UCI to crack down on TT bikes

From the NY Times, The UCI is planning on a new program to inspect bikes more vigorously to insure that they comply with their often ambiguous rules just in time (July 1st) for the TdF.

almost 3 years ago flying dog 19 comments 0 recs |

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The UCI seems excited to be exercising its authority these days.

I suppose they are warming up for the Valverde verdict.

Mon coeur appartient à les forçats de la route.

by Josenka on May 6, 2009 2:18 AM EDT reply actions

It's all that money they banked

from the biological passport.

by Monty. on May 6, 2009 6:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Since the Tour of Califiornia is all the rage today...

This crackdown was foretold back in February there. As I remember it has to do with the new handlebar regs. with only Astana being compliant at the time. I would hope that the other teams would have gotten compliant by now, or at least can easily switch.

by ursula on May 6, 2009 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Where are they taling about.. Some ratio but no idea which one?!

Crashdan: "Veni Vidi Vici beats Wing Kong Exchange... … and I’ll change my signature to a backwards smile for a month."
Franzoi wins Parijs-Roubaix and I win a date with the VDS of Team Txirrindulariak..

by Frinking on May 6, 2009 9:46 AM EDT reply actions

3:1 ratio

I forget the rule citation—-and I’m not wasting time looking up anything as ambiguous as the UCI’s bike “rules”—-but the essential issue is the use of elongated tube shapes and structures, most prominently in the handlebar area and the downtube. Those forms can have no more than a 3:1 depth:width ratio, which limits the amount of time over which the turbulent airflow has to re-form at the other side of the tube. Because the rule was A) ambiguous and B) not enforced strictly before, frames had gotten pretty far from 3:1.

Silly, silly, silly, silly, as far as I’m concerned.

But several teams are very much affected. Lots of coverage in CN and Velonews in Feb. on the issue.

by Softie on May 6, 2009 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Aaah! Can someone draw it for me!

But if I understand correctly everything on the bike has to be a 3:1 ratio which means That a handlebar can be 1 cm depth and 3 cm wide.. What does that mean
So what’s the depth or wide from a handlebar for example? (Sorry to bother :))

by Frinking on May 6, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

1:1

in the example above.

It’s the ratio of the tube diameter in two dimensions.

In a circular tube the ratio is always 1:1. But in a teardrop shape the ratio is the width of the tube to the length of a tube.

If you consider an ellipse it would be the ratio of the major to minor diameter.

So, think of an Cervelo P3 downtube. The tube is longer than it is wide, relative to the direction of travel. If the ratio of that length to width is greater than 3:1, your busted.

by johnw on May 6, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions