Originally Posted by
Phatman
I think things are currently more equal at the pro level, mostly because cost isn't really a factor. I'd be surprised if every bike in the grand tour peloton weren't all sub 7kg. With that said, since things are most equal at the pro level, maybe that's the place to start. I doubt the pros would care if you added 5 pounds of bike weight and put a max depth/material spec on their rims because they know that everyone would have the same gear just like before.
Nope. Some bikes are well north of 7 kg. To the point that teams spend their own money to ride non-sponsored wheels (Ineos)...
Absolutely the pros would care if you add 5 lbs to their bike. There's some extreme fanaticism in pro cycling (as to be expected). Equipment and clothing.
Quite a few documented cases in the last couple of years of guys riding non-team stuff. Some even quit their teams/don't resign over inferior equipment issues (Rohan Dennis the latest that comes to mind).