I’d just like the UCI to get rid of the weight limit rule completely for two days of the tour, a flat stage and a mountain stage (with a mountain top finish), and let everyone know that they’re doing this way in advance. Be interesting to see what they ride.

recumbant would piss all over others in TT wouldn’t it?

Wouldn’t fancy it up a few of the cols mind….

I’d just like the UCI to get rid of the weight limit rule completely for two days of the tour, a flat stage and a mountain stage

Yeah and you’ll see plenty of people eating the tarmac after a bike failure…

There is a lot of nonsense about the rich masses getting an unfair advantage because they can afford fancy swimsuits. And? What’s that got to do with top level professional competition? Surely you can rule them non admissible at local level competition and allow them at the to where everyone can afford to use them?

It’s just the usual ‘STW chip on your shoulder for anyone who has more money than you’. Get over it.

I don’t think the UCI banned grip tape explicitly, but instead issued an all encompassing “no modification from manufacturer’s spec” rule. Which just means that saddle manufacturers will include it from the factory, as is already happening.

i am sure when chis boardman broke world records in the velodrome it was because of technological inovation of the lotus team bike it was streets ahead of the competion and i dont remember any hoohaa back then

Yeah and you’ll see plenty of people eating the tarmac after a bike failure…

Yeah, cause pros who’s career depends on them being just slightly quicker then a load of other pros will definitely risk it all with a bike that isn’t up to the job.

🙄

Regarding seats, grip tape, and the 5cm rule… does anything in the rules state that the rider needs to be seated on the seat? Wondering if they could build a frame such that the top tube had an area suitable for the rider to position themselves on in a more ideal position, and just have the seat further back to keep the UCI happy. Would probably look a bit odd.

i am sure when chis boardman broke world records in the velodrome it was because of technological inovation of the lotus team bike it was streets ahead of the competion and i dont remember any hoohaa back then

Worth reading up on Obree and his tangles with the UCI.

I’d like them to be forced to use the same bike (or at least the same model/design/spec) for the entire tour – flat, mountain or TT. If they want to carry TT bars up the slopes then fine. If not then fine too. They’d have to have loop style TT bars of course considering safety in the sprints.

It’s just the usual ‘STW chip on your shoulder for anyone who has more money than you’. Get over it.

I think it is folk actually saying when you race someone in a bike race the winner should be the best rider not the person on the best bike.

I think you are just letting your chip out for us all to see tbh

i am sure when chis boardman broke world records in the velodrome it was because of technological inovation of the lotus team bike it was streets ahead of the competion and i dont remember any hoohaa back then

Apart from when he broke the athletes hour record in 2000 as that was on a standard bike

You should read up they changed the rules to make everyone ride on a standard bike like Mercyc did in 73???so you knew it was about the rider and not the bike. Ther eis the UCI record and the Best Human effort
It is on the documentary of boardmans attempt about how they had to get the drag value to the same as mercyx’s attempt as well and they had issues with the helmet iirc

in essence there was a hoopla it is just that you dont know about it [ no offence trying to politely give info]

In 1993 and 1994, Graeme Obree, a Scot who built his own bikes, posted two records with his hands tucked under his chest. In 1996, Boardman set a record using another position pioneered by Obree, his arms out in front in a Superman position. Both were considered controversial by the UCI, and while the records were allowed to stand, the positions were banned. Obree and Boardman made several attempts to top the previous record.

With the increasing gap between modern bicycles and what was available at the time of Merckx’s record, the UCI established two records:

the UCI Hour Record (which restricts competitors to roughly the same equipment as Merckx, disallowing time trial helmets, disc or tri-spoke wheels, aerodynamic bars and monocoque frames) and
the Best Human Effort – sometimes termed the UCI “Absolute” Record.
All records since 1972, including Boardman’s 56.375 km (35.030 mi) in 1996 were downgraded to Best Human Effort. In 2000, Boardman attempted the UCI record on a traditional bike, and rode 49.441 km (30.721 mi), topping Merckx by 10 m (32.8 ft) – an improvement of 0.02%.

In 2005 Ond?ej Sosenka improved Boardman’s performance at 49.700 km (30.882 mi) using a 54×13 gear. At 200 cm (6 ft 6¾ in) tall, Sosenka used an unusual saddle position and a small vertical frame height to stay within UCI regulations.[2] Sosenka failed a doping control in 2001 and then again in 2008, the latter resulting in a career ending in suspension which puts in doubt the validity of his record