Velo Birmingham anyone applying?

[mjr]

The aero-bars/tri-bars etc is a safety thing . . . and fixed is deemed to be a safety issue too (although often waived if the bike has brakes front and rear) - makes sense to me.

Makes little sense because it's not a race and those cycles could be set off in their own waves and so on, so mixing with other types is limited. Especially tri bikes ride in small bunches in ITU events without loads of carnage, similarly recumbents in their events (I forget their federation's/union's name).

These restrictions aren't based on safety, but more about imitating the look of races, which encourages fakey racing by people who can't really do it and thereby crashes. Such sportive rules are a safety problem themselves. If the organisers cared about safety, there would be more marshals and bans handed out to dangerous riders.

 

[Stonechat]

Here's the latest farce. Under Section 6.8 of the Event T&Cs, Velo Birmingham forbid the use of certain triathlon equipment. This includes aero bars, tri-bars, disc wheels and saddle bottles but there is no explanation of why. In addition, fixed gear and single-speed bikes are also forbidden. #fail

It's not that uncommon for sportives to ban tri bars and tt bikes. They just want people to have access to brakes at all times, it makes sense when there are lots of cyclists

 

[Dogtrousers]

I can see the logic for not allowing tri bars. (Hands to brakes). Whether it's entirely valid I don't know, but it seems sensible on the face of things.

I've always found the bans on 'bents & trikes and restrictions on tandems harder to fathom. I've ridden on group rides along with trikes (upright and recumbent), tandems (upright and semi recumbent) and 2 wheel recumbents (high and low) and never seen anything at all to made me think there may be a safety issue. It seems like jobsworth killjoyism.

There may be something of a speed differential, with bents and tandems rocketing on the flat and downhill, and the bents struggling and spinning uphill, but that differential will be smaller than the differential between fast and slow riders on upright two-wheelers, or between different types of (non-banned) uprights: a 6kg racing machine vs a hefty hybrid or Dutch bike.

A ban on SS uprights is just daft.

 

[ianrauk]

bents struggling and spinning uphill

You've never seen Mr Arallsopp or BentMikey going up hill I guess.

 

[Milkfloat]

SS bikes are not banned, they just need to have brakes. The ban on tri-bars seems perfectly fair to me, the majority of riders will have no experience of large group riding. I see no ban on tandems, but have not looked in detail. However, I agree the bent ban is odd, I do love patting the riders on their head as I pass

 

[Dogtrousers]

SS bikes are not banned, they just need to have brakes. The ban on tri-bars seems perfectly fair to me, the majority of riders will have no experience of large group riding. I see no ban on tandems, but have not looked in detail. However, I agree the bent ban is odd, I do love patting the riders on their head as I pass

Do you actually expect me to know what I'm on about instead of just waffling on? Goodness. You are a hard task master. Very grudgingly I've gone and done a bit of research, and looked at the "banned list" from Ride London, Velo Wales and Velo Brum.

The list of banned things varies slightly between these events, but all clearly have similar wording and thus probably the same origin. Ride London is the most enlightened.

It turns out that tandem restrictions are mainly procedural (eg how many fees have to be paid, only one ballot win per tandem required). So my memory was at fault there.
Wales and Brum explicitly ban recumbents. London allows recumbents (but not full faired ones)
Only Brum explicitly bans tricycles. London explicitly allows tricycles.
Wales & Brum explicitly ban fixed wheel. London allows with two brakes.
Everyone bans bikes with only one brake (leg braking not included)
Everyone bans TT bikes (handlbar extensions)
Everyone bans disc wheels
Everyone bans "penny farthings", unicycles & electric assist.
London explicitly bans handcycles. The others probably haven't heard of them.

So yeah. It's the ban on 'bents which is odd. It doesn't seem to have any basis, and they are allowed at Ride London.

There's also a pdf from Ride London explaining their rationale. London seem to be winning this one, with the provinces a bit behind the times. As ever (ducks)

 

[mjr]

There may be something of a speed differential, with bents and tandems rocketing on the flat and downhill, and the bents struggling and spinning uphill, but that differential will be smaller than the differential between fast and slow riders on upright two-wheelers, or between different types of (non-banned) uprights: a 6kg racing machine vs a hefty hybrid or Dutch bike.

Exactly, but look at most of the publicity for these events and you won't see many Dutch bikes or hefty hybrids because it's all about trying to look like a race. OK if you're only slightly disabled and can pass off as a racer, but not if you need to use an e-bike or recumbent. If you're not a wannabe-racer, the VB website thinks you must be a child with a teddy bear on the front, or at least a dork in a hi-viz tabard.

The e-bike ban seems equally odd - some of them even look like racing bikes.

 

[fimm]

The elite triathletes who race in bunches are only allowed very short tri bars.
If you race triathlon as an amateur then you can ride any kind of bike but you are not allowed to draft; those of us who take our sport way too seriously tend to have TT bikes or at least aero bars. These are hazardous in crashes and make bike handling more difficult and so it is usual that they are not allowed in mass start rides (though I'm sure I saw a photo of someone on a TT bike at Ride London?)

(I'm only on this thread because my other half was expressing an interest. He paid £60 for the Tour of the Borders closed roads sportif and enjoyed the experience.)

 

[ukbikes]

On reflection, I can now see the logic of not allowing TT equipment.

 

[ukbikes]

In regard to price, it doesn't matter what we think - they've sold out within four days of going on-sale!

 

[mjr]

In regard to price, it doesn't matter what we think - they've sold out within four days of going on-sale!

They should have run a ballot to give people who couldn't spend ages fighting a crashing website this week a fair chance.

 

[tobykenobi]

So it did sell out. Friend and I pre-registered and then dropped out due to the price.

Closed roads looked tempting but it's not as if there's a shortage of rides in the area that cost less than half that. In fact, the route goes close to my home so I may obtain the route and use/adapt it myself. (Not on the same day as that would be cheeky!)

 

[ukbikes]

I've created an unofficial Velo Birmingham GPX/TCX route from the official route map if you wanted to join in ;-)

 

[juniorshysheep]

I have an entry but have now discovered that it clashes with a 2 day charity event locally in the North of Scotland. Despite it being over 9 months away I can't cancel only transfer my entry, much to my dismay! I was also daft enough to go for a fast track entry, if anyone is interested in my place, please let me know, best offer secures!

 

[Racing roadkill]

The risk assessment that the organisers have had put in place has become harsher since the f***wittery in the ride London, over the past two years. The aero bar / tri bar ban is officially because any bicycle that can't be controlled under all circumstances ( including bunch riding) fails, as does any bike without a functioning front and rear brake. The ban on 'bents, is purely due to lack of full visibility in a close bunch, on narrower parts of the course ( including unsighted stopping due to mechanical issues ).