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Merida Scultura Disc launch 2016 - 11.jpgFrench sportive disc brake ban leaves British riders and tour operators struggling to react
Earlier this week, the French Cycling Federation (FFC) took the decision to ban disc brakes in French sportives. Events such as La Marmotte and L’Etape du Tour are hugely popular with British riders and many participants will now find that their bikes are no longer permitted.
The ban has understandably proven problematic for cycle tour operators focusing on such events.
La Fuga have written to their customers on the Etape and Marmotte to ensure they are all informed of the change, but a spokesman said that they themselves had been reliant on the cycling press to stay abreast of developments thus far.
“We have been able to solve some issues by offering customers our rental bikes. Also, most of our customers have multiple bikes and so are able to swap which bike they bring. However, some of them are really stuck as to what to do as they have amazing, custom-made disc brake bikes and are now unsure of what to do given that they are booked onto the trips. We've also had no communication from the organisers and have been left to deal with this by reading about it in the cycling press.”
Fran Ventoso: Disc brakes should never have been allowed in peloton
Le Domestique Tours have also been arranging replacement bikes for a number of their customers, but the firm’s director, Robert Cartledge, points out that it’s a tricky situation for the sportives too. He believes the ruling has been imposed by the FFC due to insurance requirements, giving organisers little option but to implement it.
“The FFC and Marmotte organisers are, we understand, discussing whether a compromise solution can be reached and they plan to provide an update next week."
Cartledge adds that the situation is particularly galling for cyclists who have invested heavily in bikes which have quite suddenly been deemed unacceptable.
"The ban is proving incredibly frustrating and while we understand safety concerns trump everything, it does seem like a knee jerk reaction with little evidence to back it up. We have been in conversations with several guests whose sole road bike is disc equipped and they are rightly concerned, having spent their money on bikes that have had their use approval withdrawn overnight.”
We’ve not yet heard of any British sportives changing their rules however. Human Race, who have teamed up with ASO to bring a French flavour to some of their sportives told us: “This is a French Federal Bureau decision affecting only certain events on French soil governed by the FFC. Human Race events in the UK, specifically Dragon Ride L’Etape Wales by Le Tour de France and ICAP L’Etape London by Le Tour de France, will not be impacted.”
Prudential RideLondon Event Director Hugh Brasher said: "Safety is our priority and we continually review equipment that is permitted in our non-competitive cycling events. Currently we don’t have any plans to ban the use of disc brakes for our mass participation cycling events.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- eburtthebike 1 sec ago
At the end of the consultation in May 2025, a decision will be taken.........
- Grahamd 24 min 10 sec ago
The absurdity of it deepens when you realise that those points were acquired by the age of 26.
- ktache 33 min 25 sec ago
They've gone crazy over the past month.
- David9694 1 hour 58 min ago
BAM!
- IanGlasgow 2 hours 34 min ago
"Polartec Power Shield RPM fabric – which has a 10,000mm hydro head to keep wet weather out, and an industry-leading breathability spec of 30,000g...
- mdavidford 3 hours 37 min ago
Oxfordshire councils are quite capable of letting you down too!...
- levestane 3 hours 52 min ago
'each spoke' (single) and 'leaf spring' (made of many leaves) seems contradictory.
- PenLaw 4 hours 43 min ago
I guess Morrissey could claim it.
- wtjs 5 hours 9 min ago
I do see a lot of delivery riders (on illegal e-motorbikes) with their faces covered...
- David9694 5 hours 49 min ago
Stuff like this seems more relevant than ever after the Trump victory. sorry not a funny
Add new comment
13 comments
Hey, la Marmotte isn't closed roads, how about flash mobbing it for free
Probably be able to get some bike companies to sponsor!
Total overreaction. Disc braked bikes are safer ...fullstop, although I certainly don't mind rim brakes either. I have bikes with both braking options. There are so many other aspects of cycling, cyles and eventualities that are potentially more dangerous -
1 the ground (this can hurt - I've tried it a few times)
2 roadside furniture
3 other traffic (including other cyclists)
4 functional spokes, chainrings, pedals (everybody must have had a few scrapes and cuts of these highly dangerous bike parts)
5 breakages - frames, seatposts, wheels, handlebars (I had a set break a month ago)
Disc brakes are probably the least of anyones problems and offer more advantage than disadvantage.
We take cyclists to France and have just started doing weekends for sportives & races (www.lavieenvelo.com, by the way!!!) and there are plenty of disc braked bikes being loaded into our trailer in the UK (10-15%?) which is only likely to increase given the conversations we are listening to. France (if I can generalise) tends to love a big statement rule, but often sense settles in after the initial furore.
As someone has already stated this will relate to the insurance companies, who are obviously driven by the bottom line (not the bottom bracket), so tour companies and event organisers need to explain to them the implications to numbers of riders - or 'customers', to be weighed against the evidence of real risk (which, IMHO, seems slim).
Hopefully, this will turn out to be an orage dans un tasse de thé.
I have some sympathy with anyone who's bought a disc bike but as has already been said thats not many people.
I ride with two clubs and see hundreds of riders and can think of only two bikes, one a cx which the guy also uses as a commuter and one winter synapse both owners have other bikes.
I'm sure the ban will only be a priblem for a very small number of people and easily ovecome, once they get over themselves.
Sportives are for twats anyway. If you want to ride up a mountain, just go. Don't make a drama out of it and pretend you're a racer. It's much more fun if you don't have hundreds of other people all around you.
Must have been a good night out.
Are you going to edit that in the cold light of day while nursing a headache?
The real question is how long until Specialized, Giant, etc, start suing governing bodies and take them to court for hurting sales?
The manufacturers invested heavily to force new tech upon consumers in a money grab opportunity, and now it's backfiring.
This whole fiasco sure is fun to watch! Grab on lads, this will be a fun ride!
Well I've got both my road bikes disc-equipped, having made that decision some years ago when I first tried discs out. The only rim brakes left are on my 1968 Sun Mass Start Truwell (centre-pull Weinmanns if you're interested). That's the vintage bike to be clear, aka old-fashioned. Adoption of discs was as clear cut as any transport decision I ever made eg seat belts, electronic ignition, ABS, LED lights to name but a few. It's worse than making a mountain out of a molehill: it's pure Luddism, with the French adding a touch of the hysterical (some might say plus ca change). Get over it les gars.
Hmmm I remember a guy cooking his discs pre marmotte last year on the way down alpe d'Huez before the start. I wouldn't want no brakes going down there!
sounds like a good call imo
I'll counter your straw man nonsense and raise you "any hill in the rain with rim brakes".
Sounds like a load of narrow minded petty hysterical horseshit.
Both, before you ask.
That's surprising because on the roads round where I am, I see disc road bikes all the time now. At consumer level they're really coming through.
Write them a letter asking them to provide a bike or reimburse your costs.
I have a Giant Defy with disc brakes, I signed up to the Marmotte earlier last year, all my travel and accomodation is paid for and I have been training since, regardless of your thoughts about disc brakes it seems unfair that i'm not allowed to use my bike!
At that at the time of signing up my bike was road legal as such!
Lets hope they come to a sensible decision and don't leave normal cyclist like me out of pocket through no fault of my own!