I read that there is a minimum weight for bikes set by the UCI of 6.8kg (15 pounds). Why is there a limit on this and what is the history behind the weight of road bikes used by the pros?
Oh don’t get me started …. Oh what the heck, I’m already started, so I will continue. The rule was, like many UCI rules, intended to address a valid safety issue, namely the race by some manufacturers to produce lighter and lighter equipment, without complete consideration of safety issues. Like many UCI rules, however, the rule takes a rather broad approach to the question and simply establishes a universal limit that applies equally to all bikes, be they track, road, cyclocross or even downhill mountain bikes. With the development of new manufacturing techniques, that limit could certainly be dropped when it comes to track bikes. It could also be adjusted when it comes to road bikes to accommodate size differences. The safety benefits derived by a bike made for Samuel Dumoulin (the smallest rider in this year’s Tour) wouldn’t necessarily apply to a 15-pound bike built for a six-foot-three, 95kg rider like Magnus Bäckstedt. The UCI did the same thing when it came up with a rule intend
