Assuming you are using Sram Red you have about the lightest std parts, a very light wheels set, brakes, and no idea about other stuff, but the Pros tend to favor strong stems/bars/saddles. You only are a pound below, other parts could easily but you above and then the light wheels make sense. Look up the chart on the RCA weight vs other frames. Some of frames in the Protour are very pretty heavy in particularly the Pinas.

It'd be shocking in Froome used AX rims then added weight elsewhere

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Styrrell

How dare you confront roadies with science!

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I tweet!

Froome's bike likely needs it (though, might well be faster uphill with 303s or 404s anyway...but they don't HAVE zipps so...)

Some riders don't want the risk of wind fluttering the front wheel on the descents. That problem gets a lot worse at 50mph downhill.

a deep rear at least would be fine, but hard to get over the idea that rotational weight slows you on a climb (it doesn't, but everyone believes it does)

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Do you really think with the millions of dollars Sky has spent on wind tunnel testing, rider positioning, route planing, nutrition, high altitude training, etc. that they would give up any advantage? Honestly if Sky is using climbing rims on this stage they are either faster up the mountain, or more comfortable for the riders and therefore allow them to climb faster.

Surely teams that make a big deal about applying science etc. would get this?

RE fluttering, the last few races I have done were all in the region where today's stage finished with numerous cols and no problems with fluttering from the 303s. (Bontrager Aeolus 5 which I also tested did seem to flutter a little, perhaps vortex shedding?)

Sky are handicapped straight away by the weight of the Pinarello. Run the models - same bike weight, more aero wheels wins.

Stock Ergonova Pro bars and seatpost, 3T Ltd stem, Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonia saddle, Sram Red cassette, two bottle cages (Bontrager XXX). Compared to AX lightness rimmed climbing specials Zipp 303s are not that light.

I've been confused about this as well. I have absolutely no issues descending 60mph+ with 50mm carbon wheels at 135lbs. There is absolutely no reason they should ever go below that depth wheel. I find it extremely hard to believe they can't get the bike down to the limit with deeper carbon wheels with the budget they have.

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My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist

 In this year's Giro I am convinced that Nibali ran a far better wheel choice for the uphill TT than Uran Uran. Indeed Nibali and his team seemed to make the most intelligent choices throughout the Giro (e.g. going for leg warmers rather than bare legs in the snow).

http://velonews.competitor.com/...at-alpe-dhuez_295850

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My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist

So? Why add weights to a bike to reach the 6.8 kg minimum weight (which some teams must be doing) when you can run more aero components?

As an aside, still trying to work out what message the Sky DS is sending out here (bold added for emphasis):

Sky sport director Nicolas Portal brought Froome’s bike to the UCI’s tent, accompanied by a UCI commissaire. He was nonplussed by the checks, despite the late notice.
“Normally, they say nothing; it’s a surprise. They just say, ‘Ok, your bike, your bike, your bike,’ at the finish. It’s a gamble, just like anti-doping,” he said, adding that between his road and time trial bikes, Froome has had his equipment checked nearly 20 times this Tour.

Why don't they wear aero/TT helmets and skinsuits when riding. It may look silly but it couldn't possibly hurt? Or is it against UCI rules?

Plus, getting rid of the gloves will help too.

You have seen the whole of Team Saxo and OQS in Prevails, and numerous teams in teams in the Giro Air Attack, on the flatter stages haven't you?

As for skinsuits, they're not quite there, but most of the jerseys are so much tighter and streamlined than they used to be they're not so far off. Gloves have also become more streamlined, and are still useful in crashes.

It wouldn't surprise me to find that the braking surface is the key difference here. You see a light weight rim and they see an aluminium brake surface that gives better braking modulation on descents and poses little risk of over heating.

Like the carbon AX lightness rims rumoured to be used by Sky?

Also most teams run tubs, in which case problems of over heating are far diminished.

Maybe so they can choose where they place the weight? Running a bike with uber light wheels/components and then dropping some weights down the seat tube (which some teams do) places the weight low and center...like a midengine sports car...good/better handling...just a theory

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"Running is real. The way I do it is the realest thing I know. It makes me weary beyond comprehension. But it also makes me free."

Possibilities: If you are, say, Chris Froome, the only time you are in the wind is in the later parts of the final climb (if even then), so the wheel weight vs aero tradeoff calculus is much different than it is for is for you and me. (On the other hand, Movistar seems to like attacking so maybe their choice favors their tactics . . .).

And, one advantage of making the bike as light as you can is that you get to choose where the extra weight goes when you bring it up to the limit. While I do not have the luxury of doing experiments to prove this, it is possible that if you take two bike/rider combinations that weigh exactly the same, the one with light wheels but ballast just above the bottom bracket will handle better on the descents than the one where that weight is somewhere else (e.g. in the wheels).

Descending with deep front wheels isn't a problem.

Until it is a problem.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

lots and lots of guys in skinsuits this tour on the road stages, and lots and lots of aero helmets too.

Some guys gotta have lots of pockets to carry around water bottles and food though.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

While that may sound plausible, the dynamics are determined by the bike/rider system. In this instance 90% of the system weight is from the rider, the rider that can move. So you have a system where effectivly 90% of the weight is movable ballast. Lets say you have 500 grams to get to 6.8kg. That is about 8% of the weight of the bike system. If you were able to put the weight exactly in the bottom bracket, that would be only 7cm lower than if you ran 500 gram heavier wheels. That would lower the cg by 8% of 7cm, so less than 7 mm. A 65kg rider would lower the cg of the system by more than that by lowering their cg by less than 1 cm. That is so in the noise.

Go to somewhere like wrench science and build up a Pinarello with Dura-Ace 9000 and Dura-Ace tubulars and see for yourself. Heavier than the UCI limit. So lightweight wheels still make sense.

Except it's not just Sky. How about Contador who's always on Zipp 202s with a bike that could easily be under the 6.8 kg?

If I am his boss, and I am not, I have him on 404 rear 303 front and a Venge every climbing stage, and 808 rear 404 front for every non climbing stage.

But Contador is Contador's boss.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter