Originally Posted by
Doge
I care about rules that are arbitrarily enforced, not how many, or how few. USAC does not have too many IMO. I do wonder why they need paperwork each and every race.
As to this issue it is black and white.
For USAC, if athletes are going head to head, the junior is restricted, the adult is not.
Strava allows competitors to use the same equipment, while USAC does not.
I posted this has no effect on my kid, and pretty much never did. I can think of 1% of his races where it mattered. I learned about it because of my kid, that is all. The readings into my motivation or world view are a distraction.
Strava allows equal competitions for all ages with regard to equipment (and drugs) where USAC does not.
Yes, and that freedom you champion in your last line is exactly what you also hate about it (your whole rant about e-bikes and whatnot). You're trading a well-defined equipment restriction you hate for a lack of restriction you appear to also not like, with a side dose of
everything else being unrestricted as well, if only by utter lack of enforcement. Strava allows (functionally) motor vehicles to compete with bicycles to compete with e-bikes and runners. Dopers to compete with clean athletes. And "digitalEPO". And someone else riding with your Garmin. All with zero consequences other than your ride getting flagged so you have to do it better next time.
For something that doesn't affect your kid, you are
awfully emotionally invested in this.