# UCI rules - saddle nose behind the centre of BB?



## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

Hi everyone

I do not compete at all, I am just a fitness road rider but I am interested in UCI rules of professional cycling that riders of Tour De France must obide by.

I read someplace (cant find the source) that there is a rule that nose of the saddle must be a certain distance behind the bottom bracket centre. Is there such a rule? How far behind? Why does such a rule exist?

It makes not a lot of sense to me - there are saddles like Fizik Arione which are 30cm long and saddles like SelleSMP Strike and others which are much shorter, ~27-28cm long i.e. 20-30mm length difference yet the rider sits on the rear end of them all.

Example: I have Arione which is 30cm long and its nose is ~45mm (4.5cm) behind the BB centre in my case. Does it mean my position is UCI illegal? I find moving my saddle back even 10mm more (-55mm) causes me back pain. I guess I will never win a grand tour! 8^)


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## mh3 (Mar 8, 2006)

The UCI rules can be found here. Part 1 covers rules regarding road and track bike compliance. 

As for the minimun saddle set back.. See section 1.3.013


I really can't give you the basis for some rules. Some honestly make sense, but others seem like they just pulled them out of.. well you know.


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## Bianchi67 (Oct 16, 2005)

Saddle must be a least 5cm behind BB, 1.3.012.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/ucirules.html

This rule is usually applied to TT bikes. Most or so Tri bikes put the seat in front of the BB which is illegal in UCI events. But not many races in the US fall under the UCI and their rules.


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## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

*yep, UCI and sense, oxymoron*

Thanks.

I just read the rule 1.3.013 and I see they do make exceptions based on ancient, unproven, and now largely abandoned KOPS rule. Excellent job UCI! Doh! What weed are they smoking? Did anyone review these rules for compliance with modern times? I recall a photo on www.cyclingnews.com where one professional rider had his Fizik Arione nose circumsized so he could pass the UCI 5cm rule. Brilliant!

-----------------------------------------------
(1) The distances mentioned in footnote (1) to articles 1.3.013 and 1.3.016 above may be reduced
where that is necessary for morphological reasons. By morphological reasons should be understood
everything to do with the size and limb length of the rider.
Any rider who, for these reasons, considers that he needs to use a bicycle of lesser dimensions than
those given shall inform the commissaires' panel to that effect when presenting his licence. In that
case, the panel may conduct the following test. Using a plumb-line, they shall check to see whether,
when pedalling, the point of the rider's knee when at its foremost position passes beyond a vertical
line passing through the pedal spindle (see diagram «Measurements (2)»).


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## mh3 (Mar 8, 2006)

To make it even more fun for the riders and teams to comply. In the interest of rider safety, the UCI passed a rule last year that made it illegal to cut off or otherwise alter equipment. To get around it the saddle manufacturers where giving the teams factory shortened saddles with the stitching redone to make it look good. Teams were also sweating it since most of them file off the lawyer lugs from the fork ends to expedite wheel changes, and that would violate the rule as well. 

It never ends.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Have any of you seen the movie "The flying scotsman" - (racing biography of Graham Obree)? .... It shines a very dark light on UCI's rules!


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