What is "Flat"? The Huge Saddle Debate

Bike seat positions are important for two reasons: 1) To ensure comfort to the rider and 2) to give the rider an aerodynamic advantage. And yes, while the guidelines have always said that the saddle must be flat, as long as they were "flattish" no one seemed to care...until the Team Time Trial, in Stage 2 of this year's Tour de France. Two team managers got fined for their riders not having perfectly flat seats...some were as little as 2mm off! This became a controvery; as Cadel Evans points out below, its the same thing as speeding, some cops let you go 10mph over the posted limit, while some will bust you for 5mph over.

Blazing saddles: Row erupts over rider positions in TTT(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/blazing-saddles-row-erupts-over-rider-positions-in-ttt)

Johan Bruyneel (RadioShack) and Bradley McGee (Saxo Bank SunGard) drew the ire of race officials at the start line of the Tour de France's second stage, the team time trial around Les Essarts on Sunday.

Bruyneel and McGee were both on the end of fines for "improper conduct towards officials in the zone where the bikes were being checked," organisers said, and each hit with a penalty of 200 Swiss francs.

The UCI said that teams had been warned last month that saddles should be parallel to the ground for time trials (as per UCI rule 1.3.012). Tempers flared on Sunday given the belief that the rule that was not previously strictly enforced and UCI commissaires were 'suddenly' putting equipment under the microscope on race day. The idea being that with a slight tilt of the saddle nose of the saddle towards the ground, the rider is provided with better lumbar support while they can also push a bigger gear.

"Before it just had to be 'flattish', now it has to be perfectly flat to the ground," BMC Racing chief mechanic, Ian Sherburne told news agency Reuters. "They were insisting that the saddle be perfectly level which isn't how the rules had been interpreted. They're deciding to enforce the rule in a different way, right now."

BMC team leader, Cadel Evans described the situation as "nearly ridiculous".

"I suppose it compares with speeding motorists; on an Italian freeway the police tolerate 20-30km/h over the limit," the Australian said on his website. "In Australia they tolerate 2-3km/h over the limit. Today it was out with the spirit level to check that everyone seats were 'horizontal' as the rules state. Check any seat with a scoop or channel in the back and that rule has a wide grey area of interpretation, a lot more that can be measured with a spirit level anyway."

" I try to set up my bike as much as I can within the position rules without loosing [sic] too much of the very aerodynamic advantage that we work so hard to achieve, always in anticipation of how the rule maybe interpreted," Evans continued. "We only had to move the nose of my seat 2mm upward, just a little more unhealthy and uncomfortable."

Bruyneel was frustrated by the timing of the action from race officials, saying that the action: "led to an unprofessional spectacle in front of everyone to see - An embarrassment for our sport," on his personal blog.

"... riders have been using this exact same position throughout the year (most recently at the Dauphiné Liberé and Tour de Suisse TT). Now imagine yourself as a rider - you have been using this position in races and training (and previously/several times the position has been approved by UCI commissaires as suitable). You then show up to the biggest race in the world and are told that the same position you have been using is now illegal!!"

And of course, after the team managers had been fined, there was an outcry, so the UCI had to fire back:

UCI fire back on saddle issue(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-fire-back-on-saddle-issue)

The UCI has reacted angrily to criticism from riders and teams following yesterday's team time trial at the Tour de France.

Johan Bruyneel and Bradley McGee were both slapped with fines from the sport's governing body for "improper conduct towards officials in the zone where the bikes were being checked."

The dispute relates to UCI regulation 1.3.014 which dictates the position of saddles. A number of unsavoury scenes erupted before the time trial but according to a UCI spokesperson teams had been given a number of chances to make sure that their equipment met the needed standards.

"If there's an element of unprofessional behaviour it's not coming from the UCI but from the teams. Once again it's disappointing because it's a very simple rule that must be respected. There's no other function of the UCI rule book than to lay down the rules that must be respected," the UCI spokesperson told Cyclingnews.

"The UCI can't accept the behaviour of certain people like Mr Buyneel who have been fined for their behaviour.

"Before the Dauphine the teams were informed by the new rules. We had a member of the UCI at the Dauphine who was at their disposal if they wanted clarity over the rules. After the Dauphine he returned. No teams talked to him at the race so he sent them a letter saying that the rules would be enforced at the Tour. We then reminded the teams again at the teams' meeting before the Tour."

Bruyneel was frustrated by the timing of the action from race officials, saying that the action "led to an unprofessional spectacle in front of everyone to see – An embarrassment for our sport," on his personal blog.

And so, the Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels (or AIGCP) got involved and pretty much said that the UCI was wrong because they should have been clearer with the rules prior to this specific race.
 

AIGCP weighs in on UCI saddle regulations(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/aigcp-weighs-in-on-uci-saddle-regulations)

The AIGCP (Association International des Groupes Cyclistes Professionels) has added their voice to the continued dispute over saddle regulations. The argument erupted during the team trial on stage 2 of the Tour de France. The UCI had deemed a number of saddle positions to be against their regulations and a number of fines were handed out after teams began to dispute the jury at the race.

In a statement released Saturday, the AICGP stated: “The continued goal of the AIGCP is to have productive relationship with the UCI. Our hope remains that the UCI will recognize our voice in matters such as the saddle inspection issue. With that said, the AIGCP members would like to make a few important points about saddle inspection.”

The body went on to make three points, arguing that the rules laid down by the UCI were not defined and the “measurements taken are not reliable or repeatable” with the instrument used to measure saddles not accurate. They also argue that trying to enforce riders to adhere to using flat saddles raises risks relating to prostate health and comfort, putting forward that a + or – 5 degree guideline could be a solution.

The final point raised was over the way in which the UCI have implemented the rule change. The governing body contacted Cyclingnews after the initial dispute, telling the website that teams had been notified of the rule change before the Dauphine in June and that they had been given the chance to meet with the UCI’s commissars at the race in order to avoid and clear up any confusion.

However the AIGCP countered this: “The UCI has had all year to make these inspections and did not do so. Waiting until the start of the Tour de France, when riders have been riding in the same position all year, was counterproductive. This should have and could have happened earlier in the season.  And, waiting until the biggest race in the world, on the world’s stage, does nothing to further the image of sport we all love.”

The UCI and AIGCP have clashed over a number of issues this year, most notably race radios and this is the latest episode to arise, stemming from a lack of both guidance and fair council within the sport.

  Funny, once this came out about the AIGCP essentially putting their foot down, we haven't heard about this issue anymore. Probably because UCI knew they were in the wrong. But of course, there will be another issue arising soon...