"Bicycle design is a funny thing. For all intents and purposes, its main design has remained unchanged for over 5 decades. Yet an evolutionary design approach, through various iterations, has led a continual search for optimum solutions within the same core design; though the formal bones of the bicycle have remained the same, several significant changes have come through material and mechanical innovation. It's been slow and it's been gradual, but these changes now represent the improvements necessary to help riders squeeze that little bit extra out of the human body..." [Go to article]
i feel very strongly about the UCI's regulations regarding road bike geometry. i feel they are severely limiting design, and for what reason? from the preamble of "UCI Regulations CH 1, Part III-Equipment": "Bicycles shall comply with the spirit and principle of cycling as a sport. The spirit suggests that cyclists compete in competitions on an equal footing. The principle asserts the primacy of man over machine." this statement suggests that in professional competition, that some teams, if left untouched by the UCI, would have far superior bikes than other teams, making for unfair competition. but if all teams had no restrictions, wouldn't they all develop superior bicycles, and therefore be on "equal footing" again? as for the "man over machine" bit, give me a break. no matter what you do to a bicycle, it will still be powered by a human pedaling it.
that document also states how a bicycle must have a "main triangle", and can only be made with tubular elements...because i guess that's what bicycles "are". professional cycling is like F1, you watch to see the man AND the machine. before 2000, it was exciting seeing the new machines that were unveiled for the Tour de France. manufacturers and teams would push the boundaries of bike design. now, it's a big bore.
you can check out the UCI document on bike geometry regulations here:
http://www.uci.ch/imgArchive/Road/Equipment/Chap%20III%20equipmt%20gen-e.pdf
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that document also states how a bicycle must have a "main triangle", and can only be made with tubular elements...because i guess that's what bicycles "are". professional cycling is like F1, you watch to see the man AND the machine. before 2000, it was exciting seeing the new machines that were unveiled for the Tour de France. manufacturers and teams would push the boundaries of bike design. now, it's a big bore.
you can check out the UCI document on bike geometry regulations here:
http://www.uci.ch/imgArchive/Road/Equipment/Chap%20III%20equipmt%20gen-e.pdf