It's probably because I'm a stodgy old retrogrouch, but despite his considerable other faults, particularly his handling of doping problems, I support what Hein Verbruggen is doing in standardizing bike design and refocusing competition on the athlete. I think maybe UCI is wiser in this regard than the federations for skiing ans skating. As to toboggan, motorcycle racing and car racing, those are not athletic sports in the same sense as cycling and skating, and the equipment in motorsport has always been half or more of the point. Don't forget that the FIA is constantly changing the formula for Formula 1 to try to slow down the cars and make them less expensive - it's just that the designers alway seem more ingenious than the FIA. And sometimes restrictive regulations in cycling can lead to innovations as well. If the established stories are to be believed (though Hilary has expressed some skepticism about them, I believe) the pre-WWII ban on manufacturers' names on racing bikes led to many of the marvelous British unconventional frame designs, and with greater certainty the longtime British ban on massed start racing led to the incredible strength of time trialing in UK, to which Boardman is heir.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
PeterGrenader wrote:
> Because i think the recent decision by the UCI on redefining what a bicycle is
> defeatured the hour record considerably, not to mention a very negative effect
> it had on the development of the sport which, (until the the UCI tugged on the
> way-back machine) was like every other speed sport in the world - technology
> driven. Yes, the athletes that did the impossible and beat the hour record
> with the aid of modern technology are not being forgotten, they are being
> footnoted and I am not sure which is worse.
>
> I am a fan of vintage bikes. Don't get me wrong and yes, they don't make them
> like that any longer and you know what - unless you are trying to break the
> hour record they are never going to make them like that any longer I see little
> use on the world regulating committee trying to convince themselves and the
> world otherwise.
>
> Look at (most if not all) of the other speed sports - car racing, motorcycling,
> skiing, tobogganing, even skating....are you telling me they have not looked
> into every possible avenue available in aerodynamic law to improve their
> performance and by doing so, they removed themselves from the spirit of the
> sport in which they trying to excel??
>
> I'm sure my opinions here are going to start a wave and I'm sorry if any of you
> don't agree. They are, after all, my opinions. don't hate me.
>
> regards,
>
> Peter Grenader
>
> Richard Rose wrote:
>
> > Why is it a shame?
> > Richard Rose (Toledo, Ohio)
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: PeterGrenader <peterg@ixpres.com>
> > To: Monkeyman <monkey37@bluemarble.net>
> > Cc: Chris Beyer <beyerc@mailserver.volvo.com>;
> > <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 10:37 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Classicrendezvous] Boardman's new/old hour record bike
> >
> > > If it helps, there is a picture of the bike Boardman used on the Velonews
> > site.
> > > Lookes pretty boilerplate. It really is a shame that this has happened to
> > the
> > > hour record.