UCI Bike Weight Rules
Comments
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Within reason! You can buy an 8kg bike in a supermarket these days (at least in France or Italy) and so the rule to cap things at 6.8kg is arbitrary, a 6.5kg bike won't really make a difference.donrhummy wrote:So you're telling me that if a pro were riding up Mt. Zoncolan and you took 4 pounds off his bike, it would make no difference? (your words: "Weight isn't a penalty in cycling")0 -
Well the UCI rule is stupid. It was made in the light of Indurain and Riis putting huge amounts into research on custom bikes - that nobody else had the resources to get.
But nowadays technology has made it so cheap to build light and aero bikes that everybody can have one - heck even I could buy a competition ready bike on my education budget.
Just proves that UCI is totally out of pace again.
On that note - why aren't more research put into the riders apparels?
Say, you could make a carbon-shell helmet and get rid of all that "heavy" bulky polystyrene. Probably be safer too cause you could modify the material flex as you'd like.0 -
dbmnk wrote:But nowadays technology has made it so cheap to build light and aero bikes that everybody can have one - heck even I could buy a competition ready bike on my education budget.
Not sure the guys turning up at the world championships from Burkina Faso would entirely agree with you.0 -
dbmnk wrote:On that note - why aren't more research put into the riders apparels?
Say, you could make a carbon-shell helmet and get rid of all that "heavy" bulky polystyrene. Probably be safer too cause you could modify the material flex as you'd like.
Polystyrene is used because it only flexes one way. It deforms under pressure and slowly (well, slower) brings the head to a stop. That's why you replace them after every impact.
Carbon would either break or flex back with the same force as the impact bouncing the brain inside your skull like a ball. Not what you want.
The research into helmets and shoes is always ongoing as companies compete. I think they've more or less given up on making real gains in clothing though0 -
Seems sensible to me to have a limit.
As you've seen if you can afford 20k for a bike then you can get a superlight one. Not sure how durable it is - but theoretically you could have a rich team handing out the new bikes for each race and giving them an advantage over a poorer team who have to make the bikes last a lot.
Not so sure about Tennis being better now they can hit it faster, isnt it just about serves now ? Thats pretty dull.
Helmets are pretty light already - they do already use carbon and carbons only about as light as plastic anyway. They need the polystyrene for impact absorption and thats hardly heavy.0 -
That would be fine if not that the UCI already supplies poor nations with top quality kit, a recent deal was signed with Garmin for this very purpose. So the poorer guys can get pro level bikes if needed. Therefore the weight limit isn't helping the disadvantaged.pat1cp wrote:Not sure the guys turning up at the world championships from Burkina Faso would entirely agree with you.0 -
inseine wrote:Is tennis any better because they have moved on from wooden rackets
I think that if you watch tennis matches from the 50s compared to today then you'd say yes. Don't know if that's the rackets though.
I only remember as far back as Borg, McEnroe, Connors and Nastase - to my mind tennis was more exciting then than now but I suppose it's all subjective.
Back to the bikes though - is it really more exciting to see pros riding bikes 3-4lbs lighter than the current limit. If there is no limit then manufacturers are going to push the limits of durability further in pursuit of lightness. I don't see what the possible gain is for anyone other than the makers of superlight cycling kit which will need replacing more often.
Still it's an argument worth having I suppose. For those that take the view the UCI is overly restrictive what rules on design and weight would YOU have - if any ?
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
If bike weight and geometry didn't matter, we all would be riding recumbents.
That would be the death of the peloton and the end of sponsorship and the sport as its been codified over the last 50 years. Remember recumbents have been outlawed by the UCI since 1934.0 -
donrhummy wrote:Bike Parts: Model:
Frame Cervelo's New Frame (54cm) 1.42lbs
Fork Look HSC 6 SL | Carbon | Carbon C 43.00
Brake Set Ciamillo Gravitas | Carbon 175.00g
Brake Shift Shimano Dura Ace 7900 379.00g
Cable Shimano Stainless | 120.00g
Housing Shimano Housing | Gray 160.00g
Crank Shimano Dura Ace 7950 Compact Aluminum 175.00 34-50 710.00g
Bottom Bracket Shimano Dura Ace 7900 | Aluminum | Silver
Front Derailleur Shimano Dura Ace 7900 68.00g
Cassette Shimano Dura Ace 7900 | Steel/Titanium | 12-25 163.00g
Rear Derailleur Shimano Dura Ace 7900 | Grey/Carbon | S 166.00g
Chain Shimano Dura Ace 7900 252.00g
Wheelset Lightweight Ventoux 190 SE 20-24 Spokes Carbon Rim Carbon TUB 950.0g
Skewer Set Salsa Titanium flip-off | Red | Titanium 85.00g
Rim Tape Velox Cloth Rim Tape 15.00g
RimTape Set Velox Cloth Rim Tape 7.50g
Tire Set Continental Giro | Black | | TUB | 22.00 232.00g
Pedal SpeedPlay X/1 Ti | Black/Ti 150.00g
Headset Look Head-Fit | Black
Stem 3T ARX Team | Black | 70.00 | 84.00 120.00g
Handlebar 3T Rotundo LTD | STD | Carbon | Carbon | 42.00 169.00g
Handlebar Tape Fizik Handlebar tape | Black
Seatpost Look E-Post OEM Spec'd 330mm Setback 175.00g
Saddle Selle Italia CX Zero | Carbon 75.00g
Bike Weight: 11.21lbs
Bike Sub-Total: $19,987.75
(Corrected wheelset weight)
Why did you put all the parts in grams and then the overall weight in pounds. That's just silly!The most painful climb in Northern Ireland http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs200.snc1/6776_124247198694_548863694_2335754_8016178_n.jpg0 -
rscholz wrote:If bike weight and geometry didn't matter, we all would be riding recumbents.
That would be the death of the peloton and the end of sponsorship and the sport as its been codified over the last 50 years. Remember recumbents have been outlawed by the UCI since 1934.
Re: Recumbents
I give you Steve Bauer
www.nooneline.wordpress.com/category/frame-design/0 -
What seems really silly is that the same weight limit applies to 'cross bikes and track bikes.0
