Michael: I think the point is that the UCI has made a rule. The CCA has, as usual (and actually, thankfully) decided to go along with the UCI and adopt the rule. I say thankfully because the CCA has adopted the UCI rulebook in the past, and thus we need not support a separate organization running a whole separate kind of bike racing such as the USCF, (they still recognize amateurs), and administer a separate rule-book. Now, in this case of wheels, CCA "follow-ship" may be a shortcoming, but I think overall, we are much better off.
The CCA does a service to racing in providing sanctions (as does the OCA), and thus a certain 3rd-party liability insurance scheme can be applied. I believe this makes having races much much cheaper than without their help. I'm only guessing. I would expect that the "novice" category is also somehow covered even though the participants do not get UCI/CCA licenses...what I'm saying is, that there is probably some insurance scheme in place. I don't know if the UCI rule will be enforced in the novice category, but assuming that the CCA insurance does cover the novice event, I expect that non-legal, "non-safe" wheels are not to be allowed. Thus novices must use legal wheels. Bob may be aware of the flexibility there, if any. The question of what is safe and what is not safe is NOT a decision that is entrusted any longer to an organizer, I beleive, however they discuss that "safe" traditional wheels are to be easily recognized by sight, based on rim dimension and spoke count. The UCI/CCA have taken on this global responsibility to define "safe" for wheels. THEY MAY WELL BE COMPLETELY WRONG. It doesn't matter, for now. It may well be very very risky for an organizer to make a contradictory assessment. A failure of the wheel that causes a problem, and subsequent litigation, may find the CCA insurer turning their back and saying "sorry, you allowed the unsafe wheel....no CLAIMS FOR YOU!" We can argue about the bad decisions and the basis upon which the "safe/unsafe" determination was made. We can try to get the UCI to overturn the decisions. But until THAT happens, I expect it to be pretty risky to an organizer to go against the rules. The insurance policy will probably state the case for the novice event. It matters not at all that thousands of Rolf wheels were sold. It matters not at all that Trek shipped them on stock bikes for years. It matters not at all that they really ARE safe from some point of view. They are deemed unsafe from the UCI's point of view. Till that changes, SOL. Paul. For the record, given the slight misrepresentation of my opinion still attached below, I'd like to state: a) I suspect the wheel decisions the UCI made weren't made entirely from sound engineering principles, but on trying to avoid certain failure modes they believed were at the root of some litigation, present or future. b) I support the UCI/CCA decisions, and see little wrong with having wheel restrictions, and I will follow them as they are stated. c) I'd like to see them change. I think they should, but NOT AT ALL based on sales volumes, Market success, "technological progress" nor manufacturing company influence, but based on sound engineering principles relating to wheel strength and acceptable failure modes. Till then, I won't be calling on race organizers to take the risk, to let me ride a fancy-schmance wheel. My questions to ROSS was to the effect of "does the insurer require following UCI/CCA rulebook issues regarding safety" I'm NOT ASKING Ross (nor Bob) to redefine safe wheels. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for "rent-a-legal-wheel" kiosks at the OBC Novice GP. > I'm with Paul Smelders, David Bilenkey, and Aaron > Fillion with their comments of such "safety" > restrictions. I wonder sometimes of the nonsense of > the overriding cycling bodies that are so restrictive > of newest technology. There are too many silly > examples for me to even get started. It certainly > seems to me that they want to ensure that cyclists are > riding with a few years or decades handicap of > technology before they catch up with approving the > latest concepts. D'ya think that if wheels were > unsafe, that they would be promoted at all by US > manufacturers existing within such a litigious > society? > > What madness have I entered by joining the sport of > cycling? > > > Michael > > ______________________________________________________________________ > Find, Connect Date! http://personals.yahoo.ca > > ------ > Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (613) 230-1064 > Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb > Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter > > ------ Club Office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (613) 230-1064 Web/mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb Newsletter: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cyberus.ca/~obcweb/Newsletter ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiDo.a2i8p1 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
