Coker rim/cranks observation

[MuniAddict]

WOw! I just got a loaner coker from a friend who has two, so that's really cool and now I'll have a 36-er to use 'till I get my own! But here's what I've noticed very quickly; This loaner is an original coker w/steel rim, which was just trued and spins beautifully.

John (Vivalargo) also has a basic coker but with an (older) airfoil and the same coker tire as my loaner. He uses the prowheel 127mm alum. cranks and when I rode it, It was smooth, nimble and got up to speed quickly. It is a joy to ride.

On *This* loaner, with the steel rim and coker tire, and 127mm *steel* cranks (couldn't find any alum. 127's locally) with no "q" factor like the Prowheels, I immediately noticed that it was MUCH harder to get this coker up to speed, and overall it just felt sluggish.

So my question is, do you think it *soley* because of the steel rim and or the steel cranks vs John's setup? The conditions were basically the same, on flat ground with little or no wind. I also noticed that when I *did* hit a hilly section, that it was more difficult to climb, compared to John's coker. thoughts?