The latest in the motorised doping saga: Typhoon Bikes

[tombeej]

You have summarised life in just that line 

 

Ja exactly. I was toying with that last line a bit - trying to decide how I'd word it. Another way of saying it could have been, "Money can buy you talent".

[Frosty]

E-bikes per se are not the problem. But making e-bikes look exactly like high end racing bikes - with no identification at all - is another story.

 

A very easy thing for the UCI to do is pass a law that all e-bikes need to have very clear identification on the frames so that we all know what they are and that people can't just pitch up to a race and pretend they are something they are not.

 

Honest people who just want an e-bike for commuting or social rides shouldn't have any problem having their bike clearly identified as one.

 

But that still doesn't change the fact that we are soon going to have many of these in our local amateur racing bunches (esp. vets) and we won't have any clue because there is no way the race organisers are going to be able to police this issue.

 

So if you're not talented enough or fit enough, you can still crush the field if you're wealthy enough.

A race organiser is not obligated to check or police for cheats. That is why SAIDS exists, and they need to include mechanical doping in their mandate. Problem is that they don't have enough funds to test everyone, so it will eventually become another problem.

[Bateleur1]

A race organiser is not obligated to check or police for cheats. That is why SAIDS exists, and they need to include mechanical doping in their mandate. Problem is that they don't have enough funds to test everyone, so it will eventually become another problem.

 

In my opinion it should not be such a difficult thing to check.  Yes the costs involved in getting the equipment to check for mechanical doping might be a challenge.  But looking at the SA racing scene. Standard checking of the podium finishers can be done easily and then having a centralised database system with a bit of logic involved can flag any of the top (20, 50, pick a number) category finishers that has had radical performance improvements and check them as well.

[javadude]

E-bikes per se are not the problem. But making e-bikes look exactly like high end racing bikes - with no identification at all - is another story.

 

A very easy thing for the UCI to do is pass a law that all e-bikes need to have very clear identification on the frames so that we all know what they are and that people can't just pitch up to a race and pretend they are something they are not.

 

Honest people who just want an e-bike for commuting or social rides shouldn't have any problem having their bike clearly identified as one.

 

But that still doesn't change the fact that we are soon going to have many of these in our local amateur racing bunches (esp. vets) and we won't have any clue because there is no way the race organisers are going to be able to police this issue.

 

So if you're not talented enough or fit enough, you can still crush the field if you're wealthy enough.

Seriously? That's like saying all electric cars have to look like a Prius. I'm keen on an electric bike for commuting, but not if its going to make me look like a granny going to the shops. I want my electric bike to look like a Colnago C60. I couldn't give a crap about the sport side of it, I gave up on that years ago. Pro sports is as credible as the tik industry in the cape flats, whether it's drugs, electric motors, or mini jets stuck up their backsides, if there's a way to cheat, they are going to cheat. That's a guarantee.

[Malpiet]

Actually think you would see quite a few in the 40-50 age group and not the Pros.

Lol,these vets are so naughty

[Bonus]

Lol,these vets are so naughty

 

 

Spoke to a bike shop owner in the UK a few years ago about a £4000 TT bike he had for sale. I said I bet you don't sell many of those! He said "1 a week, to 50 year old business men who are looking for something new to prove"