Updated: Dura Ace to go 11-speed?

Here's a link to an article about custom weights that Cannondale devised for Vincenzo Nibali's 2011 TdF bike. It says that the bike's nearly half a kilo under the limit, which would offset arrieredupeleton's 600g minus 200g for the traditional calipers you're replacing. (And a few years back I remember seeing something in a cycling mag about David Millar's Felt TT bike that mentioned additional weights too.)

It definitely is true.

On flat stages weight is not that important so in most cases riders tend to use deep-profile wheels and less exotic parts so the bikes often weigh more than 7 kilos.

For mountain stages bikes are often made to weigh exactly 6800 grams (that is especially true for GC contenders' bikes where the mechanics have more time to work on them). It's actually quite common to build the bike even lighter and then drop chainlinks into the seat tube to adjust the weight. So it's perfectly true that for hilly or mountainous stages.

Great points made above. I think disc brakes are a great idea, especially for wet conditions and fast downhill finishes like the ones we see in the massive mountains at the TdF.

And on my commute into London from Croydon, I can remember more than one occasion in wet weather where disc brakes would have been perfect!

I can also see how they would be beneficial in crit racing etc

I say bring it on!

With my weight and the fast often technical hills around where I live/cycle bring them on. At present I could sing Wagner's ring cycle before my inertia is overcome. I suppose that could be a reason to shed some kilos but for now Discs sound like a great interim measure.

@arrieredupeleton

If you take TdF into consideration, please remember how great braking forces are needed (and - which might be even more important - how long they are applied) on descents in the Alps. Provided that the biggest drawback of superlight carbon wheels is their heat resistane (or rather lack thereof), discs can make a HUGE difference.

What's more, disc brakes are totally independent from a wheel being true or not - it works perfectly even after hitting a huge pothole so that you could brake more safely.

What also comes to my mind is the ability to install extra brake levers on TT bar extensions (so that you could have one caliper operated by two hydraulic levers). If you want to do the same with a traditional cable-operated brake, you come up with awkward cable routing which results in extremely poor braking power.

When it comes to weight, please also remember that road bikes could probably be well off with 140/120 rotors so the could be much lighter than those designed for MTB.

@ pedalingparamedic - legalizing disc brakes is no problem. Please remember that Shimano is an official UCI sponsor so it's enough to ask them politely the officials to do so

My understanding was that pro teams already have to add weights to the bikes to get them over the UCI's limits. Wouldn't the additional heft of discs just replace the weights?

Don't the UCI have to approve disc brakes for road racing anyway? How long did it take them to approve disc brakes for 'cross? Don't hold your breath!

"Curiously the bar-end shifter seems to have a triple option, even though no triple chainsets are mentioned and we can't imagine that 9000 series Dura Ace would be your choice for touring..."
- am I correct in thinking that Shimano have historically only make bar end shifters in Dura-ace spec - and the touring types with triples will still want them for putting in the end of drop bars I think?

Oh bugger. I'm just trying to come to terms with Campag EPS and it's price - and now I have to start thinking about Campag disc brakes (at what £300 each?) as well?

I have a lovely Condor Ti with carbon group set that's only 2 years old and at this rate by 2014 it's going to be the cycling equivalent of Stevenson's Rocket..

When you look at a TdF stage or a one day classic, the pros don't use their brakes half as much as you or I. Whilst modulation etc will be better, the inevitable additional weight of the discs, calipers, mounts, hosing/fluid and beefed up hubs will mean they are used selectively. A lightweight caliper setup is about 200g whilst the current lightest disc set up would be nearer 600g.It will be interesting to see how the Big S shave weight off a disc brake set up.

I image they would have a use in say a wet Paris Roubaix for example, but that's a very specific situation.

@Winton - it's just my guess, but I believe it's just a matter of giving discs a shot. Just two or three years ago, when Di2 was a novelty, everyone said "cyclists are too conservative for this, they will never switch". Now it's obvious that electronic shifting has passed its exam and is now widely adopted simply because it works better and gives you a better chance of winning. Like I said, to me it's just a matter of trying out the new technology.

I'll take advancements in braking on a carbon rim over putting hideous disc brakes on a road bike.

I would wager that top level cyclists who have been riding bikes all their adult lives, are fully aware of the benefits of disc brakes. The reason they don't ride them is because the manufacturers do not make them and the teams they ride for do not spec them.

This is the part that is about to change. Everyone knows the issues of braking on a carbon rim so discs are the logical step forward until a newer, lighter solution is found. It's progress and whether we like it or not, it's coming.

Top-level cyclists will switch to disc brakes as soon as they realize the benefits - easier braking, more modulation and lighter rims. There will of course be some puritans but in the end everyone wants to win TdF so they will take any advantage they can to make it more probable.

To me, it's just a matter of time. Maybe they won't be here on 2012 Tour, but 2013-2014? Most def.

The weight limit isn't going to make any difference to whether disc brakes are fitted on top end road bikes rayjay… they can be made very light just like any other braking system certainly easily light enough to make the current weight limit

i read in an interview not to long ago ,cannot exactly remember what mag it was ,but a guy from shimano admitted that they had shelved some plans they had for a new 10 speed group set and started working on a 11 /12 speed groupset to match campag ,,,i just dont think its a big deal 11 speed was always going to happen and so will 12 speed ,i also think and we have seen them on cross bikes that discs brakes for road bikes are going to be an option ,,,but i dont think you will see them at the tour de france, i mean the d12 caused enough trouble with the puritans and i understand that, theres a beauty about riding a bike and we dont want to end up with a robot on board ,anyway they still have not dropped the weight limit ,,,

Why don't you try to provide any argument to support your statement?

Disc brakes have no place on racing bikes. END.

So no hydraulic disc brakes for 2012/2013? That would be sad... Or maybe they are planning to release something else (like 9500?) which would be 10/11-speed but disc brake-compatible.

"Well, for a start they've skipped 8000 and gone straight to 9000, suggesting that maybe 8000 was in development but got binned."

Or more likely that they want to leave a gap for Ultegra once it runs out of 6000 revisions.