PoorInRichfield,
Marginal gains is what it is all about! And when using conventional spoked wheels it can be an issue. A big one, maybe not but I figure better safe than sorry, and if there is a marginal gain then that is a bonus.
As a golf professional there has been an ongoing discussion for the last thirty years concerning how well to tune a golf club for a professional player. Most of it concerns how the golf club comes back to the ball at impact. And the balance of the club for the playing professionals is of utmost importance. There are few who could hit a good shot with a broom, but most ask for special treatments to the clubs. My interest in cycling came with me to the golf world and the concept in mind is called: Moment Of Inertia. Essentially it is the effort needed to make something move around a single point.
Think about a bicycle wheel and how it resembles the swinging of a golf club around your body. The hub is your spine, the shaft of the club is a spoke and the head of the club is the point on the rim. When all of the club parts are balanced, it is easy to swing effortlessly. Same with the rolling of the wheel, well balanced is easier riding. Keep up the quest for marginal gains. Do you listen to the podcasts? Smiles, MH