin the cranks backwards its spins round about 3 or 4 times On my racer bike when i spin the cranks backwards its spins round about half a turn
I noticed when i built my winter bike it felt more easy to pedal Im guessing on my race bike with it not turning as much its wasting a bit more energy to turn the cranks what is the cause of this? And how would I go about to making the racer crank spin more freely
FWIW. Sight unseen, let me suggest that presuming that when you are doing your test that the chain is on the chainring-cog combination which is approximately the same on both bikes AND the resultant chainline is roughly the same AND the pulley wheels aren't clogged/gummed-up on your racer's rear deralleur then it could simply be a lack-of-miles on your racer's BB and its seals are still from-the-factory snug ...
What type of crankset-BB combination is on both bikes?
Your rear hub and which cog you have the chain on will make a difference. The grease packed in the bearings will slow down free spinning bearings. Seals contact surface will also present friction that effects the cranks from free spinning. All things considered I dont think this is an issue to worry about unless you are feeling some grinding or knocking sounds while pedaling the bike forward.
The power requirements to spin the cranks are very low relative to the power you supply to the bicycle. The losses are even lower. No one should not wory about it.
How long any bearing supported device spins by itself with out a load--like a crank, a wheel, and etc--is absolutely meaningless. Bearings are designed to operate under a load. I wouldn't worry at all about how many times my crank spins unless it wouldn't spin at all, I could feel grinding or summat when it turned, or it made noise when it turned.
I just feel im wasting more energy on the racer then my winter bike.
You're kidding, right? If you put a dead child on your bike, strap one of the dead child's feet to a pedal, and position the pedal somewhere just past top dead center, the weight of the dead child's leg will move the pedal. Please note that the dead child actually produces no power. There are many more things that you should concern yourself with that are much more worthy re: racing than seal drag on a BB. Seriously, it is absolutely not worth worrying about.
I just feel im wasting more energy on the racer then my winter bike.
FWIW. What others have said could certainly be true ...
YOU really need to isolate the possible problem AND/OR allay your reservations that there is a problem with the drivetrain on your racer ...
CARTRIDGE BEARINGS can be fragile and are subject to damage when they are being installed ...
a damaged Cartridge Bearing can present a lot of resistance
The standard (steel bearing) Cartridge Bearings on a DT SWISS hub feel tight when they are not loaded, but the presumed-to-be Cartridge Bearings on a White Industries hub are not.
So, a way to test your bike's BB would be to:
remove the chain from the chainring(s) ... cover your BB shell with some tape/whatever, first, or remove the chain from the bike (whichever is easier)
grasp the spider as if you were grabbing a bowling ball
turn the crank while applying downward pressure & see how much-or-little resistance is in the BB's bearings.
if you crank turns smoothly & feels "light" then what you experienced in your original test was due to the lack of load
if turning the cranks doesn't feel "light" then one-or-both cartridge bearings may be damaged
The worst case scenario, IMO, is if your racer has a BB30 & the shop installed the bearings incorrectly BECAUSE you will have to bring it back to the same shop & the same "Wrench" who may have done the clumsy, initial installation may be the one working on your bike once again!
