This week USA Cycling clarified how it plans to interpret the UCI restrictions throughout 2010: Elites and juniors must follow the rules including the 8cm max height and 3:1 aspect ratio, while masters have a pass.
“For all USA Cycling Masters National Championships, a bicycle that was legal in 2009 is legal in 2010,” according to usacycling.org.
The announcement comes after manufacturers, retailers and its membership inundated the organization with queries concerning the legality of time-trial bikes for national competition, since compliancy questions arose last season.
All other rules including the weight limit, wheel types and rider position do not change and remain effective for juniors, elites and masters.
The organization plans to monitor the rule changes made at the international level and will continue to consider how these rule changes affect cyclists in the USA.
From USA Cycling’s clarification:
Junior and elite competition
All UCI rules for bicycles will be in force for all UCI races, elite and junior 17-18 national championships, National Racing Calendar events and any selection event for an elite or junior international competition.
Masters competition
The same interpretations of the rules that were applied in 2009 will be applied for Masters National Championships in 2010, excluding the strict application of UCI rule 1.3.020, 8 cm height rule, which determines the maximum tube height, and UCI rule 1.3.024, regarding a bike’s 3:1 aspect ratio.
The recently publicized rule, commonly known as the eight cm height rule, which led to questions about the Specialized Transition and Specialized Shiv will not be enforced at the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships in 2010. Also, the strict application of UCI rule 1.3.024 (3:1 aspect ratio) will not be applied to components at Masters Nationals in 2010.
All other UCI bicycle rules (weight, wheel type, rider position) will remain in effect as they were in 2009.
