Frames and forks currently need not be officially approved
The start of the elite men's race at the opening round of the Cyprus Sunshine Cup. (Image credit: Orange Monkey Pro Cycling Team)
Mountain bike industry manufacturers do not have to worry about the new frame and fork approval process introduced by the UCI for 2011 because the new program does not presently include mountain bikes.
"The program doesn't apply to mountain biking, and there are no near or mid-term plans to include it," UCI Spokesperson Enrico Carpani told Cyclingnews.
"The reason is due to the specificity of the different disciplines, which has to be considered in different way." It's easy to imagine how regulations might have to differ for cross country, four cross and downhill bikes.
The program is a bid by the UCI to ensure that new road and cyclo-cross frames and forks conform to UCI regulations before they undergo production. Manufacturers have to apply for a label of approval certifying that their frames and forks comply with the UCI's equipment regulations.
Earlier this week, the UCI notified manufacturers that it was modifying the new approval program to take into account remarks from manufacturers at a recent meeting with the UCI. The international cycling governing body simplified the approval procedures for some equipment and reduced their overall cost.
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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
