What type of bikes are used in the tour de france

That includes their frames, wheels and most of the components such as handlebars and seatposts. In terms of bike frames, there are 19 different brands in the race, with three different manufacturers of groupsets and 15 different wheel brands. Each of these brands is continually innovating and improving in a bid to improve their products and outdo their competitors.

To do this, they look at the various barriers that a rider needs to overcome in order to go faster. Aerodynamics is a big focus, but rolling resistance, friction and of course weight are key areas of attention. It was first introduced in the year to ensure manufacturers didn't cut corners on safety in a race for the lightest bike possible, and while the weight limit has been contested many times in the years since, the UCI has remained steadfast.

In terms of the rule book, there is no upper limit on the weight of a Tour de France bike, but of course the lighter a bike is, the faster it will be when the gradient of the road starts to rise. All else being equal, a lighter bike will also accelerate more quickly and be easier to handle, so teams will do everything they can to get their bikes down to this 6. The introduction of disc brakes on road bikes made this a tougher task, since the disc braking system is heavier overall, and the introduction of aerodynamic tube shapes has also yielded heavier frames, but even so, the weight of most bikes in the peloton will hover between 6.

Some of the heaviest bikes will push closer to 8kg, but these will be aero bikes and will typically only be used on the flatter days, where weight is less of an issue.

Moreover, time trial bikes, with their deep tube shapes, rear disc wheels and deep section front wheels will weigh even more again. It's not uncommon for a time trial bike in the Tour de France to weigh in the region of kg, with the heavier time trial bikes nudging closer to 10kg. As a result of this minimum weight limit, manufacturers are no longer racing to make the lightest bike possible, and brands have instead focussed on the other areas for innovation.

The result is a host of ongoing debates that continually simmer away, such as the rim vs disc brakes debate, the inner tube vs tubeless tyres debate, and more.

The first of these debates doesn't centre around technology that speeds you up, but tech that slows you down: brakes. Disc brakes have been popular in mountain biking for well over a decade and over the past few years finally made their way onto the road. As of the start of this season, all but one of the major teams is using disc brakes.

Most teams and their bike sponsors are wholly committed to the technology, while a few teams still have rim brake bikes in their fleet. Ineos Grenadiers are the sole representatives of savetherimbrake and their talents continue to prove that the now out of favour technology is far from futile, but the fact remains that disc brakes are taking over.

Many riders have an opinion on the matter, and former Ineos leader Chris Froome has made his point clear , but it's likely only a matter of time before the whole peloton is stopping with discs, perhaps as soon as next season. Still, stage wins are stage wins. Colnago, the famed Italian bike maker, had never won a Tour till this year, but its history was already filled with stars and victories. And clean up he did, taking the white jersey best young rider , the polka-dot jersey best climber , the yellow jersey overall winner , as well as three individual stage wins.

His bike's Italian flair is complemented by a Campagnolo groupset and wheels, naturally. It's a fast bike with aero features, but perhaps not everyone will dig the multicolored Ursus wheels. He did it aboard the understated Eddy Merckx , a good-looking ride with a pleasing mix of colors and handsome lettering honoring the GOAT. The lightweight carbon wheels by Mavic and gumwall tires complement the classic look, not to mention the rim brakes.

The multicolored bike features deep oversize tubing, an aero cockpit and seatpost, and prominent curves around the wheels. Bahrain-McLaren's Merida Scultura is a gorgeous lightweight climber that pops with vibrant oranges, reds, and blues. The Scultura has a classic-looking design we like but is also very aerodynamic with smooth rounded tubes. Dura-Ace and Vision wheels complete the package. The team didn't win a stage this Tour, but Mikel Landa finished fourth overall, and Damiano Caruso, pictured above, finished 10th.

The famed Italian bike maker's celeste frames pop in a sea of black bikes, and there's no shortage of performance features, with its aggressive, deep aero tubes and Dura-Ace carbon wheels. Team Mitchelton-Scott rides one the most visually interesting bikes in the peloton: the Scott Addict. Its sparkling paint appears to change color in bright sunlight, making it stand out brilliantly in a field of matte-black frames.

It's also one of most aero bikes, with slippery tubing, fully integrated cables, minimalist cockpit, and Dura-Ace wheels. The squad didn't win a stage this year, but Adam Yates did lead the race for a few stages. In one of our previous rankings, Team Sky's all-matte-black Pinarello Dogma came in dead last, oozing dullness. But the crew now known as Ineos-Grenadiers is on our podium with a new-look Dogma F12 in blue, red, and white. Its curvy aero tube shapes have always helped it stand out, and with its updated smart looks, the multiple-Tour-winning bike has never been better.

The already fast bike benefits from an electronic Dura-Ace groupset and what appear to be not-sponsor-correct Lightweight wheels. We've spent a lot of time riding the EVO , a light, fast, and fun all-around bike that gets better with each iteration. Cannondale says this EVO is the fastest lightweight bike it's ever made, saving 30 watts at 30 mph.

We just know it's gorgeous. Its beautiful paint job, unusual handmade French Corima carbon wheels, Dura-Ace groupset, and extra-fast Ceramic Speed pulley wheels easily put this bike atop our ranking. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

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Is it too much to expect at least one So what we claim is Currently spending more maintaining my bike than my car - and doing about 4x the miles too! Log In Register. Support road. Help us to make it better. Back to Features. Team edition models that are available to buy… as long as you have a shedload of cash.

First Published Jun 27, Take a look at our Tour de France preview Brands often sell more affordable versions of bikes that sponsored teams ride, with spec downgrades to make price points, but that's not what we're covering here.

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