UCI weight limit permanent?

"dw" wrote in message
om...
Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.
The weight limit may help "innovation", if it wasn't there, my guess is
people would just go for stupid light all the time. Innovations like aero,
vibration damping, 10speed and electric groups would left at the side of the
road in the search to reduce weight. Weather or not these innovations are a
good idea or not, I leave up to you. But the weight limit does give them
room to move on some of these ideas.

On 29 Sep 2004 11:14:37 -0700, (dw) wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

I went quite a few years with no involvement with cycling beyond just riding the
things from time to time. About 12 years of no magazines, or online reading
beyond finding a tire or part once in awhile.

So lately I get interested in what's out there. More carbon fiber than ever,
aluminum frames are ordinary and a lot of really fancy low-spoke wheels are
advertised. My first thought seeing some of this stuff was "wow, has the
technology gotten that much better, or are they just trying to get away with
it?" It's mostly the latter. Real world wheels for actual riding still look (and
pretty much weigh) like they did 15 years ago.

The ONLY weight related "innovation" in the last 12 years or so has been that
people are willing to spend more money and are seemingly more willing to accept
equpment failure induced crashes. All of the materials and technologies existed
long ago, the only thing missing was the $6,000 bike customer and the pro rider
who was willing to accept the possibility of catastrophic stem and handlebar
type failures to save a few grams. You could've had a 14 pound bike two decades
ago, except no manufacturer thought you'd pay that much or accept the risk.

Barring some new materials it'll be awhile before there's any reason to lower
the weight limit. Hell, even with new materials it'll take time to develop and
research.

I'm all for innovation. It's a good thing and we've seen some very positive
ones; this thing of building the shifters into the brake lever housing, huge.
Great idea. The rest has been mostly a matter of incremental development and an
ever inflating expectation of what a bike should cost.

Ron
cranky past my bedtime

On 29 Sep 2004 11:14:37 -0700, (dw) wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

I went quite a few years with no involvement with cycling beyond just riding the
things from time to time. About 12 years of no magazines, or online reading
beyond finding a tire or part once in awhile.

So lately I get interested in what's out there. More carbon fiber than ever,
aluminum frames are ordinary and a lot of really fancy low-spoke wheels are
advertised. My first thought seeing some of this stuff was "wow, has the
technology gotten that much better, or are they just trying to get away with
it?" It's mostly the latter. Real world wheels for actual riding still look (and
pretty much weigh) like they did 15 years ago.

The ONLY weight related "innovation" in the last 12 years or so has been that
people are willing to spend more money and are seemingly more willing to accept
equpment failure induced crashes. All of the materials and technologies existed
long ago, the only thing missing was the $6,000 bike customer and the pro rider
who was willing to accept the possibility of catastrophic stem and handlebar
type failures to save a few grams. You could've had a 14 pound bike two decades
ago, except no manufacturer thought you'd pay that much or accept the risk.

Barring some new materials it'll be awhile before there's any reason to lower
the weight limit. Hell, even with new materials it'll take time to develop and
research.

I'm all for innovation. It's a good thing and we've seen some very positive
ones; this thing of building the shifters into the brake lever housing, huge.
Great idea. The rest has been mostly a matter of incremental development and an
ever inflating expectation of what a bike should cost.

Ron
cranky past my bedtime

"RonSonic" wrote in message
...
On 29 Sep 2004 11:14:37 -0700, (dw) wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

I went quite a few years with no involvement with cycling beyond just
riding the
things from time to time. About 12 years of no magazines, or online
reading
beyond finding a tire or part once in awhile.
snip
Ron
cranky past my bedtime

Now THAT's an unusual involvement in cycling - riding a bike!
Hugh Fenton

"RonSonic" wrote in message
...
On 29 Sep 2004 11:14:37 -0700, (dw) wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

I went quite a few years with no involvement with cycling beyond just
riding the
things from time to time. About 12 years of no magazines, or online
reading
beyond finding a tire or part once in awhile.
snip
Ron
cranky past my bedtime

Now THAT's an unusual involvement in cycling - riding a bike!
Hugh Fenton

Judging by the changes, amendments, revisions, and re-revisions of the
past forty years, it looks like nothing about UCI regulations is permanent.

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

Judging by the changes, amendments, revisions, and re-revisions of the
past forty years, it looks like nothing about UCI regulations is permanent.

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

dw wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

It also discourages the use of that dangerous element, drillium.

dw wrote:

Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.

It also discourages the use of that dangerous element, drillium.

"stu" wrote in message . au...
"dw" wrote in message
om...
Anyone know if the existing 6.8kg mininum bike weight gets adjusted
over time? If not, it tends to remove an incentive to innovate in
materials and design.
The weight limit may help "innovation", if it wasn't there, my guess is
people would just go for stupid light all the time. Innovations like aero,
vibration damping, 10speed and electric groups would left at the side of the
road in the search to reduce weight. Weather or not these innovations are a
good idea or not, I leave up to you. But the weight limit does give them
room to move on some of these ideas.

Maybe it would be best to increase the limit?