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Tour De France Bike Weight: The Complete Guide

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I’ve been a massive Tour de France fan ever since I was a kid. Recently, I’ve been investigating the types of bikes they use for this race. How heavy are Tour de France bikes?

The Tour de France bike weight has a minimum limit of 6.8kg, with no upper threshold. The maximum weight of these bikes can go up to 8-9 kg, and even closer to 10kg in some cases.

Tour de France bikes are built to be reasonably lightweight, streamlined, and built for speed.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you want to know about the required bike specifications, and also the most popular Tour de France bikes and their weights that are being used today.

Tour de France close-up of cyclists legs

Tour de France Bike Weight

In 2021, all bikes used in the Tour de France were made from carbon fiber. This includes their frames, wheels, and a majority of their components, like handlebars and seat posts. 

This helps keep the bikes below the minimum weight limit of 6.8kg imposed by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale).

Factors such as aerodynamics, rolling resistance, friction, and weight play a crucial role in the speed of a bike. Therefore, they want their bikes as light as possible as lower weights imply faster and more agile cycling.

UCI introduced the minimum weight limit rule in 2000.

They did it to ensure that manufacturers didn’t risk the safety of cyclists for the lightest bike possible. Though there have been debates over it throughout the years, UCI remains steadfast over this limit. 

However, according to the rule book, there is no upper limit for the weight of a Tour de France bike. But, it wouldn’t be of much help even if there was, as stated earlier, heavier bikes are slower. Kind of a no-brainer, right?

Lighter bikes are preferred as they have the advantage of quicker accelerations and being easier to handle.

This way, teams can get their bikes down to the 6.8kg limit while offering leniency of about 100 grams or so for variations between their scales and the UCI’s. 

Furthermore, accomplishing this task was made harder due to the disc braking systems and the introduction of aerodynamic tube shapes. These features have yielded slightly heavier and more robust frames. However, the weight of these bikes only varies from 6.8kg to around 7.2kg. 

Similarly, time trials bikes have deep tube shapes, rear disc wheels, and deep-section front wheels. It is common for them to be relatively bulky at around 8-9kg, with the heaviest bikes topping out at 10kg.

The Tour de France is renowned for its developments, both in technology and also sports science. (Source)

The heftier bikes peak at around 8kg. Therefore, they use these bikes as aero bikes on flatter tracks. Since there are no slopes, weight is not much of an issue.

Due to this minimum weight limit, manufacturers don’t try to create dangerously light bikes. Instead, they try to focus on other areas of improvement. As a result, various debates have sparked between manufacturers, such as rims vs. disc brakes, inner tubes vs. tubeless tires, and more.

Rim Brakes vs Disc Brakes

Arguably, the most crucial part of a bike is its brakes. A common debate has spun up over the years as to which brake is the most ideal.

Disc brakes are well-known for mountain biking.

But, in recent years, they have become favored for road biking as well. At the start of the 2021 season, practically all of the top teams except for one used disc brakes. 

Many teams feel committed to the technology of these brakes, leaving only a few teams still in favor of rim brakes.

Teams like Ineous Grenadiers, who are the sole representatives of the #savetherimbrake movement, have attempted to change this. However, the reality is that disc brakes are slowly taking over. 

Though many riders have voiced their opinions on this matter, it is still highly likely that the whole peloton will soon stop using rim brakes.

Tubular VS. Clincher VS. Tubeless

Advancements in tires technology became mainstream during last year’s delayed Tour de France. During this time, specialized sponsored teams Deceuninck-QuickStep and Bora Hansgrohe surprisingly chose clincher tires fitted with inner tubes for their bikes. 

Over the years, tubular tires have been every manufacturer’s go-to choice. That is because manufacturers glue tubular tires to the rim, which means that they stay on the bike even when it punctures. Ideally, this would allow the rider to continue riding until the wheel or the bike changes.

However, as time passed, tubeless tires adapted to the changes and have experienced an increase in popularity. Using tubeless tires implies that riders don’t have to stop in case of a puncture.

They can automatically repair any punctures, leaving the inner tube to last a long time.

Though Deceuninck-QuickStep and their wheel sponsor Roval may have deemed clincher tires as the best option, when considering tires technology, rim design, and interface, it is understandably not a widely accepted opinion. 

The future of tires technology is uncertain, and no one knows for sure which tires the competitors prefer in the upcoming race.

The New Bikes at the Tour de France

Being the biggest bike race in the world, the Tour de France serves as a global veritable shop window for cycling brands and team sponsors. As an added benefit, racing would also serve as a testbed for the durability of new tech tested by these brands. 

Resultantly, I’ll help keep a detailed review of the new models, technology, or prototype bikes from each brand to ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest news. 

New Dura-Ace

An example of a new technological piece released is the new Dura-Ace groupset by Shimano.

The people expect it to be called Dura-Ace R9200, and the groupset was spotted on bikes of the Team DSM’s riders at Baloise Belgium Tour. I predict it to be widely adopted soon at the Tour de France. 

New Bikes

As stated earlier, since renowned manufacturers use the Tour de France as a shop window for potential buyers, the best new releases would be the bikes. Just last year, two brands, Factor and Canyon, used the race to test their respective early bike releases, and people expect it to be no different this year. 

Upon a glance, the most anticipated bike is the new Pinarello Dogma.

We expect the Pinarello-sponsored Ineos Grenadiers to ride the Pinarello. But, there are plenty of other models to be released. For example, we spotted the new Factory Slick in the Giro d’Italia and the new Trek Speed Concept at the Criterium du Dauphine. 

In addition to the summer blossoming a whole array of new bikes, there have also been announcements for new wheel launches. Carbon wheels help to lighten bikes significantly and add strength and stability. 

The following are descriptions of the teams competing in the Tour de France and their respective bikes and technology:

AG2R Citroen Team

Road bikes: BMC Team Machine SLR01

Weight: 6.8kg

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS

Time trial Bikes: BMC Warp TT

Wheels: Campagnolo

Clothing: Rosti

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: BMC

Astana- Premier Tech

Road bikes: Wilier Zero SLR, Wilier Filante

Weight: 7.02kg

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Wilier Turbine TT

Wheels: Corima

Clothing: Giordana

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Garmin 

Finishing Kit: Willier

Alpecin-Fenix

Road bikes: Canyon Aeroad, Canyon Ultimate

Weight: 7.26kg

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time Trial Bikes: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Shimano (Aerocoach and Princeton Carbon Works as non-sponsor additions)

Clothing: Kalas Sportswear

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Canyon

Arkea Samsic

Road bikes: Canyon Aeroad, Canyon Ultimate

Weight: 7.25kg

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Shimano

Clothing Craft

Saddles: Selle Italia 

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Canyon

B&B Hotels p/b KTM

Road bikes: KTM Revelator Lisse, KTM Revelator Alto

Weight: 9.3kg

Groupsets: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: KTM Solus

Wheels: DT Swiss

Clothing: Gobik

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Bryton

Finishing Kit: FSA

Bora-Hansgrohe

Road bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Specialized S-Works Shiv

Wheels: Roval

Clothing: Sportful

Saddles: Specialized

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: PRO, Specialized

Bahrain Victorious

Road bikes: Merida Reacto, Merida Scultura

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Merida Warp TT

Wheels: Vision

Clothing: Ale

Saddles: Prologo

Finishing Kit: FSA, Vision, Prologo

Cofidis

Road bikes: De Rosa Merak, De Rosa Pininfarina SK

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS

Time trial bikes: De Rosa TT-03

Wheels: Fulcrum

Clothing: Nalini

Saddlers: Selle Italia

Computer: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Errea

Deceuninck-QuickStep

Road bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, Specialized Aethos

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Specialized S-Works Shiv

Wheels: Roval 

Clothing: Vermarc

Saddles: Specialized

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: PRO, Specialized

EF Education-Nippo

Road bikes: Cannondale SuperSix Evo, Cannondale System Six

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Cannondale SuperSlice

Wheels: Vision

Clothing: Rapha

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: FSA, Vision

Groupama-FDJ

Road bikes: Lapierre Aircode DRS, Lapierre Xelius SL

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Lapierre Aerostorm DRS

Wheels: Shimano

Clothing: Ale

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: PRO

Ineos Grenadiers

Road bikes: Pinarello Dogma F12 rim

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rim

Time trial bikes: Pinarello Bolide TT

Wheels: Shimano; Lightweight, Princeton Carbonworks, and Aerocoach are non-sponsored additions

Clothing: Castelli

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: MOST

Israel Start-Up Nation

Road bikes: Factor OSTRO V. A. M

Time trial bikes: Factor Slick

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Wheels: Black Inc; Lightweight as a non-sponsor addition

Clothing: Jinga

Saddles: Selle Italia

Computers: Hammerhead

Finishing Kit: Black Inc

Intermarche-Wanty Gobert

Road bikes: Cube Litening C: 68X

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Cube Aerium C: 68 TT

Wheels: Newmen

Clothing: Santic, NoPinz

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Bryton

Finishing Kit: Cube

Jumbo-Visma

Road bikes: Cervelo R5, Cervelo S5, Cervelo Caledonia

Time trial bikes: Cervelo P5

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Wheels: Shimano; Vision and Aerocoach are non-sponsor additions

Clothing: Agu

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: FSA

Lotto Soudal

Road bikes: Ridley Helium, Ridley Noah Fast

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS, C-Bear ceramic bearings

Time trial bikes: Ridley Dean TT

Wheels: Campagnolo

Clothing: Vermarc

Saddles: Selle Italia

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: Deda

Movistar Team

Road bikes: Canyon Ultimate, Canyon Aeroad

Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS

Time trial bikes: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Zipp

Clothing: Ale

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: Canyon

Qhubeka Assos

Road bikes: BMC Teammachine SLR, BMC Timemachine Road

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc, Rotor crankset

Time trial bikes: BMC Timemachine

Wheels: Hunt

Clothing: Assos

Saddles: Selle Italia

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: BMC

Team Bike Exchange

Road bikes: Bianchi Specialissima, Bianchi Oltre XR4

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Bianchi Aquila TT

Wheels: Shimano, Vision

Clothing: Giordana

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: FSA, Vision

Team DSM

Road bikes: Scott Addict RC, Scott Foil RC

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Scott Plasma

Wheels: Shimano

Clothing: Keeping Challenging; Team’s brand

Saddles: PRO

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Syncros

Trek-Segafredo

Road bikes: Trek Madone, Trek Emonda

Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS

Time trial bikes: Trek Speed Concept

Wheels: Bontrager

Clothing: Santini

Saddles: Bontrager

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Bontrager

Total Direct Energie

Road bikes: Wilier Cento10Air Wilier Zero SLR

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Wilier Turbine

Wheels: Ursus

Clothing: Nalini

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: Willier

UAE Team Emirates (Winning Team 2021 Tour de France)

Road bikes: Colnago V3Rs, Colnago Concept, Colnago C64

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS

Time trial bikes: Colnago K-One

Wheels: Campagnolo

Clothing: Gobik

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: SRM

Finishing Kit: Deda

Final thoughts

For me, watching the Tour De France is as much about the amazing technology exemplified in the bikes as it is about the racing. Can you picture yourself on one these dream machines?