USA Cycling: No ban on helmet cams or juniors’ use of carbon wheels or tubulars

If you are a junior road racer, next year you will be allowed to line up for a road time trial with carbon tubular wheels, a sleeveless shirt, and a helmet cam. If you are a girl, you can even race against the boys at your state championships (but if you win, you won’t get a medal). And — and we know this may be hard for some — there will be no texting during the race.

Those are some of the results of a meeting of the USCF Board of Trustees in Colorado Springs, Colorado, earlier this month.

The board considered rules proposed by USA Cycling staff and others. It created (with just weeks to spare) a singlespeed cyclocross national championship category that will be used at the national cyclocross championships next month in Bend, Oregon. Category 1-3 racers are allowed to enter.

But the board rejected a proposal to ban juniors from using tubular tires and carbon wheels and the sponsor of a proposed ban on helmet cameras in races withdrew the idea before the meeting.

Some of the rule changes:

• Riders may wear sleeveless jerseys in time trial events.
• The use of “radios, telephones and other such communication devices” is now specifically banned during racing for all categories.
• Women may not enter men’s races at national championships. They may enter men’s races at state championships, but are not eligible for medals.
• Stage race rules and instructions are no longer referred to as a “Race Bible” in the rule book. They are now “Technical Guides.”
• Cat 1/2 master women can race with master men up to 10 years older and Cat. 3/4 master women can race with master men up to 20 years older.
• The women’s Cat. 4 field limit has been increased from 50 to 75.
• Chip timing can now be used for rider identification.
• A new “Identity Fraud” rule means that if you are caught allowing someone to enter a race using your license, you will be suspended for a year.
• The cyclocross field limit is 100 unless specified by the race organizer or official.
• The junior international-style omnium, a masters scratch race and women’s 45+ team pursuit have been added to track nationals.
• Clubs can have multiple teams, including discipline-specific teams.
• To race a UCI road race, a man must be Cat. 1, a woman has to be Cat. 1 or 2.
• The rules for cyclocross obstacles were clarified and tightened as USAC adopted new ‘cross rules released by the UCI in August:
  • Obstacles can’t make up more than 10 percent of a course
  • Obstacles can’t require a step higher than 40cm
  • Artificial sandpits must be between 40 and 80 meters long, must be on a straight part of the course and be at the same level as the course — no drop-in or step up. These rules do not apply to natural sandpits.
  • The upper limit on barriers remains 40cm, but lower barriers are now permitted. Barriers can now be 4 to 6 meters apart (previously 4 meters was the rule).