TT set up for sportives

mpd62
mpd62 Posts: 71
I rode the 2nd stage of the excellent tour of wessex on sunday and spotted a few tri bars. would we like them to be banned ? as in all road races before we end up with riders in full TT set up with areo helmets. Riders in a bunch on tri bars are a no no

Comments

  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    They are banned from some events. There was one rider on a full time trial bike complete with carbon wheels and steep angles on the Richmond 5 Dales on Ssaturday. I reckon he might have found the hills somewhat uncomfortable!
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    Why should a certain set up be banned from a non competitive event, what next ban MTB's and hybrid's because they have flat bars.

    Haven ridden in large groups with people having tribars fitted etc, and never had an issue, I can't see what the issue is. I doubt anyone would be foolish to actually use the tribar extensions whilst in the group, but might like to use them when on their own.

    I can understand them being banned when racing, but a sportive is not a race, it is just a ride.
  • Riding a timetrial bike is a somewhat odd thing to use on a sportive.

    Banning tri-bars - no; banning tri-bikes - yes.

    Tri-bars are okay providing the rider does not use them when near other participants - otherwise he/she would be a damn fool and not respectful of other riders' safety.

    Clearly a full TT bike would be not acceptable.It is probably quite correct that these are outlawed. And in any case, a rider using a full TT bike set-upwould probably require certification under Sect 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

    Whilst riding Paul Prince's Mad March Hare, I was rather bemused to see a rider on full TT bike including tubs. I wonder what he would have done in the case of a puncture :roll:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Riding a timetrial bike is a somewhat odd thing to use on a sportive.

    Banning tri-bars - no; banning tri-bikes - yes.

    Tri-bars are okay providing the rider does not use them when near other participants - otherwise he/she would be a damn fool and not respectful of other riders' safety.

    Clearly a full TT bike would be not acceptable.It is probably quite correct that these are outlawed. And in any case, a rider using a full TT bike set-upwould probably require certification under Sect 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

    Whilst riding Paul Prince's Mad March Hare, I was rather bemused to see a rider on full TT bike including tubs. I wonder what he would have done in the case of a puncture :roll:

    ummm... replaced it like anyone on tubs with a puncture would do?

    Why do people feel the need to ban things they don't like? A sportive is not a race, and if you feel the way somebody is riding is reckless or endangering you tell them or don't ride with them.

    let people ride adn wear what they want, it's their ride as much as yours.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    I have seen riders on full on TT bikes, and I admit not really a wise choice for a sportive. I spoke with one the other day riding a P3C in horrendous weather, he said it was his only bike currently, as he was waiting for his road bike to arrive.

    Was he a danger to other riders, well not really, he didn't use the extensions, and he could ride the bike on the base bar. It wasn't the best choice for sure, but he did 100+ miles on it.

    Some road bike riders will no doubt have tubs on, if they get a puncture they will replace the tub :wink:
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Banning tri-bars - no; banning tri-bikes - yes.

    Why would you ban TT bikes, but not the bars? That statement doesn't seem well thought out to me.
    I like bikes...

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  • Banning tri-bars - no; banning tri-bikes - yes.

    Why would you ban TT bikes, but not the bars? That statement doesn't seem well thought out to me.

    Yes, but I have to be grumpy about something! Otherwise I would have nothing to be grumpy about!

    Thought that I would dig out the proverbial wooden spoon. With the desired result :lol:
  • ....whilst on the topic about about 'unsuitable bikes' for events, this would take some beating.

    A few years ago, a guy rescued to a BMX from a skip, included an extended seat post and successfully rode the contraption on the 300km 'Elenith Audax', including 4,000m a of ascent. Now that was interesting.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    These are just the cycling equivalent of a fun run, I'd avoid trying too many rules.

    If you want a more standardised form of competition, complete with safety rules and an unwritten code of behaviour, get into road racing.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Cant quite see how you would ban tribikes or even tt bikes - unless you have an UCI inspector there with his tapemeasure to measure the angles.

    I'm fine with tribars on the bikes - just dont use them in a group. Then again - we've all seen the wanna be pros riding with arms draped over the bars using their invisible tribars.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Ban them all. If it even remotely looks like a TT anything. Those tri-people are a strange lot.
    Not suited for road riding. :wink:
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    cougie wrote:
    Cant quite see how you would ban tribikes or even tt bikes - unless you have an UCI inspector there with his tapemeasure to measure the angles.

    I'm fine with tribars on the bikes - just dont use them in a group. Then again - we've all seen the wanna be pros riding with arms draped over the bars using their invisible tribars.

    I apologise, but I saw Johan Museeuw do it once and man did he look cool.

    You'd only do it on the front into a headwind though, surely?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • kilo
    kilo Posts: 174
    cougie wrote:
    Then again - we've all seen the wanna be pros riding with arms draped over the bars using their invisible tribars.

    You've got me worried now, I was doing that on the Sunday stage of the Wessex, I thought it was just a good aero position when trying to make up some ground riding alone and now I discover I'm a wanna be pro. Do I have to start taking performance enhancing drugs, shift some body weight or even worse start training now :?

    On a more serious point, I saw a few people with tri bars, none seemed to be using them in the groups and I would see no reason to ban them
  • using tri-bars whilst group riding is dangerous and therefore in my view bikes with tribars should not be allowed on sportives where groups can easily and quickly form.

    i don't care if people say they're only going to use them when riding alone and not in groups, the risk is there and i don't want some guy who is the exception to the rule ploughing in to the back of me just because he couldn't reach his brakes in time.

    and by the way, unless you're doing a TT using tri-bars is "cheating" in my book.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    cougie wrote:
    Cant quite see how you would ban tribikes or even tt bikes - unless you have an UCI inspector there with his tapemeasure to measure the angles.

    I'm fine with tribars on the bikes - just dont use them in a group. Then again - we've all seen the wanna be pros riding with arms draped over the bars using their invisible tribars.

    I apologise, but I saw Johan Museeuw do it once and man did he look cool.

    You'd only do it on the front into a headwind though, surely?

    Sorry, but you don't do it at all. Particularly in races. The "hands on the handlebars"
    rule is for a very good reason. And when you see someone with their hands holding those Shimano shifter cables, well, that's wrong also. :wink:
  • kilo
    kilo Posts: 174
    u

    i don't care if people say they're only going to use them when riding alone and not in groups, the risk is there and i don't want some guy who is the exception to the rule ploughing in to the back of me just because he couldn't reach his brakes in time.

    .

    That's an interesting point I always thought tri bars were banned from road racing more because it was harder to control and steer the bike on tri bars rather than problems with reaching the brakes. I'd have though that the distance from tri bars on the top of the normal bars to the brake levers is shorter and more direct than from say the bottom of the drops to the levers.

    Also I imagine that anyone who will plow into the back of you whilst on tri bars is pretty much capable of doing the same from the drops, hence all the warnings of heads down riding killing the sport in TT'ing in the 80's


    With regard to draping your arms over the bars, it's quite funny to see edicts on the correct use of handlebars when riding alone in a sportive from the handlebar police , all these years riding and I never knew I was transgressing :wink:
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    kilo wrote:
    u

    i don't care if people say they're only going to use them when riding alone and not in groups, the risk is there and i don't want some guy who is the exception to the rule ploughing in to the back of me just because he couldn't reach his brakes in time.

    .

    That's an interesting point I always thought tri bars were banned from road racing more because it was harder to control and steer the bike on tri bars rather than problems with reaching the brakes. I'd have though that the distance from tri bars on the top of the normal bars to the brake levers is shorter and more direct than from say the bottom of the drops to the levers.

    Also I imagine that anyone who will plow into the back of you whilst on tri bars is pretty much capable of doing the same from the drops, hence all the warnings of heads down riding killing the sport in TT'ing in the 80's


    With regard to draping your arms over the bars, it's quite funny to see edicts on the correct use of handlebars when riding alone in a sportive from the handlebar police , all these years riding and I never knew I was transgressing :wink:

    TT bars are banned in mass start events because they can can become spears in a crash. In fact they are sort of spears. Don't know about you but the thought of myself going down and the tri bar guy behind me plowing into me just doesn't seem like anything
    I need to have happen to me. Bad enough to crash but then to get speared????
    As for the "funny.... handlebar police....", well, it's not about you. It's about me(so to speak). You're laying with your forearms resting on the bars, I come around you, you are
    slightly startled, you have no real control of your bike, you jerk slightly, veer toward me
    and down we go. Or picture not hearing a car come up on you and the *sshole driver
    blasting his horn at the last minute just to f*ck with you. Think that might startle you a bit.
    Hands on the bars-period. OK :wink::wink:
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    I've no problem with tri bars or TT bikes on a sportive. The more the merrier I say, its a fun ride after all. There's enough poor riding from people on ordinary bikes anyway, what do we do, ban them as well? I love to see all sorts on rides, the other week on the Suffolk Sunrise 100 there was a guy in full lycra riding a 90yo butchers bike! Fabulous!
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    and by the way, unless you're doing a TT using tri-bars is "cheating" in my book.

    How can you cheat on a NON COMPETITIVE ride, people take sportives far too seriously :shock:

    No sensible person would think of using them in a group, there is no point using them in a group anyhow, if you are in the middle you are out of the wind anyhow.

    How about this, some people might TT as well, and only have one bike, now should they have to take off the tri bars everytime they ride a sportive and them put them back on for a TT
  • How can you cheat on a NON COMPETITIVE ride, people take sportives far too seriously

    i take sportives and my training and safety very seriously. for me it is competitive. it's all about doing it in the fastest time possible, my placing in the field and beating last years time if it's one i've done before. i make no bones about that. if you want to do fun run rides, there's plenty of london to brighton type rides going on.

    now should they have to take off the tri bars everytime they ride a sportive and them put them back on for a TT

    yes. you have found the obvious solution. now, that wasn't so hard was it?
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    edited May 2009
    i take sportives and my training and safety very seriously. for me it is competitive. it's all about doing it in the fastest time possible, my placing in the field and beating last years time if it's one i've done before. i make no bones about that. if you want to do fun run rides, there's plenty of london to brighton type rides going on.

    Which are sportives......

    TBH, I think some of the "sportive crowd" are up themselves - sportives are not races and are just the cycling equivalent of fun runs...so I don't know why people have to take them so seriously.
    I like bikes...

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  • sportive crowd eh? i only think of myself as an individual. which "crowd" do you identify your petty tribal instincts with - the "racing crowd"? the "TT crowd". oo'er, i should be so 'umble to be honoured by a "proper" cyclist telling me what's what.

    so i'm up myself. who cares. you do what you wanna do, i'll do it my way. that's the beauty of it. i don't have to answer to anyone and i can do whatever the hell i want. peace. 8)