The background to a recent decision to allow riders to race with bicycles fitted with disc brakes after they were banned in June last year has been provided.
A fortnight ago Cycling SA announced that road cyclists were again permitted to use disk brakes.
After disk brake usage for road cyclists were banned last year, Cycling SA has explained that the change of policy to allow it again came after they received permission from the UCI to do so. Photo: Karin SChermbrucker/Slingshot Media/Gallo Images)
Cycling SA road director Bosseau Boshoff said the change of policy to allow disk brakes came after they received permission from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) management committee to do so.
“Last year the UCI banned them [disk brakes] in all UCI categories,” he told In the Bunch. “Then this year, they [UCI] threw it open to each federation to make the decision to allow them or not.
“We [Cycling SA] decided it is technology that is here to stay and we would allow it by still following the guidelines within the UCI.
“It won’t be allowed in the junior bunches, but in all of the other categories it will.”
Boshoff felt the use of disk brakes would see an upward trend over the next few years.
“For now, only some riders may consider upgrading their brakes,” he said. “But I think once the hype has blown over everyone will have disk brakes within the next few years.
“They will look back and sort of forget the old braking system.”
Boshoff believes the braking upgrades will mainly serve a safety purpose in training rather than during races.
“When riding alone [during training], riders would obviously be able to brake better to avoid traffic or any other dangers.
“In racing it will be less significant because, regardless of how strong your brakes are, you would still need to brake at the same pace and sharpness as the rider in front of you.”
