32, 33, 34 It's all in a number.

Well,  our Euro-trash friends at the UCI continue in their quest to make sure that racing bicycles is as inaccessable and "serious" as possible.   As most of you know,  as part of this years pronouncements from the mount,  the demi-gods of bizzare rulemaking have decreed that a 33mm wide cyclocross tire is "fair" but a tire with a width of 34mm is "cheating".  The "justification" for this nonsese is far more baffling.  According to UCI, “The intent was to reduce the amount of equipment that many riders feel they must bring in order to be competitive.”  Is this Sven's Fault?

Check out this online article from Cyclocross magazine.  Baffling is about all I can think after reading it.  I particularly am fond of this line from the article

"Sven Nys was once quoted as saying that 34mm mud tires make any technical section, such as the slippery Koppenbergcross descent, child’s play"  

Is it just me,  or am I out to lunch in thinking that 2mm of tire width really makes THAT much difference?  from a technical nightmare to child's play? Really?  So,  if I follow the UCI's logic here,  since tubular cyclocross tires would be considered superior in performance to clincher tires,  allowing mere mortals like us dopes here in Colorado to ride bumpy dirt,  and thus would then force people to buy and bring more tires to remain "competitive",  would it not make more sense to ban tubulars?  Clinchers for all!   Then we could start in on Carbon rims,  maybe even aluminum rims.   MAYBE the UCI will be happy if we are all on wooden rims and non-pneumatic tires.  THAT would be fair.  Meanwhile,  on the outside chance that I beat any of you this year,  it will be because of me rolling on my illegal rubber,  flaunting the rules with wild abandon.  (unless it's muddy,  and I break out the new 32mm Cubus (Cubus-es??),  once I get them glued up...)

Glad they are here to help me bring less equipment by trying to make me get rid of several hundred dollars worth of almost new rubber & replace it,  IF you can find any 32mm tires now.  Upside is should be some deals on 34 mm tires coming up!  That sure helps,  thanks guys!

Thank god the ACA just plain ignored this mess.  anyone going to a UCI race or Nationals probably better get out the calipers,  as I am sure there will be "tire inspections" much like the OLD days of mountian bike racing,  where each bike was checked after the race for the stickers put on the bike & wheels before the race.  What fun.  Glad they are there to help us out.  (Really,  this means nothing to us low-life mid-pack-recreational guys,  but it still seems silly at best.)

Back to my other favorite Rant subject,  now that I have lured more of you people here with the race videos,  think I'll open the Call Up poll again.  Bigger sample sizes are important.  So if you have not voted,  hit the button.  See you all on Saturday at Xilinx.  Watch out for the big rubber.