Pinarello OK with existing UCI weight limit

Other bicycle manufacturers may claim the UCI's 6.8kg minimum weight limit demonstrates it is out of touch with the moden world, but not Fausto Pinarello.

"I always sleep at night because my frame [the Dogma] doesn't weigh 700g," he said. "It's closer to 850 or 900g." Pinarello nevertheless concedes that the limit could be slightly less than 6.8kg, and bikes would still be safe.

To Pinarello, the overall weight of the bike is not important, rather the weight of the individual components. He blames power meters for the emergence of the super-light, pro-level bike. In the peloton, there are machines with relatively heavy SRM cranks that are still on the minimum weight limit.

"If you want to save weight because you want to put on an SRM, this is your problem," said Pinarello. "It weighs 400g. I don't want to take weight off the frame for an SRM. And for a handlebar to be safe it needs to be a heavy. Next year, we will have a lighter frame, but never 700g. How? 700g is nothing. Before paint, if a frame is 800g, I'm OK with that."

Although a featherweight bike may be marginally faster up a steep slope, Pinarello believes its performance on the way down may be compromised. "Riders from Team Sky and Movistar said my bikes are the best-handling on the downhill that they have ever ridden," he said. "This is very important."

The full interview with Fausto Pinarello is in the February 2014 Cycle Sport, out December 18.

This article was first published in the December 12 issue of Cycling Weekly. Read Cycling Weekly magazine on the day of release where ever you are in the world International digital edition, UK digital edition. And if you like us, rate us!