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From: Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Getting old is not for sissies
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2025 08:49:27 -0500
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On 3/3/2025 7:47 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
> Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> On 3/3/2025 2:07 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>> On Mon, 3 Mar 2025 11:09:15 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 3/1/2025 4:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 13:55:50 -0500, Frank Krygowski
>>>>> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 3/1/2025 1:22 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>>>>>> On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 07:43:22 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 2/28/2025 5:52 PM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I was thinking about fixies just the other day on my ride and thought
>>>>>>>>> maybe I could set up a fixie on the Catrike. Then I considered how
>>>>>>>>> often I coast. Keeping my legs moving the whole ride is not something
>>>>>>>>> I want to do.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I thought about your comment this morning.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> While almost everything humans can imagine is possible when
>>>>>>>> time and money have no value, there's no practical
>>>>>>>> straightforward way to make a Catrike fixed gear.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hardly straightforward, but certainly possible.  Remove the gears,
>>>>>>> chain and sprockets and replace them with a hydraulic gear pump, two
>>>>>>> hydraulic hoses, and a hydraulic motor on the wheels.  This is nothing
>>>>>>> new.  There are motor vehicles and construction equipment that use a
>>>>>>> hydraulic pump at the engine, T junction, and a hydraulic motor on
>>>>>>> each wheel.
>>>>>
>>>>>> IIRC, hydrostatic transmissions are standard features on zero turn
>>>>>> mowers. But as you noted, the mechanical efficiency is lousy. That's not
>>>>>> a concern if you have a big enough engine and low enough use hours. It's
>>>>>> a huge concern for a cyclist.
>>>>>
>>>>> True, but the huge concern is mostly for racing.  If you're using the
>>>>> bicycle as a moving exercise machine, the added weight and increased
>>>>> friction might even be considered beneficial.  It's like the weights
>>>>> on barbells where light weight is not a concern.  For competitive
>>>>> fixie racing, maybe the governing organization should specify a
>>>>> minimum allowable bicycle weight, which might inspire technical
>>>>> innovation instead of shaving grams off the bicycle weight.
>>>>
>>>> The UCI weight limit of 6.8 Kg applies to all types of bikes, track
>>>> bikes (aka fixies) included
>>>
>>> I assume that applies only to UCI sanctioned bicycle races.
>>
>> Specifically for UCI races, yes, but the vast majority of national
>> sanctioning bodies follow UCI rules even in races that aren't UCI
>> sanctioned. In the US, the sanctioning body is USACycling (USAC) If a
>> race is however a UCI race, it must follow UCI rules and UCI rules will
>> take precedence even if the race is being administered by USAC.
>>
>> For non-UCI races sanctioned by USAC, there is no weight limit for any
>> kind of bike. In fact the actual equipment requirements for regular
>> bicycle types are surprisingly sparse, only covering just over two pages.
>>
>> https://assets.usacycling.org/prod/documents/USACycling_RuleBook_7_2024.pdf
>>
>> Pages 28 - 31
> 
> Uk hill climb competition is definitely non UCI with bikes being few KG
> lighter 6ish they do now require helmets and lights though they just have
> to exist, the lights at least! And do still get some very weight focused
> bits of kit, ie ridiculous light disk rotas etc that like the bling rim
> brakes previously worked but not well but where light and reassuring
> expensive and well fun bits of kit.

And similarly here in the northeast US we have the BUMPS series.

https://bumpshillclimb.com/

There is no weight limit but the bike must be "road legal".

>>
>> I have seen situations where someone raises an issue referring to UCI
>> rules, and the answer from the official is "this isn't a UCI race".
>>
>>> Oddly, I haven't seen any bicycle-like exercise machines being sold on
>>> the basis of them being light weight.  Probably the same for moving
>>> bicycle-like exercise machines (i.e. trainers).
>>>
>>> Note:  The discussion was initially about adapting fixie technology to
>>> a tricycle (Catrike).  Andrew commented:
>>>
>>> "While almost everything humans can imagine is possible when
>>> time and money have no value, there's no practical
>>> straightforward way to make a Catrike fixed gear."
>>>
>>> I then provided a possible solution using hydraulics and mentioned
>>> that weight would be "a huge concern, especially in racing".  From
>>> that point on, the comments assumed that such a hydraulic drive train
>>> would be used on racing bicycles and that it would not be a good idea
>>> because if would be unsuitable for racing.  It might be best if we
>>> simply not consider racing to be a suitable use for a hydraulic fixie
>>> bicycle.
>>
>> I probably should have clarified, the 6.8 Kg weight limit for UCI is a
>> _minimum_ weight. If one felt the need to ride a 30 pound walmart bike
>> in a UCI race, there wouldn't be any rule against it as long as all the
>> other mechanical requirements are met.
>>
> 
> Roger Merriman
> 


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