Time Trial Bikes Banned: Levelling The Field | GCN Tech Show Ep. 370

[@gcntech]

What do you think about Cycling Canada's decision? And do you agree with Josh's opinion? 👀

[@vincent_dumont]

my ramblings on this 1) Sport isnt fair. for example in cycling a person with longer legs will have a huge advantage. Dont get me started on differences in muscle fiber types. Only if you are a winner in the genetic lottery you can hope to play the game professionally/at the winnner ranks. 2) Unless you really define the bikes, ppl will take advantage of every little detail in the regulations to gain speed. If you can buy speed people will go out and buy speed. Fi Look at running. Supershoes. The shoes now define a 2% advantage over non supershoes. Everbody runs with a sort of pogostick under their feet. It delivers a 2 minute advantage on a marathon. And this is running which is not half as mechanised as cycling is.

[@schylerlewis8467]

Either define a full budget for the sport or introduce a setup like nascar. Josh is right and also the reason for most of the problems in the sport.

[@Hobbot72]

effing commies.

[@contactking]

Honestly, TT bikes are just dangerous in the ice and snow.

[@johnnyboy4711]

Right on by Canada with increase mass participation

[@IoanSaid]

For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on organizing a super accessible, low-cost bike race for young riders. Here’s the concept: you pay £5, and thanks to one of my local retailers, everyone races on the same bike. Just £5, same bike, 8 riders per race. This way, even kids who might not own a bike can participate. I believe this is one way to spot real talent and keep more young riders in the sport. It’s also about rebuilding the numbers-we all grew up in a time when bikes weren’t seen as a luxury, but somehow, that’s changed. I also think we should consider banning carbon bikes or components in Under-8, Under-10, and Under-12 racing. It’s not just about costs but ensuring that cycling stays fun and accessible for everyone, for as long as possible. Let’s make sure kids love the sport, grow their passion, and stay involved. Once they hit 16 and start moving into TDCs or RSRs, sure, things get more serious-that’s another story. But for now, let’s do everything we can to make racing about the joy of riding, not the size of someone’s budget.

[@wagj16]

Very nice idea!

[@PeacefulRallyCar-pw3cs]

The problem is that amateur races are run by volunteers. Restrictions on carbon bikes would require an inspection process with qualified personnel.

[@IoanSaid]

@@PeacefulRallyCar-pw3cs Doesn't take an expert to figure out if a bike/wheel/fork is carbon. Do it at the rollout. There are volunteers checking that already anyways.

[@PeacefulRallyCar-pw3cs]

@@IoanSaid at a 3rd tier club event it would be. Volunteers give up their weekend to help out, but many would not know the difference between formed al and carbon.

[@markbooth6745]

I think it's a great idea what they have done. Well done Canadian cycling. 👍

[@pavement_menace]

Agreed, even to Josh's point that the money will be spent else wear (wind tunnel) or more marginal gains. That's fine. Go after your 2-3w, but the huge 20-30w differences evaporate away which is great!

[@mmmbetter55]

No computers / No radios is definitely where I am. Leave it up to instinct and feeling, communication, wits, passion.

[@gcntech]

One-Way radios could be good for a general "course director" to provide safety information to all riders at once. Who knows where it will end up. It's why races like the Olympics are great to watch, no race-radios = riders racing, not a team director telling the riders what to do like a game of chess!

[@sssxxxttt]

I’ve always thought it unsportsmanlike having helicopters at Paris Dakar warning the drivers of hippopotamus beyond the next crest. In Sweden nobody knows if there’s a 700 kg elk traversing out of the woods. Keeps your eyes on the road and one foot on the brakes when speeding. So, no electronic gadgets is my preference

[@andrewszczplaylist]

@@gcntech Tour de Pologne- no radio, riders could disappear from the road and if not for luck, they would stay in ditch. Or below the climb, like in last junior world woman road race championships.

[@tristanowens3705]

​@gcntech it's been very interesting to hear this opion in from dudes in the past 6 months. Interesting that you mention worlds in the video but not here. Can you think of anything that happened at worlds this year where it might have been useful for a rider to be able to communicate over a radio?

[@andrewszczplaylist]

@@tristanowens3705 Well, death of Muriel Furrer during 2024 junior woman road championship, where she was found more than an hour after her crash(during Olimpics and WC radios are banned). Also there was an incident during tour de Pologne(UCI was testing radio limits nad bans as part of "SafeR"), where one rider was lucky that tv crew has spotted him in a ditch.

[@tychoMX]

Canadian here, from ON. Agreed with the decision. At the provincial level I witnessed - several years ago, when they made the now-struck violation on the 3:1 profile ratio on components - I saw a kid in the U-19 category being DQ'd from the Provincial Championship because the fork on his bike didn't have the UCI sticker. Kid was still allowed to race on the open (non-championship) event, but not eligible for the medals. Josh Porter has a point - the richer kids will still have access to better clothes, better coaches, more marginal gains, etc. But hopefully these are all the - marginal - and still allow for talented kids to show up without their families needing to remortgage their house. I do think that ProTour racing should fully be a showcase of the top tech in the event. Best designed bikes, best designed wheels and components. Love the evolution of the sport in that way, but shouldn't be enforced at the development level.

[@stiffjalopy4189]

I’m down to ban TT bikes for juniors, but not clear on why they would ban clip-on TT bars. A $50 set of clip-ons isn’t much of a barrier to entry compared to the several thousand $$ bike they need to compete.

[@Chrissummerill]

Because it’s safer.

[@theotheroneb1548]

Maybe it helps avoid blurring the lines between a road and tt bike. Only real difference is the base bar when you have clip ons. Just speculation though.

[@jaredrisok4231]

I find it stupid that they banned(as someone who is a Canadian junior who owns a tt bike) mainly because it makes people who want to focus on time trials or are not as good at them not be able to do much because the fast road riders will just win them all the time

[@billkallas1762]

Hey, Silca man. I've got a Silca Pista track pump, that I bought 40 years ago, that still works like new. Not the super pista, but the shorter one. I've only replaced the leather main gasket, once. and my chuck rubber gaskets last for years, because I use tubes and Tubs with threadless stems. I bought it on sale for $25, back then, in the dark ages.....Crazy great product.

[@gcntech]

This is so cool to read! We have people at GCN MegaBase with Silca pumps of a similar age too! Thanks for the comment!

[@billkallas1762]

@@gcntech Retro pump goes along with all my retro bikes and wheels. Two 7700, and one 7800. At one time, I had six bikes. Now, three road and one XT/XTR mountain.

[@sethgriffiths6539]

Notice now how they have to lift the speed up to 50km'h to take advantage of the exponential wind resistance to create a larger figure. One day it'll be "this is 8 watts faster than the previous model at 125km/h"

[@MrGarycoww]

Always good to see Josh make an appearance 😎

[@gcntech]

We totally agree, if we could get him back and have him talk about a specialist subject, what would it be?!

[@Pratalax]

my thoughts on computers/radios were cemented after last year's worlds where the radio message "has anyone seen Muriel?" could have saved a life.

[@J.Relford]

speaking of excessively high barriers to entry, see aviation. absolutely criminal. I like that they're instituting that limitation on the juniors. and for the kid who has the rich parents they can dangle that Factor Hanzo as a nice graduation gift, if the kid performs admirably and keeps their grades up.

[@adyjclarke]

I still think that is professional races, riders should choose one (type of) bike and ride that for the entire races, even for TTs

[@peterthomas8053]

Agree about juniors not using TT bikes. At the moment, 14th place on an inferior TT bike, could be a stronger rider than 1st place on the best tech TT bike. Therefore, that better 14th place rider, who never gets a top 5 place in TT races, could be missed as a potential future talent. Also agree about team radios only being used for race organizer info, but head units possibly being kept in rear pockets, just for TV info, most teams have access to TV footage anyway. So the team car could easily monitor info and advise riders anyway, which would generally defeat the object of keeping onfo hidden from riders..

[@MiataBRG]

TT bikes are pointless, I'd ban them in pro sport too. Why have them? If they give everyone a 40 watt advantage then there is no actual advantage. If everyone rides time trials on standard road bikes the playing field remains level. All TT bikes do is make things less comfortable and more expensive.

[@larrylem3582]

I imagine teams would be fine not buying and maintaining TT bikes and not hauling TT bikes, too.

[@e995a1ad]

More expensive yes, less comfortable no. If you try getting as aero as possible on a road bike, you'll be a lot less confortable than on a TT bike.

[@babygerald4645]

I like the idea of clip-on bars and a disc wheel like the old '89 Tour de France. The same road frame just adapted to a time trial would make for a lot of savings across the pro teams. Dropping radios and computers is a nice twist to go completely old school. Finding myself aligning with Josh's sensibilities- chrome-polish components and Klein and Serotta name drops-- their bikes were prized back in the day.

[@gcntech]

What about Fignon’s double disc wheels in 89! Many say that they, and the lack of aero helmet lost him the Tour!

[@babygerald4645]

​@@gcntech That pony-tail must have cost him at least 8 seconds.

[@overcookit1433]

Just remember: In 2000, UCI banned special TT bikes like the Lotus or the Pinarello (the one that Bjarne Riis threw in a field due to shifting problems) to avoid high-priced special constructions; from that time, TT bikes had to be based on the "old-fashioned" diamond-sceme. Nowadays, a Lotus type 110 seems like a bargain against the newest TT-bikes.

[@gcntech]

The ban was partly to "preserve the aesthetics" of cycling too, as well as keep costs down. But since then, we've all seen the £50k superbikes ridden by Team GB/Japan at the Olympics - and arguably these bikes are quicker than a Lotus/Pinarello/Hotta etc. One thing is certain, if it means younger riders stay in cycling - it's all good by us! Thanks for a great comment and taking us down memory lane 👍 p.s. Let us know if you see a Lotus for sale cheap, Jon Cannings fancies one for his collection 😉

[@josephreilman8527]

That bargain you speak of is actually priceless history. Like buying a vintage guitar

[@tertiaryeel2066]

Week 96 of asking for a "The UCI has no jurisdiction here" t-shirt

[@gcntech]

we are nearly there.... nearly...

[@izi941]

Week 95 of you being annoying.

[@stephenp2843]

​@@gcntechAfter the water bottle fiasco..... I'll believe it when I see it 😂

[@gcntech]

@@stephenp2843haha. We thought you’d all forgotten about that

[@stephenp2843]

@@gcntech we may forgive, but we never forget

[@tommyrq180]

Portner is fantastic. He knows the industry, the tech, the people. He’s been around at the highest level, behind the scenes, for a long time. His podcast series on the history of wind tunnels for cycling was fantastic. 😊

[@gcntech]

We are always very excited when Josh arrives, we know we’re guaranteed a good chat from a guy who really knows his stuff!

[@H457ur]

I don’t see a problem with TT bikes at the pro level. What I want to see is something to address the problem at the Olympics. Either a “stock” TT bike that everyone rides, or some other scheme to level the playing field. It really bugs me to see talented African riders from poor countries get annihilated because they don’t have skinsuits, aero helmets, and decent bikes. It’s even worse on the track… when was the last time that a poor country even medalled?

[@johndarendra1927]

I totally agree with you

[@brendonsmith5029]

I agree with the ban on time trial bikes for juniors. My son rides in a school race series here in NZ and some of the kids have $10000 plus bikes. It all seems to be a bit of an arms race. His bike was $900 and he raced in C grade last year, mostly against boys 1 year older than him. It should not be about the bike but how you ride it.

[@johndarendra1927]

Tell him to keep at it. I was still racing C grade on the road in my club and winning gold medals in state track pursuits, then in road time trials.

[@lightningll2991]

I've been saying for years to get rid of radios and computers and bring the racing back to the riders instead of the race directors racing, this will force the riders to make their own decisions a lot more. But they can still go back to the team car for advice like in the old days since they go to the car for bottles/ food anyways.

[@jgrotland]

I am all for banning TT bikes for juniors, but race radios in pro/elite pelotons are a safety factor.

[@Dhungerf60]

I absolutely love when Josh is on the channel

[@JoanShaffer]

Love it when you have Josh as a guest.

[@gcntech]

He is great to have! He loves to chat about what we love most - Bike Tech!

[@mysho6317]

While the question of banning radios & computers in Pro racing is being asked, what can be done to improve SAFETY to eliminate the possibility of a rider "disappearing" during a race like the young Swiss woman who was killed at the 2024 UCI World Championships (where radios are banned) - what about a Tracking chip & sensors around the course that would detect when & maybe even where a rider might have left the course. There have been other crashes where riders are not visible from the road.🤔

[@mikewood9514]

i got into cycling when i was a teen. managed to get a cheap bike. joined a club and rode with guys who were riding very expensive bikes. i was told i had potential by a few older riders. some who were ex pros. the problem is that sponsorships were given to the riders who had better equipment already. thanks to having money. so it was an uphill battle. i eventually had to stop riding as there was no help from club or sponsors. certain sports money does help.

[@Matthewrollinson80]

Personally I stopped competing in time trials because I couldn't afford the latest and greatest bike. I had a 15 year old eBay bargain, and although I did well, i was definitely giving away a lot of time on this old bike. Im going to race some TTs this season on my non aero road bike, just for myself, for my own progression. So i think it's definitely something to look at, and the more adoption of good good fashioned road bike TTs, the better for our sport! Time trialing is now a spending competition as much as it is a sporting pursuit.

[@gcntech]

That’s the way to think of it, doing it for your own progress. Not to compare against others 👍

[@PoulHansenDK]

Set a maximum price for a bike and make it compulsory for any winner to sell their bike at that price.

[@Bike4Coffee-Cake]

Great show! I’d love to trial no radios - give the break-away a much better chance!!

[@foldupaudi7645]

They should do that in the USA. Be a shame to lose a potential talent because the bikes are unaffordable

[@Philatlondon1]

I'd ban 2nd bikes in cyclocross for U18.

[@gcntech]

Would it also be to level the playing field? Or something else? 🤔

[@67tamustang83]

Looking at it feom a different angle that more tech and more money makes it even more exciting. Could you imagine the 89 tour if there wasn't LeMond showing up with aero bars and aero helmet. Arguably the most exciting stage ever, and all due to technology. When everyone has race radios, the most aero bikes and equipment it pushes for someone to completely think put of the box and come up someone new that helps racers win. That is exciting to me. Computers, radios and the best tech sure doesn't make Pogacar's racing style lackluster.

[@mikeainsworth4504]

@11.56 cranks level ✅ valves aligned ✅ in biggy/almost small ❌ gubbins in bottle cages ❌ quirky angle ❌ It’s only a nice

[@gcntech]

We applaud the scrutiny!

[@d-rdrd8069]

100% agree about no computers or radios. I've been saying it for years, but I'm not an expert 😂

[@1FeetHappy]

car cross rules, you have to sell if you are offered a fixed price after each race

[@888jhs]

I have a couple of Campy Record cranksets from late 80s and early 90s hanging around as well some tubular wheels with Record hubs from that era. Happy to share with you if you want to restore them for a future retro projects.

[@mightbeanybody]

Wind tunnels weren't a thing for me when I started but then neither was lycra, it was all woollen shorts!

[@gcntech]

Thankfully we no longer have the woollen shorts, wet riding was quite something in those!

[@matthewbaynham6286]

I think there should be a category for bikes with round metal tubes and races can have a jersey for this category of bike. So all the top teams can continue to race on their aero carbon frames going for the overall race win, and the teams with smaller budgets will have a different jersey they race for in the same race. The smaller teams can also get a little bit more publicity because they of the other jersey and they will be able to run on a smaller budget.

[@dalerasche8769]

Mondia did fantastic fades back in the 1960's and '70's

[@CoolGrey7Man]

Oh I see why Josh is there, he's brought a sticker for Ollie, I thought he was going to announce that they are going to be dropping their Silca expensive prices.

[@billyshakespeare17]

It appears the correct answer is to have a class for road bikes. Keep the TT bikes, just add a category. I hate seeing things being removed when the anser is to add. Canada seems to be making a short sighted decision.

[@johnnyboy4711]

Positive move by Canada,allows more juniors to take part

[@erichouck9487]

Being in Colorado and not far from Boulder it is crazy the money spent on bikes for the juniors, most are nicer than I can afford. So I agree with Canada it helps even out the playing field. Also where can I send in a bike picture?

[@lovemesomedetail]

thank god Ollie and Josh just nice‘d that last Trek Emonda!

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

JOSH IS IN DA HOUSE LET’S GOOOOOO

[@gcntech]

Ring the bell!!!!

[@craigmcallahan]

Marginal gains race is played out in many sports. Swimming for example.....there are clearly benefits to materials used to improve buoyancy and ease to move through water etc...those suits cost an arm and a leg.....where does one draw the line? There are running shoes that are very expensive and provide gains. I love the science and tech to constantly see improvements just like I love trying to dial in a nutrition plan or a training plan. It cost more to get proper training, get educated on nutrition and so on....if one wants to compete at the highest levels there is a cost.....I am okay with that. The list of sports and hobbies is long that have a financial bar to clear before one can participate at a high level. (Golf, fencing, equestrian sports, and many more) Living in a nanny culture trying to make everyone equal is rather boring and takes away a great deal of motivation to excel, strive and succeed. Even trying to find funding to get the gear needed is a positive trait that will serve one well as they get on with life.

[@SOHF_Triathlon]

A triathlete as the thumbnail? Classic.

[@mnswamp]

Getting rid of TT bikes does help cut the 'arms race'. How about outlawing 'conehead' helmets? Yes, the rich parents will still invest in super frames, oversize ceramic jockey pulleys, 36mm handlebars, etc. But the gains are marginal, and the kid still has to race the bike. I disagree on radios in team events. It's a team - they should be able to communicate within the team. And if everyone has a race radio, the Comms should have a supervisory channel to communicate hazards with everyone.

[@DanielCarvajalino-d1e]

No computer, no radios, only character!

[@smithpauld1501]

I’d like to hear Josh expand on why he’s not a fan of 9, 10 and even 11 cogs. I have a guess, but when I guess, I’m usually wrong.

[@hutchy_4297]

They need to ban aero road bikes and disc brakes if they want the world tour to be safer!

[@Outsideville]

I support the ban on tri bikes for the youths. As for the pros, I like Ollie's adjustments to Josh's tech bans.

[@newhorizons.english]

Josh = instant like

[@wazzup105]

I agree on making cycling more accessible. But true talent will always come out on top. Hell, they could even go for a stint as a ski-jumper or work in a fish-factory....

[@Andy_ATB]

The amount of money, R&D spent on TT equipment for use in very few races makes no sense. Ban TT equipment and use road bikes......

[@terryhollands2794]

I agree, no computers or radios.

[@peterjanovcik9973]

Similarly to Cycling Canada, our high rise building's admin is considering banning bicycles in the lift while installing a pointless screen in the said lift to advertise products we don't need. In a nutshell, more computers, less bicycles.

[@gcntech]

That's definitely not levelling the playing field 🙈 Hopefully a compromise is met there

[@ryshort7255]

That new Mantra saddle is fine and all but did they really kill off the superior shaped Mantra for this? Disappointing.

[@space.youtube]

The reason GCN has NOT produced a "The UCI has no jurisdiction here" t-shirt is because it's not true. GCN is just as influenced by the UCI as it is by manufacturers, "sponsors" and advertisers. Edit: Sure, ban TT bikes for juniors to keep cost of entry lower, but banning TT bikes in the peloton is the wrong approach. I've been saying for years that every pro tour rider riding a stage race should be limited to 2 bikes, 1 road bike and a TT bike. Let teams and manufacturers decide what road bike characteristics they prioritise. They can still have an aero bike and a climbing bike but they have to choose one to pair with their TT bike in any multi stage race. As far as race radios, they are needed for rider safety, taking them away is a knee jerk reaction that throws the baby out with the bath water. And it makes life in the peloton unnecessarily more difficult for riders and support staff. So what if there's a tactical benefit to be gleaned by race radios, everyone enjoys the advantage so the playing field is level. Power meters on the other hand should be banned. This has been my position since the "skybot days".

[@peterknight9873]

For safety reason radios.. No Comms with team cars one riders.. Only when collecting water bottles and food from team cars same as the old days.. Will give the breakaways a better chance to survive and make more entertaining viewing.. Computers should have the basics no GPS data... I would like to see more rider cams with mics... to see more from inside the peloton and hear what is being said.. Also not allowing changing to a different style bike or gear ratio with ITT... The bike style you start with is the same style you finish with (Road to Road / TT to TT etc..).. No Comms with support car in ITT allowed in TTT..... Let it be the race of truth...

[@johnandrus3901]

I agree with getting rid of the computers and just get back to pure racing. I think that the riders pay more attention to them than the road, much of the time. Would they have made Merckx or Hinault any better? Nope. As long as the bike is equipped with a device to transmit data to the team, that is all that is needed. The radios, I'm not sure of. The need to communicate back and forth is a good thing. Maybe it should be limited to only necessary information, like safety issues. That's the way I look at it.

[@WalterDill-d9j]

No chalk bike either - love all the other suggestions. The Olympics races were the best of the year. Eliminate teams too - make it individual like golf or tennis. The smaller teams of the Olympics were better too.

[@mikerondelli5287]

I am confused by the comment that 2x has the same range; I think that depends on the range of the rear mech. For my 11speed ultegra has an 11/51 but with a 2x. So I would think I have a larger range as I can run the 50/11 to the 51/36 so I should have a broader range. What am I misunderstanding?

[@luismartinez4606]

No tt bikes no computers but yes to radios

[@deborahscheers6662]

Ollie are you watching Danny Fairbrass??? #Gettinn!!

[@Gabepedaler]

In agreement with Josh. No computers and radios! Especially radios. If you need an example of why thisshouldd be implemented how about the first 3 stages of the TDU. BORING! as they let a few riders dangle at the front and keep them close. For the next 3 or so hours. Only worth watching the last 20k/half hour of the stage.

[@paulallan1032]

Brown vs bronze... Rootbeer.👍

[@benoitbvg2888]

Yo Josh, I've been trying to order tire sealant from your website for a week but it's still 404...

[@philipaddyman7402]

Pathetic: so the Canadian juniors go to the Worlds, can't ride TT bike, get bad results, can't put themselves in the global shop window?

[@dwayneellis7176]

yes, something to think about the challenge when Canadian juniors ride worlds

[@ross__mcl]

ill never make it to the vault. 20 weeks and counting :(

[@larrylem3582]

Wattshop has an undersaddle computer mount, haha

[@markvanlintel]

Ollie with the bike vault.. Don't lean your bike against anything!! Ollie in tech show.. Leans freshly painted bike against metal tool box 😂😂

[@bobfoster687]

Are junior gears still a thing?

[@gcntech]

They are no longer a thing, in the UK at least 👍

[@arthurnunesc]

how's the audio so bad?

[@escgoogle3865]

TT bikes are the F1 of cycling. Only teams which race the WT should be required to have them.

[@MiataBRG]

There's no point in TT bikes, they give everyone the same relative advantage, thus there is no actual advantage.

[@aaronedgeart]

JOSH!!!!!!!!!!

[@neilmdon]

what are those adam hanson’s cranks at 190?!

[@gcntech]

He used some Zipp cranks for a long time, and combined with his mid foot cleat position Adam has some really interesting thoughts on bike setup

[@neilmdon]

@@gcntech yea I know - the cranks on Ollie's retro bike just look really long to me. Having had a few pedal strike disasters, those give me the heebie jeebies (in addition to running counter to modern 140 mm crank trends...)

[@lwittrock1]

Canada's decision is short sighted and it it takes business away from Bike renters. The rental bikes are a great idea, affordable and gives youth a chance to train and race on TT bikes.

[@gcntech]

That's an interesting point there!

[@cyclingwatercolours]

It's all in the Legs...

[@PeacefulRallyCar-pw3cs]

Arms race....is that a pun?

[@brandon6322175]

#TeamBrown 🤎

[@tonycrabtree3416]

Just say you want to hurt cycling competition even more...

[@AlexdaCunha]

Click bait is an euphemism in this case...

[@porkyparry1]

I know that every pro footballer in the world is among the best in the world. Skiing no. f1 no. yachting no. cycling no.

[@jackjackcohen6018]

Calling cycling an “arms race” seems a bit ironic

[@gcntech]

Legs race 🤔

[@mikewood9514]

that battaglin!!!!

[@gcntech]

so lovely isn't it?!

[@EvandroAugustoPunteldeOliveira]

TOPÉTE NA SITUAÇÃO!!! 🤔🤔🤔

[@richardstoner866]

I wonder how many times…cool…is said…🙄

[@LegSpinna]

I gave up after 5 mins. Like....like......like......like........like........

[@davidanness6180]

TT bikes should be banned for safety reasons

[@markvanlintel]

Sooooo much agree with Josh.. Don't care about the computer.. But no radio would be perfect.. I expect better racing

[@markvanlintel]

Also no chalk boards 😊

[@HighQ165]

So you love the government telling children what kind of bicycle they can ride. Amazing! Why stop there? Regulate how far they can ride every day to make things more equal. Regulate skins suits too, and their nutrition. Maybe that will help everyone be equal. Absolutely amazing!

[@spishco]

Clickbait title!

[@mcilvain5142]

Actually now I miss the cut-aways during Bike Vault -- Ollie's Deadpan Face, etc. What about a middle ground?

[@gcntech]

Maybe a small floating head of Ollie?

[@DPbike]

To me equipment isn't a 'barrier to entry" but it certainly may decide who wins, and who gets noticed. It might be better to add 'time handicaps' for pieces of equipment, for example a time trial frame, aero bars set up, disc wheels, skin suits, aero helmets etc. Whilst it might be difficult to standardise these handicaps, such a system might remove most of the advantages gained by expensive kit, and allow psychological motivation for those who can't afford some or all of the marginal and not so marginal gains!

[@gcntech]

Great idea! Handicapped races are some of the most fun and many of the GCN presenters took part in these during their younger years, there was always a nod to a great organised who made the races so close at the end. It would/could be tricky in a TT, but fun to see nonetheless