new form of doping for cyclists

[Bernard Kron]

Actually, I think it's time to do away with the minimum weight, or at least lower it drastically. It would make the team bikes more technically in synch with what's already available to well healed enthusiasts.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Actually, I think it's time to do away with the minimum weight, or at least lower it drastically. It would make the team bikes more technically in synch with what's already available to well healed enthusiasts.

Bike racing isn't my field of expertise, by any means, but I know there have been some structural failures of carbon fiber frames that sustained light damage previously.

The brittle nature of carbon in a resin matrix also makes it susceptible to failure caused by what look like fairly insignificant nicks. 

Carbon doesn't fatigue like metal does, but a small impact-crack in the resin can travel completely through a frame tube, and it's not necessarily obvious. Once the fibers are no longer supported by resin, they fail.

Building a heavier carbon part somewhat offsets this sensitivity to minor damage.

[Bernard Kron]

Actually, the teams run the same frames sold to the public. Make-up weight is primarily in ballast-like areas like axles, seat frames, handlebar thickness, etc. Structural failures are fairly rare these days. In the 1970s when the first carbon fiber frames were being tested structural failures were endemic and fractures due to cracking from gravel impact, for example., was a constant threat. As layups of carbon went from being  unidirectional to today's sophisticated patterns this went away. I'm sure there's a limit to how light a bike can be made and still hold up, particularly in top end competition, but the current weight limit is far from there. probably on the order of 2-3 kg. That's why the motors would be a hard sell for the pros due to their weight, etc. if the limit was lowered or done away with and a certification program substituted.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Bernard Kron