British Triathlon have been operating full gearing restrictions in all their tarmac races both draft legal and non-drafting events for all TS2, TS3 and Youths from 2017.
The South West Series Policy
From 2017 all TS2, TS3 and Youth triathletes competing as a British Triathlon Home Nations member and registered to the South West Region are to adhere to the BTF rules on restricted gears for all drafting and non-drafting races. Please note this does not apply to TS1 or grass based races. Mountain bikes with off road tyres will not be required to be gear restricted.
Anyone refusing to make the restrictions will be allowed to race but WILL NOT be allocated series points and will not receive prizes, titles or placings in Championship races.
All SWS athletes will be subject to gear restriction checks. Athletes must bring their bikes to the ‘Bike Roll Out Area’ led by the TESW JSO & TSO for their bikes to be checked before they race. Sufficient time must be allowed for this and it is suggested no later than 30 mins before transition closes.
At the start of the season all bikes will be checked and a sticker will be allocated to confirm the check has been made and adheres to the gear restriction guidelines and only then will you be allowed to enter transition with your bike. Please ensure this sticker remains on your bike for the remaining races in 2020.
The top 3 finishers of each race may be checked following their race to ensure the bike remains compliant. Points will not be allocated to those non-compliant.
As the season progresses all newly registered athletes will be checked in addition to spot checks being put in place to alleviate the need to test all bikes at every event but once again the top 3 finishers may be checked. The only exception to this will be Bowood where all bikes will be checked before entering transition.
During Roll Out
There will be no time for any mechanics or gearing changes to be done during roll out testing. Should a bike fail it can be retested but the TSO will not be available to make on the day changes for gearing non-compliance. Adjustments will cause unnecessary delays to the race and should have been dealt with before race day. However, if someone experiences an unforeseen mechanical issue but not gearing issue then the TSO will do what he can to assist.
Please note
The BTF guidelines have been made available to everyone on the SWS website from 2015.
Gearing restrictions prevent the bike being ridden on the very hardest gears, in some cases an adjustment of the front or rear derailleur is all that is needed, in other cases a different rear cassette or chainring may need to be fitted, a good bike shop should be able to make the changes but check that they have the knowledge and gearing tables beforehand. There are a number of parents and coaches within the South West who can help, if you want further advice or assistance please contact Roger Martindale the TESW TSO, through the JSO at sw.juniorseries@britishtriathlon.org who will continue to assist with any work to ensure all registered SWS triathletes are compliant.
