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Typically, the lighter the bike, the faster it is. The lightest bikes climb faster, accelerate quicker, and are easier to cycle for a racer. As such, it’s not surprising that historically, the fastest bikes in the Tour de France have been some of the lightest in the race. In fact, between 2004 and 2022, the lightest bikes consistently won the race. However, there seems to be a general shift, with some racers now picking slightly heavier bikes. So, what is the current Tour de France bike weight? Keep reading to find out.
A quick look at the Tour de France history is enough to show you how bike weights have evolved over the years. In 1962, for instance, the bike that won the race was a Helyett model that weighed 10.4kg with rider Jacques Anquetil holding the handlebars.
Eddy Merckx won the race in 1972 with a 9.6kg bike that his company built. This was followed by a general decline in bike weights over the next few years. However, one constant between 1990 and 2000 was that most of the bikes that won the race weighed well under 10kg.
At the start of the 21st century, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body for sports cycling, introduced a 6.8kg minimum weight limit. This would prevent manufacturers from compromising the structural integrity of the bikes while trying to make them lighter and faster.
This standard is held to date despite advances in frame-making technology that could allow for lighter bikes without making them more fragile.
Nevertheless, between 2004 and 2020, most bikes that won the Tour de France weighed in at 6.8kg though there may have been minor variations due to differences between the UCI’s and bike manufacturer’s weighing equipment.
Consequently, the average weight of a Tour de France bike has started to change in the last few years. Now it’s not uncommon for some participating bikes to be slightly above the UCI weight limit, with some even being as heavy as 9kg or more.
So, how much does a Tour de France bike weigh? Before you can find out about the specifics, it’s worth noting that Tour de France road bike designs vary even for the same racer.
These bikes are designed to give you the greatest possible advantage in different race sections. A climbing bike, for instance, is designed with the sole purpose of getting through steep gradient areas as fast as possible.
Ultimately Tour de France bike variations include climbing and time-trial bikes, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
Below, you’ll see how much each of these Tour de France bicycle weighs. However, the tour de France bicycle weight limit remains at 6.8kg.
Furthermore, according to Marca Trusted Source Tour de France: Can riders change bikes during the stages? The Tour de France is one of the most demanding competitions in existence. www.marca.com , racers have their teams close by, so they can switch and continue the race if they damage their bike or it gets punctured. So, they might have at least two sets of each so they can always have a spare.
As for the Tour de France bicycle types, they are:
All bikes in the Tour de France are road bikes, and you can tell from the design. These bikes are typically designed for speed, especially on paved surfaces, which is why they’re called road bikes.
Unlike mountain bikes, these bikes don’t feature any sort of suspension, with most extras done away with to make the bike as light and aerodynamic as possible.
Naturally, this means they can be uncomfortable, especially if you typically encounter bumps on your route. As such, if you prefer a more comfortable riding experience, you should browse our list of the best full-suspension bikes under $2000 to find something more suited to your needs.
Notably, in previous years road bike frames were made primarily of steel.
However, now you can find them in steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber variations. Steel, aluminum, and titanium road bikes are less common at most professional races, with steel seemingly being phased out of the bike market due to its higher weight.
Aluminum bikes are lighter, and for anyone looking for a regular commuter bike with a lightweight frame, reviewers overwhelmingly recommend the Swagtron Swagcycle EB-12. In addition to the lightweight design, it’s electric, so you won’t need to cycle as those in the Tour de France.
Given its rigidity and how lightweight the material is, most racing road bikes are made of carbon fiber, including the wheels used.
Also notable is that Tour de France racers can only use road bikes available to the public. These bikes often cost a lot of money, given the tech put into them. However, you can still get one in the $1000-$2000 with many of the perks of a competition-ready road bike.
The SAVADECK Carbon Road Bike, for instance, comes highly recommended by buyers and, like most other Tour de France road bikes, has a carbon fiber frame. It also only weighs 21.6 lbs meaning it would have been good enough to win one of these races less than three decades ago.
As for design, you’ll likely notice a few differences depending on whether it’s a climbing or time trial bike.
Out of the two types of road bikes at the Tour de France and other road races, climbing bikes are more likely to be light.
As mentioned above, lighter bikes climb faster, and weight typically affects how well a racer does in a climb. As such, several common characteristics in climbing bikes are designed solely to shave as much weight from the cycle as possible. These include shallow-rimmed wheels, rim brakes instead of disk brakes, and rounded narrow tubes in the frame.
While these design choices make the bike a little less streamlined, weight is significantly more important in climbing than aerodynamics.
Also, while not as stiff as time trial bikes, climbing bikes need to be incredibly stiff so you don’t lose any power to the flexion of the frame. Overall, this combination of features makes climbing bikes faster when going uphill.
Time trial bikes are also referred to as aero bikes or sprinting bikes. As implied by the name, these bikes are optimized for cutting swiftly through the air and finishing the race as fast as possible.
In the past, being lightweight and slightly streamlined may have been enough to compete. However, with modern bikes and races, it’s all about aerodynamics. The more aerodynamic the bike, the faster it can reach the finish line.
Some common characteristics of these time trial bikes include a stiff frame and front fork, with the tubes on the frame being less rounded. Instead, they’re shaped to reduce drag forces on the bike.
The stem may also be longer and with a negative angle. This forces your body to be in the most aerodynamic position possible, where you’re stretched out on the bike with your body leaning low and forward.
Time trial bikes tend to come with deep-section carbon wheels, another measure meant to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. Finally, these bikes may even have larger gear ratios than most lightweight ones.
According to the Olympics Trusted Source Jonas Vingegaard wins 2022 Tour de France men's title as Jasper Philipsen claims final stage in Paris Denmark’s Vingegaard held a comfortable overall lead ahead of the ceremonial ride to Paris on Sunday remaining, as the women’s Tour also began on Sunday. olympics.com , Jonas Vingegaard took the 2022 men’s Tour de France title for the first time. As part of the Jumbo-Visma team, the Cervelo S5 was his time trial bike, although he could switch to the Cervelo R5 and Cervelo Caledonia 5 on the climbs.
The Cervelo S5 weighed about 17.7 lbs/ 8.03 kg, while the Cervelo R5 weighed roughly 16.6 lbs/7.6 kg. As for the Cervelo Caledonia 5, it weighed in at about 17.5 lbs/7.95 kg.
The Citroën Team used the BMC Timemachine Road and BMC Teammachine SLR01 Team, while the Astana Qazaqstan Team used the Wilier Filante SLR and Wilier Zero SLR. Other prominent aero/time trial bikes in the race included the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, Lapierre Aircode DRS 9.0, and Pinarello Dogma F.
As for lightweight bikes, the Factor O2 VAM, Ridley Helium SLX Disc, and Trek Emonda SLR are among those that made an appearance.
Overall, 2022 Tour de France bikes averaged 15.7 lbs/7.1 kgs. That said, the average for the aero bikes and their lightweight counterparts was 16 lbs/7.25 kg and 15.3 lbs/6.9 kg, respectively.
In 2021 UAE Team Emirates youngster Tadej Pogačar won the Tour de France for the second year running. He currently holds the record for being the youngest cyclist to win the tour twice, and at the time, he, alongside his teammates, rode the Colnago Concept as the aero bike.
The team also used the Colnago V3Rs and Colnago C64 as its two lightweight bike options. The Colnago Concept weighed about 6.9 kg, including the pedals, which translates to 15.2 lbs.
Team Jumbo-Visma used the same equipment they ended up using in 2022, while some bikes were used by more than one team. For instance, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 was used by BORA – Hansgrohe and the Deceuninck – Quick Step team.
Also, the Canyon Aeroad CFR Disc was used by Team Arkéa-Samsic (PT) and Team TotalEnergies (PT).
Ultimately, the average weight of a Tour de France bike for the 2021 race was 15.7 lbs or 7.1 kg, just like in 2022. As for the average weight of the aero bikes, it was just over 16 lbs or 7.27 kg. Lightweight bikes weighed an average of 15.4 lbs or 6.97 kg.
As mentioned above, Tadej Pogačar also won the 2020 Tour de France with the same Colnago Concept aero bike he would use to win the following year. Other bikes that were part of the race included the Pinarello Dogma F12, Lapierre Aircode, Canyon Ultimate CF Disc, etc.
Also, with Giant vs. Trek being one of the world’s biggest road bike manufacturer rivalries, bikes from the two manufacturers featured in the race. The CCC Team rode the Giant Propel Adv SL and Giant TCR Advanced SL. On the other hand, the Trek – Segafredo team rode the Trek Madone, Trek Domane, and Trek Emonda.
In 2020 the average bike weight was also slightly heavier than in the following two years at 7.22 kgs, with aero bikes averaging 7.41 kgs and lightweight bikes averaging 7.03 kgs.
The Tour de France typically has a few gravel sections each year. In 2022 the gravel sections included the Chemin blanc de Celles, Chemin blanc des Hautes Forêts, Chemin blanc de Vitry, and Chemin blanc du Plateau. These sections measured 2.3 km, 3.2 km, 3 km, and 4.4 km, respectively.
While gravel bikes would have been a great help in these sections, they don’t have the speed advantages of road bikes and hence weren’t used.
However, for recreational use, you don’t have to get a road bike depending on the terrain you typically ride. For instance, if there are multiple gravel trails you like to ride on, we’ve compiled the best gravel bikes under $1500 with their pros and cons so you know which options best suit your budget and needs.
According to
Velonews
Trusted Source
www.velonews.com
There’s always an interesting challenge for Tour de France officials every year – how do you
spice up what’s a fairly tried-and-true blueprint of a three-week grand tour?
www.velonews.com
, both gravel and cobblestone patches are thrown into the Tour de France every year to spice up the race.
The lightest bike in the Tour de France history is Lance Armstrong’s 2003 Trek Madone 5.9, which weighed a reported 6.6 kg. At the time, he was widely considered one the greatest road racer of all time since he’d won five prior Tour de France races.
He later got caught up in a doping scandal and was stripped of his wins. However, the 6.6 kg bike he rode in 2003 remains the lightest in the competition’s history. It’s worth noting that in the same year, he rode the Trek Madone 5.9 as his aero bike, which weighed 7.2 kg.
As mentioned above, the average weights of bikes at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Tour de France races have all been above 7 kgs. This implies that some bikes weigh slightly more than the UCI bike weight limit. The Cervelo Caledonia 5 is one example with its 7.95 kg weight.
Lance Armstrong’s bikes varied in weight from year to year. In 2000, for instance, the bike he used was the Trek 5900 SL which weighed in at about the 6.8 kg weight limit. In 2002, the Trek 5900 he used weighed 8.2 kg. In 2005 he won his last race with a 6.8 kg Trek Madonee SSLx.
By the time he retired in 2011, he was under investigation for doping, eventually being stripped of his nine wins in a row.
Overall, the Tour de France bike weight has been capped at a lower limit of 6.8 kg, with most participating bikes ranging from 6.8 to 10 kg. Time trial bikes are often heavier, with the sacrifice made to make them more aerodynamic, which tends to make them faster. It’s also worth noting that while initially the 6.8 kg weight limit was supposed to ensure bike structural integrity, technological advancements would likely make going lower possible. However, the Union Cycliste International has refused to budge on the matter in recent years.
