I think it’s a matter of degree. Sure a TT bike is different. However, it’s pretty slight. and I do believe that there are rules in place to limit these differences. It makes sure that the bikes are pretty similar, enough that the engine still primarily determines the outcome. There is a reason that they don’t allow recumbents with fairings… it’s not the same sport even though both could be considered “bike racing”. Where to we draw the line? In my opinion, there is a line at which you aren’t playing the same game anymore. Why not allow F1 cars in stock car races? Again, there is a line at which you’ve changed the equipment enough that you’re not playing the same game.
There’s a mechanical difference. If there was a technolgy that made aero wheels undulate and increase the aero effect do you think that those would be legal? Or deep section aero wheels that adjust to a lower profile when cross wind are prevalent. There’s a difference between enhancing the effects of a component (to an extent) and changing the principal mechanics of a component.
what someone really needs to invent is a product that improves the handling of anyone who bolts it onto their bike. I’d buy that…for everyone who toes a tri line. That would be an unfair advantage.
I guess the inherent problem with making a ‘class’ for racing is that, in our sport at least, there would be way too many. You’d first need to isolate each age group, then classify it by number of gears in your bike, possibly by frame material (carbon does have its advantages over steel), an aerobar category, road bike/tri bike categories, aero wheel and aero frame category, disc wheel category. RC/PC/O ring category. The list could go on and on here. Unless everyone could have the same bike with the same set up there really wouldn’t be a way to make it all equal in that respect. Pity the poor newbie who has trained his ass off for the last year or two and is capable of going just as fast as the top guys but can’t because of equipment. I totally hear what you’re saying here but this sport has pretty much gotten ahead of itself in that respect. We’re past the point of no return. Wetsuits are an unfair advantage too…same could be said of HR monitors. It’s sport. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s never going to be about the best man winning anymore…I don’t see how they could make it otherwise either. One can only do their best and be happy with the result.
You’d first need to isolate each age group, then classify it by number of gears in your bike, possibly by frame material (carbon does have its advantages over steel), an aerobar category, road bike/tri bike categories, aero wheel and aero frame category, disc wheel category.
Aren’t there actually different races for these types of bikes? Age groups, single speed categories, TT’s, road races…
It’s never going to be about the best man winning anymore…
I guess I’m not able to accept that. It’s crap. It may be true, but I won’t accept that it’s OK.
yes cycling does have separate categories…we’re still talking tris though right? I guess we could debate this until the cows come home and neither would be entirely right…is there something you can suggest as a way to level the playing field for everyone what will be acceptable to the majority of the people in the sport?
We can level the playing field easily------------------everyone buy Rotor Cranks!!!
I’m a step ahead…I love 'em. I even sold both my DuraAce 180mm cranksets and replaced both with RC’s!! I don’t think they make you faster just becuse you have them. In my case they suited my pedaling stroke more then a regular crank. OH…and my pedaling effeicency was already very good and very even from side to side. I’ve been working on that for 15 years of 1 leg drills at least once per week. The RC’s made me faster only becuase I can now use my natural pedal stroke to apply power at the right time and place.
PowerCranks are not cheating as it is simply a method of training the athlete. Whether one is racing on regular cranks or PC’s nothing would be different between the two. PC’s could be outlawed for racing and it would make no difference in their benefit to the user.
Now RC’s and strange chain rings are a different story. They are currently UCI legal but someday the UCI may choose to change the rules if it ever appears that someone might actually break a record using any of these devices. They did this with the superman position and, I believe, with other innovations. The reason they might do this is so people can compare the current crop of riders to the old folks from an athleticism point of view, trying to compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges.
Of course, such innovations will always be “legal” in the HPV world.
Skip said it better than I did, mechanical aid is what I believe the O-symetric rings and Rotor Cranks to be. Hand paddles and fins being a good analogy in the swimming world. Thanks Skip.
Let’s be clear about something here. In swimming, the only mechanical aid to get you through the water is your own limbs (unless we’re talking about triathlon swims, and in that case you can potentially lump in the wetsuit–but there are folks out there who are grumpy about that, as well). Adding fins/pads to the swim is adding an element that wasn’t there in the first place.
On the other hand, in cycling the bicycle is itself a mechanical aid. The drivetrain and all other aspects of the bike have gone through decades of engineering to improve their efficiency, and that’s what I see this as: an attempt to stretch the engineering envelope. Being able to buy a component that improves the power transfer is essentially the same as being able to buy lighter-weight components that reduce the effectiveness of one’s power. If it truly makes a difference, we may see a wholesale shift to these types of cranks. If not, they’ll remain a fairly fringe product, and the classic implements will continue to dominate at the races.
Let’s remind ourselves that there are limits to what these products can do. They won’t allow my couch-potato cousin to beat Lance in this year’s TdF.
I have come to terms and decided that I do not “race” people with better equipment, better genes or more training time.
Triathlon has become some sort of circus where all the rich and vain put themselves (and their toys) up for display. It has become a show, no more or less; A come together of people who may have a certain attitude towards life (at best) or just want to have exposure (at worst).
I stopped racing triathlons quite a while ago, because there is no level playing field in our sport. I now just do Triathlons to test myself against the distances and the course with the equipment and the fitness I have.
The reason I enter races at all is because I can have a safe environment to do so or ride courses that I could not ride otherwise. If I end up at the front of my age group, so be it. I do not race for beating XYZ, nor do I thrive to be like this or that racer. I have no grudge towards people with a triple A attitude or those who can afford more time to train, better equipment or else.
This all can and will not ruin my experience. I have made peace…
To my knowledge, riding in the superman position is not illegal for a triathlon. Not very practical of course. Is there any such rule forbidding?
On the other hand, as long anyone wants to make a comparison to race wheels, there is a rule forbidding any type of aerodynamic fairing. I fail to see how many of the race wheels (hed jet or CH type aero disk covers) which have non-structural attachments to the wheel to improve aerodynamics can be considered anything but a fairing. I’ll grant you that they are no better aerodynamically than the similar wheels using structural elements (ala ZIPP, etc), but if covering my spokes with plastic is legal, why not my hands, arms, legs, etc?
For the record, I don’t think that Rotor’s should be illegal. Maybe if the top 5 IM winners rode them I would feel different.
“I only train one hour per day from 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM I compete against French civil servants or teachers who work 35 hours a week (as a lawyer, I work 70 hours weeks more often than not).”
With all due respect, if you train 1 hour from 5:30 to 6:00 am then your 70-hour work week probably lasts about 35 hours!
“I only train one hour per day from 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM I compete against French civil servants or teachers who work 35 hours a week (as a lawyer, I work 70 hours weeks more often than not).”
With all due respect, if you train 1 hour from 5:30 to 6:00 am then your 70-hour work week probably lasts about 35 hours!
Ooops. Iam afraid you got a definite point here. Seems I was already tired at the beginning of my 70 hours week… (BTW, I know that 70 hours may seem an easy week by US standards, but it is a long one by French ones…and I am not saying than one side of the pond has it right when the other has not. Mere observation)
I am lucky enough to be able to spare one hour from 5:30 to 6:30. I cannot help but admire the ironmen out there who wake up at 4:30 and log miles and miles day by day.
I am a married guy but have not kids yet. I do not know whether I’ll be able to keep up with my “de minimis” training schedule when I become a father…
When the time comes, anything that may help me maximize training gains and race efficiency shall be most welcome (think PC + RC killer combination, seems to work for many triathletes…Frank and Gary do share some common ground :-))
(BTW, I know that 70 hours may seem an easy week by US standards, but it is a long one by French ones…and I am not saying than one side of the pond has it right when the other has not. Mere observation)