Bike Weight

[GPlataniotis]

I understand that the UCI regulates how heavy a bike has to be. My question is this, I have noticed that on major mountain stages certain stars get flats etc... and end up changing bikes. is it even possible to conceive that these cyclists are exchanging their bikes for lighter ones for climbs to get an advantage? does the uci weight the bikes after the stages too?

 

[Michielveedeebee]

hineininterpretierung

 

[RedheadDane]

I rather think they simply weigh all the bikes (both riders' preferred bikes, and spares) before the race...

 

[dajonker]

I have no idea whatsoever what the regulations are on weighing the bikes. Is the winner's bike weighed after a stage? Or top 10 or something? Or at random?

Weighing every single bike before the race is crazy, as it would take ages to weigh the hundreds of bikes used every day and it would be hard to control what happens to the bikes between weighing and the start of the race. I remember a tool used by the Astana mechanics to (temporarily) add weight to a bike: a heavy metal insert that was put into the hollow crank axle. Perhaps the bikes get weighed with the insert, then before the race they quickly remove the insert?

Maybe this is the best kept secret in the peloton?

 

[hrotha]

I think those weight regulations are pretty pointless anyway.

Have they updated the minimum required weight these years, or has it been the same since they introduced it, regardless of technological advances?

 

[brianf7]

I think those weight regulations are pretty pointless anyway.

Have they updated the minimum required weight these years, or has it been the same since they introduced it, regardless of technological advances?

Totaly pointless the bike is required to be at the waight limit so as it is safe to ride without falling apart no other reason.
How many of us can get the waight down to the limit the more waight you loose the more money you loose.

 

[Roland Rat]

Totaly pointless the bike is required to be at the waight limit so as it is safe to ride without falling apart no other reason.
How many of us can get the waight down to the limit the more waight you loose the more money you loose.

But it doesn't do that, and so is a pointless rule. There's nothing to stop you having a 500g set of wheels that fall apart in a light breeze, as long as the weight is added elsewhere. A minimum component weight would make more sense, but would impossible to police.

 

[Michele]

Right, but its also true that for example for wheelset, they must pass some UCI test and only then can be used into UCI races not depending on the weight.

 

[trompe le monde]

For their tech presentation of the Cervelo R5ca, Phil White states in an off the cuff sort of way that they expect the weight restriction set by the UCI to go down in the future. Just how soon that will arrive is anyone's guess.

 

[unsheath]

I think the Scott Addict and the Parlee Z5 are the two lightest Rigs on the market and come in at around the mid 5's with the right components. Weight limit should come down IMO.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm... if there's a restriction of how light the bikes are allowed to be, shouldn't there be restrictions to the riders' weight as well? Like:
"Chicken! Gain some weight! Then we can discuss you being allowed to return at high level..."