Commissaire report

[JM]

All,

I attended the annual commissaire meeting on saturday and a number of topics were discussed that have relevance for us all. However I cannot post in club announcements section so will put here in Road and hope you all see it at some stage.

1. Wheels for junior races

This is an area of hot debate due to prevalence of carbon wrapped alloy wheels as juniors are not alloyed to race on carbon rims. Basic guidance to all is that where a commissaire believes the wheel to be a carbon rim the junior will not be allowed to race on the wheels. A few people have asked why carbon rims can't be used in junior races - it is as much a question of affordability and keeping a level playing field for all competitors as it is safety at the junior level.

2. Wheels more generally

If a commissaire believes the wheels being raced on are not safe due to construction method the onus is on the rider to show that the wheels are on the UCI approved list, ie, we are not experts on the UCI approved wheel lists. Moreover it is important to remember that in the event of an accident where it is subsequently found that the rider was not on approved wheels the rider is wholly liable and your insurance will be impacted.

3. Helmets

Everyone will be across the news that a new standard 2063/2008 is coming in shortly and replaces the old 2063/1996 standard. CA have decided that helmets with either standard will be acceptable for racing.

Apparently a number of overseas laboratories have also achieved certification to Australian standards and helmets purchased overseas may be acceptable for racing in Australia where they bear the 2063/2008 standard in the helmet sticker. It is importannt to note that the sticker will not look like the Australian version with ticks down one side - and the risk is yours when you purchase the helmet that it will have the right standard identified inside the helmet. But thought it worth passing on.

Also for some individual events, time trials mainly non-Australian standard helmets may be acceptable but I ecourage you to check before making any purchases.

4. Track bikes with a pointed nose cone

Some of you will have seen (Avanti make one) a track bike that has a pointy front end. This is not considered (at the moment) a faring (for a number of technical reasons, ie, 3:1 rule etc) and therefore acceptable for racing on the track.

There was also some discussion re time trial bars for juniors, et al. and as long as the arms are horizontal some discretion will be applied.

Cheers James