- [Host] Here are our top ten weirdest, coolest, or best things that the UCI have
banned.
Spinergy wheels. Any self-respecting pro in the mid-90s rode cyclocross,
or even mountain bikers, had to have a set of Spinergy wheels. Admittedly, they were
flex-y, heavy, and the eight carbon blades that made up the spokes were potentially
lethal, but to this day they still look super cool. Reasons for the ban vary from
a rabbit being killed at a cyclocross race to world champion Paolo Bettini
cutting his hand in a crash and complaining to the UCI, who then banned
them. Squirrels and rabbits the world over rejoiced.
Long socks. Yes, that's right, the UCI waded into matters of style.
Socks must be no higher than the mid-point between the ankle and the knee.
The idea being to stop the use of compression socks in competition,
which is actually something we can all be glad about. Nairo Quintana,
however, has come pretty blooming close to breaking the rules in time trials this
year though.
Light bikes. A light bike has always been the Holy Grail for cyclists.
Back in the late 90s, as carbon became the material of choice, it opened a world of
opportunity for rapid bike dieting. However, in those days there wasn't the
same depth of knowledge of working with carbon and the UCI became worried about
the structural integrity of the equipment, and therefore rider safety.
So in 1999, they introduced a minimum weight of 6.8 kilos for bikes.
15 years on, that rule is still in place, but bike weights continue to drop,
so pro mechanics regularly have to have extra weights to the bike to bring it to
regulations.
Non-level saddles. According to the UCI, an excessively sloping saddle can improve
sporting performance of the rider to an unacceptable degree and has to be
limited. So whip out those spirit levels, everyone. Inadvertently,
the UCI may have eradicated an entire future generation of pros,
with the current riders suffering numb nuts every time they ride a time trial.
Spinacis. The other early 2000s must-have for the fastest generation of pros we'll
ever see. Essentially they're just clip-on Aerobars which allow riders to get into
the proper time trial position on the road bike. Banned because...
actually, we don't know why. Maybe Paolo Bettini scratched his hands on some.
Black rain jackets. Sponsors of pro teams spend millions getting their logos in
prominent positions on team kits. Prominent, except when it rains,
at which point the entire pro peloton dons black rain jackets
and looks like one big Castelli advert. However, they're not actually allowed to.
That's right, black rain jackets are banned. And we hear from the Inner Ring
blog that the UCI will begin to enforce this again very soon. The regulations
stipulate that rain jackets must be either clear or in team colors.
Meaning that teams and riders will no longer be able to use their beloved Gabba
jackets.
Mittens. Have you ever wondered why you don't see your favorite pro racing in
mittens? Yes, that's right. They're banned. In track racing, there's a rule
which states, "Gloves cannot be mittens, with only one, two, or three separations
between fingers." Expect to see similar rulings brought into road racing in the
near future, to keep this deviant handwear out of the pro peloton.
Aero bikes. Chris Boardman's Lotus track bike from 1992 was the start of a carbon
revolution in bikes, despite some incredible-looking time trial frames, from
the Pinarello Sword to the Look with fairings. The development seemed endless,
until the UCI stepped in. Bikes these days have to conform to various regulations,
including a four-to-one depth-to-width frame tube ratio, and clear double diamond
tube shapes, which means we'll no longer see bikes which look like they're from the
space age.
The "Superman." While Boardman uses state-of-the-art carbon fiber Lotus bike,
Scottish cycling legend Graeme Obree was competing at the same level on homemade
bikes, famously using parts from a washing machine. He adopted a tuck position so
fast that it helped him break the world hour record. It wasn't long before the UCI
stepped in to ban it, but undeterred, Obree went back to the drawing board and
created the "Superman", used by both him and then subsequently Boardman,
to create an hour record distance that has yet to be broken. Mainly because the UCI
soon banned that position too.
Lance Armstrong. How could we miss out on the most high-profile recipient of a UCI
ban? Step forward, Lance Armstrong. Formerly the most successful Tour de
France rider of all time, and now the fall guy for a lost generation of
dope-fueled cyclists. Whatever your opinion on Lance, there's a greater chance
of seeing the return of Spinergys than this man back in the fold.
Let us know what you think the UCI should ban next in our comments section.
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