TdF fun for bike manufacturers, possibly.

[Andrew G]

UCI at it again and saying the 3:1 rule will be in force from 1st July.

[url]http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/05/06/uci-could-deal-crushing-blow-to-bicycle-manufacturers/#more-4685[/url]

[-Adam-]

So my Hed TT bars, courtesy of Snoop, aren't going to last long then...

[Andrew G]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]The rule has been on the books for a while, they just haven't been enforcing it.

[Mike I]

Never mind stifling innovation, it looks like the curly Hetchins is illegal .

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Mike I"]Never mind stifling innovation, it looks like the curly Hetchins is illegal .

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]
Cervélo has received some questions about the new UCI rules. We have commented before that any rule changes can have a negative and potentially devastating effect on some bike component manufacturers, especially in these tough economic times. By extension, it will have a negative effect on pro cycling, as the costs of these changes will in the end come out of sponsorship budgets. Furthermore, if rule changes such as these reduce the number of potential component sponsors, the sponsoring fees will be reduced over time – a simple matter of supply and demand.

For Cervélo, it makes little difference:
1) For all our triathlon customers and most of our other customers, the UCI rules are irrelevant.
2) The Cervélo TT frames comply with the new UCI rules.
3) Our TT seatpost may not comply with the rules that the UCI is proposing for applications in 2010. However our engineers have already designed a new seatpost that will retrofit on all our TT frames – past and present. Our customers know that whether they already own a Cervélo TT bike or are purchasing one now, they will be able to use it in 2010 and onwards without a problem.
4) Of course, 99% of our customers will prefer to continue to use the current seatpost, as it is the fastest possible seatpost and they never compete in UCI events anyway. (All triathlons and most time trials do not follow the UCI rules.)

[Jon H]

Oh bugger.

[img]http://www.bike-zone.com/photos/2004/tech/features/pinarello/CN-Giro-Pin_Espada_05.jpg[/img]

[Andrew G]

Bars are legal Jon .

[Andrew G]

[quote]The UCI’s latest statement is essentially a warning, leaving manufacturers only about five weeks to determine whether or not to even bother shipping some new products to stores. Here’s what the UCI has announced:

"The current UCI Technical Regulations have been in force since 2000. Observance of these regulations did not pose a major problem for several years. However, the UCI has noted that increasingly frequently these regulations are being breached, in particular the Articles of the Regulations on equipment used in time trials (Art. 1.3.023, describing the bicycle frame, and Art. 1.3.024 , describing accessories such as the handlebars, seat post and pedal cranks).

The UCI, after having noted the trend towards “wing-shaped” handlebars and aerodynamic extensions, which do not comply with the regulations, wrote to UCI teams and National Federations on this subject at the start of the year.

The UCI also organised a meeting at its headquarters, specifically inviting representatives of the AIGCP (International Association of Professional Cycling Teams) and manufacturers to discuss, initially, the handlebars of time trial bikes that do not respect Article 1.3.024.

At the time of this meeting, the UCI decided that, for competitions, contentious handlebars would have to be replaced by compliant handlebars by 1 July 2009. For all other bicycle components, in particular the seat post, the deadline for compliance of equipment was set as 1 January 2010.

Once these deadlines have elapsed, UCI International Commissaires will not compromise on the application of the regulations."

Should make for some interesting commentary during the Tour de France…