Track Cycling - History of NJS

just wondering if anyone knows when the "NJS" status was first given to frames and parts. how long has it been around? i posted in SSFG to, but figured i should ask here

Wikipedia doesn't have that much info but it does say that the NJS certification for equipment was introduced in 1957: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_Jitensha_Shinkokai

The parimutuel act that created keirin betting was passed in 1956, and as part of the act (and earlier that year) all the rules and standards were adopted. By and large, they came from a trip that Japanese officials made to the World Track Championships and to CONI (the Italian national cycling federation). They basically translated the CONI training manual and all the framebuilding and design materials they got from CONI (often preserving the original illustrations) and inserted their own parimutuel betting program over one single event that they had been racing for a while but on an informal basis. Parimutuel keirin went through a few transformations, mostly as patterns of cheating were identified. Riders originally could come and go at will, but were then required to be isolated in living facilities at the track for several days so they couldn't bet on their races or aid anyone trying to place odds or tinker with the betting. I believe it was in 1964 that they were first tested for drugs (basically after Tom Simpson's death on the Ventoux garnered such publicity, but also after a couple keirin racers died of heart problems related to excessive amphetamine use). The track infrastructure continued to expand because as betting got to such large figures, there were concerns about whether riders were bringing in training equipment, etc. to help them do better. Now they all ride the same big funky rollers to warm up and there are managers who basically boss them onto the rollers to warm up, then send them out to the track to race, then ... and so on.

There are major changes afoot, with approvals to adopt carbon disc wheels, carbon fiber monocoque frames, and newer equipment overall. They realized that they basically locked in 1950's Italian framebuilding and equipment choices with their original rules. This is also to gain greater interest in parimutuel keirin outside Japan and give their racers more opportunities to race outside Japan, as well as to get a broader range of foreign racers into Japan (although those who actually get admitted to parimutuel Japanese racing will tell you that right now, it's very hard to get invited and the discrimination against European or American riders is very high).

I've said it before 11.4, but I'll say it again, I'm always blown away by how much you know about keirin. Thanks for sharing it. Ever thought of writing a book?

We miss you over at SS/FG, 11.4. Your knowledge was one of the few things holding that forum together.