New ban on 'bents in USCF races! Why no noise?

"Jeff Potter" wrote in message
om...
I'm not totally in the scene loop but I haven't seen a single peep
made in bent-land or in HPVA newsletters about a HUGE NEW ban against
bents in the USCF!

Here's the news as just mentioned at R.B.R. (not here):

New this year is USCF rule 1J1(f):

"Bicycles commonly known as recumbent may not be raced in
USCF races unless there is a seperate race for this category
of bicycle, and then may be used only in that category."

http://www.usacycling.org/rulebooks/...f_rulebook.pdf

Mark McMaster



Does anyone care?

Did I miss the jillion huge threads on this? I just googled and found
only one mention on the whole Net.

I'm an HPVA member but maybe the emergency policy mailings and action
items just didn't get to me.

This is very sad because recumbent racers had been working more and
more closely with USCF officials the past 10 years, becoming more and
more accepted, more included, proving themselves at every turn, no
downside, doing better and better in races.

Why would they need a separate category for 'bents? DID SOMETHING
HAPPEN? Was there even ONE incident?

Why can't a bike racer just race against a bike racer?

Did it have something to do with Tim Brummer winning his age-group
Masters TT Championship last year?

Did we have a Francis Faure debacle all over again? Only this time
without a peep from the victims?

Were 'bents becoming too successful? Getting along TOO WELL with
uprights?

What was the USCF complaint? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?

--Jeff Potter

Fabrizio Mazzoleni will be here shortly to explain all of this to you.

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

"Bill B" wrote in message
om...
(Jeff Potter) wrote in message




What was the USCF complaint? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?

I don't know .I don't care. I think wedgies should race wedgies and
bents race bents. My 2cents
Bill B

I agree with Bill. Any kind of organized racing that I know of has a
sanctioning body to regulate the sameness of competitors sand create close
competition. Racing is boring if competition isn't close - boring for the
spectators as well as the racers. Race cars can race 500 miles with 1st and
2nd separated by only a few 10ths of a second. Close racing is exciting and
that's why NASCAR won't allow an Indy car in their races. That's why mules
aren't allowed in the Kentucky Derby. That's why Cat. 1 riders don't ride
in the citizens races. That's why streamliners don't race in USCF races.

skip

skip wrote:

...Close racing is exciting and that's why NASCAR won't allow an Indy car in their
races....

No room for a shotgun, dog and jug of moonshine in an Indy car.

That's why mules aren't allowed in the Kentucky Derby...

A mule in a horse race would be a half-assed idea.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
skip wrote:

That's why mules aren't allowed in the Kentucky Derby...

A mule in a horse race would be a half-assed idea.


skip

Ron Levine wrote:
Isn't this a relaxation of a previous ban rather than imposition of a
new ban? I'm not sure, but I'm under the impression that previously
there was no provision for sanctioning of recumbent racing at all, and
now the 2004 language provides for sanctioning of recumbents racing
recumbents.

Mr. Levine apparently did not bother to read USCF racing rules. Short
wheelbase recumbents became legal in 1980 when Artie Greenberg and I
rewrote the racing rules and got them adopted by the USCF board.
Nevertheless, few competitors chose that option in the intervening
years.

That it makes no sense for recumbents to be allowed in conventional
bike races, whether on the road or on the track, should be obvious to
anyone who knows anything at all about those sports.

Really? It is not obvious to me or to many others.

Les Earnest

"Jeff Potter" wrote in message
om...
[...]
Hmmm, this was a rather highly developed issue only a few months ago.
There was lots of USCF interaction going on. Now so far we only see
rather uninformed feedback. Where did everyone go?

--JP

We are all waiting with bated breath for the fabulous Fabrizzio to weigh in.
He will tell all us 'benters what to think and set us straight.

Fab - where are you when you are needed here!

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:16:49 -0700, Ron Levine
wrote in message
:

That it makes no sense for recumbents to be allowed in conventional
bike races, whether on the road or on the track, should be obvious to
anyone who knows anything at all about those sports.

Why? Let the best man (and bike) win!

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:16:49 -0700, Ron Levine
wrote in message
:

That it makes no sense for recumbents to be allowed in conventional
bike races, whether on the road or on the track, should be obvious to
anyone who knows anything at all about those sports.

Why? Let the best man (and bike) win!

Guy

For the same reason NASCAR doesn't let F1 or CART enter.

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 17:41:39 GMT, "Mark Leuck"
wrote in message nV_Ac.141562$Ly.56492@attbi_s01:

That it makes no sense for recumbents to be allowed in conventional
bike races, whether on the road or on the track, should be obvious to
anyone who knows anything at all about those sports.

Why? Let the best man (and bike) win!

For the same reason NASCAR doesn't let F1 or CART enter.

But it isn't like NASCAR, the bike racing rules cover a massive range
of different classes of event. I see no reason why the rider should
not be free to choose whatever machine suits them best.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 17:41:39 GMT, "Mark Leuck"
wrote in message nV_Ac.141562$Ly.56492@attbi_s01:

That it makes no sense for recumbents to be allowed in conventional
bike races, whether on the road or on the track, should be obvious to
anyone who knows anything at all about those sports.

Why? Let the best man (and bike) win!

For the same reason NASCAR doesn't let F1 or CART enter.

But it isn't like NASCAR, the bike racing rules cover a massive range
of different classes of event. I see no reason why the rider should
not be free to choose whatever machine suits them best.

Guy

While I'd love to see bents in more competitions its just not part of the
rules the USCF has, like it or not that is the way it is until someone
changes it