| Subject: | Junior gears |
| Date: | 12/18/2000 12:26 AM |
| From: | Pete Beall |
|
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01C06908.1713C3C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Once again, junior gearing is a royal pain: http://www.geocities.com/beallcycle/gear/index.html 1.. You can't simply pick a set of gears and assume that ratio will = work with your bike; rims and tires may put a combination acceptable on = one bike over the restriction for another bike. 2.. The modifications are expensive. You do have to buy chain rings or = cog sets and spacers, etc. 3.. As a retired orthop=E6dic surgeon I can say that there is no = evidence that big gears hurt growing children. I wrote a letter to the = USCF several years ago suggesting the abandonment of gear restrictions = and heavily footnoted this statement with references to the orthop=E6dic = literature. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of that letter on my = machine. 4.. The rollout before the race is a courtesy, the rollout after the = race determines if your kid complied with the restriction. If you take a = wheel from the pit or from support and that wheel puts you over, you DQ. = And there is every imaginable combination of ways parents try to meet = the restriction. I am out of this; Rusty and Allison are safe as a senior and U-23. This = is from a dad who at one point had a boy and a girl racing at the same = time:=20 a.. Senior unrestricted b.. Male USCF restricted, blocked gears (long screw) for local races c.. Male USCF restricted, mechanical block for nationals d.. Male UCI mechanical block for Olympic Festival [UCI and USCF = restrictions were different] e.. Female USCF restricted, blocked gears (long screw) for local = races f.. Female USCF restricted, mechanical block for nationals g.. Female UCI mechanical block for Olympic Festival [UCI and USCF = restrictions were different] This also from a dad who DQ'ed his own son at the 1994 junior national = road race in Snoqualmie by putting on the wrong wheel. Pete Beall http://www.members.home.net/petebeall/switch.html ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01C06908.1713C3C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#0000ff><FONT = color=3D#000000></FONT> <P class=3DMsoNormal>Once again, junior gearing is a royal pain:</P> <P class=3DMsoNormal><SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-tab-count: = 1"> =20 </SPAN><A=20 href=3D"http://www.geocities.com/beallcycle/gear/index.html">http://www.g= eocities.com/beallcycle/gear/index.html</A></P> <OL style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=3D1> <LI class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: = list .5in">You=20 can’t simply pick a set of gears and assume that ratio will work = with your=20 bike; rims and tires may put a combination acceptable on one bike over = the=20 restriction for another bike.</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: = list .5in">The=20 modifications are expensive. You <EM>do</EM> have to buy chain rings = or cog=20 sets and spacers, etc.</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: = list .5in">As=20 a retired orthop<SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-family: = Arial">=E6</SPAN>dic surgeon=20 I can say that there is no evidence that big gears hurt growing = children. I=20 wrote a letter to the USCF several years ago suggesting the = abandonment of=20 gear restrictions and heavily footnoted this statement with references = to the=20 orthop<SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">=E6</SPAN>dic = literature.=20 Unfortunately, I don’t have a copy of that letter on my = machine.</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: = list .5in">The=20 rollout before the race is a courtesy, the rollout after the race = determines=20 if your kid complied with the restriction. If you take a wheel from = the pit or=20 from support and that wheel puts you over, you DQ. And there is every=20 imaginable combination of ways parents try to meet the = restriction.</LI></OL> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in">I am out of this; = Rusty and=20 Allison are safe as a senior and U-23. This is from a dad who at one = point had a=20 boy and a girl racing at the same time: </P> <OL style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=3D1 start=3D4> <UL style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=3Ddisc> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Senior=20 unrestricted</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Male USCF=20 restricted, blocked gears (long screw) for local races</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Male USCF=20 restricted, mechanical block for nationals</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Male UCI = mechanical=20 block for Olympic Festival [UCI and USCF restrictions were = different]</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Female = USCF=20 restricted, blocked gears (long screw) for local races</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Female = USCF=20 restricted, mechanical block for nationals</LI> <LI class=3DMsoNormal=20 style=3D"mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in">Female UCI = mechanical block for Olympic Festival [UCI and USCF restrictions = were=20 different]</LI></UL></OL> <P class=3DMsoBodyTextIndent>This also from a dad who DQ’ed his = own son at the=20 1994 junior national road race in Snoqualmie by putting on the wrong = wheel.</P> <P class=3DMsoBodyTextIndent style=3D"TEXT-INDENT: 0in">Pete = Beall</P></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#0000ff><A=20 href=3D"http://www.members.home.net/petebeall/switch.html">http://www.mem= bers.home.net/petebeall/switch.html</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01C06908.1713C3C0-- |
