"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Disc covers illegal?

I heard that having a disc wheel cover (just the cover, not a real disc wheel) is now illegal. Is this true?

I have heard that too. That's pretty stupid. For Pcad they should make getting towed by a pace car legal just level the playing field with Dr. W.

They are illegal under UCI rules for sure, which is only a concern if you're racing in UCI-sanctioned and governed races.

As for USCF, I'm not 100% sure but I think they are only illegal in national-level events.

I'm so much better at Google than you. Page 25. 1J1b (http://www.usacycling.org/forms/RdTrkCx_rulebook.pdf):

(b) There may be no protective shield, fairing, or other
device on any part of the bicycle, which has the effect of
reducing air resistance except that spoke covers may be used

:D

I'm so much better at Google than you.

But not good enough.
See 1B1(b), 1J1(e), 7A4

TBRA said they were fine for races in TN. Maybe other associations are different, but I doubt it.

But not good enough.
See 1B1(b), 1J1(e), 7A4

FYI, to everyone who doesn't want to look it up, these are the Nationals-type events that are held under UCI.


Hell, I'm not sure how to even qualify for those events.

Hell, I'm not sure how to even qualify for those events.

You would start by not sucking. That leaves me out.

how much are they, who makes them?

You can get them from wheelbuilder.com cut to your wheels specs and delivered for about a hundy.

Apparently 99% of the aeroness of a real disk and 5-10% of the cost.

how much are they, who makes them?

$80. Wheelbuilder.com. For me it was something like 1/30th the cost for a Ptap disc, seeing as I had the Ptap wheel already.

FYI, to everyone who doesn't want to look it up, these are the Nationals-type events that are held under UCI.


Hell, I'm not sure how to even qualify for those events.

Actually, they are for nationals, records or elite level events where the promoter chooses to implement UCI rules with at least 60 days notice. In theory, masters are excluded, but someone could let you know two months ahead of a time trial that UCI rules will apply for the cat 1-5 elite men, and we would have to suck it up.

$80. Wheelbuilder.com. For me it was something like 1/30th the cost for a Ptap disc, seeing as I had the Ptap wheel already.

Same route that I went and for the same reason. I've been pretty satisfied with mine so far although the plastic fasteners make me a little nervous......but look much cooler than the aluminum fasteners also included.

An outfit named J-Disc made them for a while for regular wheels.

Basically a mylar reinforced heat shrink sheet, with some super strong adhesive/tape on the rim and on some hub "discs". Enveloped the wheel in a disk. Heat shrink and it tightened up like a drum.

Works best if you have a deeper profile rim, aluminum or carbon.

The guy in my helmet cam clips uses one. He must be recreating these things on his own because the wheels disappeared a long time ago.

I think other wheels which are faired but not officially faired are Mavics, Bontragers, whatever ones where the spokes are anchored in a separate rim and protrude through the "fairing" in that offset to each side manner. They're okay but I don't know why, to me they're just faired wheels.

cdr

So... I'm going to summarize this thread:

wheel covers are great, unless you're almost a pro, _at which point_ you can shell out your hard-earned cash for a disc.

-bullseye

For intents and purposes, yes.