The more kilos the more beautiful

Wrong. We’re not talking about the appearance of the rider, who – because of the typical weight-craze that sooner or later seizes all riders and drives them bonkers for both their bike and their own size – is rather homologated and prone to thinness. We’re talking about the racing bike, which is more beautiful and therefore good if it weighs more in only one case, downhill.
The grimpeurs, those who tackle the climbs on 7-kilogram bikes, know this well: After a long climb there is always a descent to deal with, and the higher you go the more challenging the climb will be. With very light bikes the descents are more difficult, because the bike is less stable, you must ride “muscularly”, with your body contracted, tight to the limit for being so light so as to compensate for the lack of rigidity of the frame-wheel assembly.

One advantage with pedal-assist racing bikes – such as the Bianchi Aria e-road, the official bike of the Giro-E – is that, for the same weight of the rider, it will be more stable on the descent, because it is (quite) heavier than a comparable regular bike. The motor and battery, set in the lower and central part (especially in the models with the motor acting directly on the bottom bracket), lower the centre of gravity. The front wheel is steadily grounded when cornering and, in a straight line, the greater weight will increase speed.
The advantage is twofold: a bike that is “lighter” (in pedalling) on the climbs and faster on the descents.Riding faster will also increase your concentration, which is one of the biggest problems downhill, since after a long climb you are tired, and it is easy to lose focus on the descent. If your speed increases and your confidence in the bike increases, thanks to the sensations given by a heavier frame, your eyes will be as wide open and alert as those of ‘the Shark’.