VIII

Section

COMPETITION EQUIPMENT

1. INSPECTION

   1. Before official practice or before the start of any competition or event, the rider, his bicycle, helmet and clothing shall be subject to inspection by inspectors in order to ascertain whether or not this equipment conforms to these rules. PhilNBL makes no representation and/or statement of opinion as to the track worthiness of any bicycle, clothing, safety equipment or other gear which may be examined during the course of this inspection.

   2. Any rider whose equipment is unsafe in the opinion of the inspectors or race commissaires, whether or not it fails to comply with a specific provision of these rules, shall not be permitted to ride on the track.

   3. Any rider who does not comply with all instructions given to him by the inspector or race commissaires with respect to his equipment shall not be permitted to compete in any event.

   4. When a lap time scoring system is utilized, the staging officials shall check each rider’s bike to confirm that the provided transponder has been attached correctly. However, the rider is solely responsible for the correct attachment of the transponder during the race.

2. CLOTHING AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT

   1. Riders must wear the following gear whenever they are riding a bicycle on the track:

      1. Helmets of either full face or open face construction; open face helmets must be equipped with mouth protectors.

      2. Long-sleeved shirts whose sleeves extend down to the rider's wrists.

      3. Long pants whose legs must be tight fitting at the ankles. Short pants are not permitted.

      4. Gloves whose fingers completely cover the rider's finger tips.

      5. Elbow pads or «sliders» at any track whose riding surface consists of either wood or concrete. Riders shall be made aware of the necessity for using this gear prior to the date of any event which requires it.

   2. It is recommended that riders wear the following gear whenever they are riding a bicycle on the track:

      1. Pants made of denim or other tear and abrasion resistant fabric.

      2. Footwear with soft, flexible soles.

3. THE BICYCLE

   1. All bicycles used for competition must meet the following general specifications:

      1. The rim size of the wheels of bicycles competing in the standard class shall be nominally 20" in diameter. The total diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, shall not exceed 22 ˝“ (57 cm). The total diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, in the cruiser class shall measure at least 22 ˝“ (57 cm), and the total diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, shall be no larger than 26" in diameter.

      2. Bicycles with 20“ wheels may be raced only in standard classes. Cruisers may be raced only in cruiser classes.

      3. The bicycle's frame must be of sufficient strength to withstand the rigors of BMX racing and be devoid of any cracked or bent frame members or welds which are cracked or otherwise deficient.

      4. Chain guards, side stands, mud guards, sheet metal accessories such as simulated fuel tanks, butterfly nuts, any superfluous welded or mechanically fastened fittings such as chain guard lugs, frame mounted reflectors and any other sharp protruding objects are not permitted.

      5. Wheel axles may not protrude more than 5 mm beyond the hub nuts.

      6.  All components, accessories and other parts must be firmly attached to the bicycle.

   2. Handlebars.

      1. Maximum width of handlebars on both standard bicycles and cruisers shall be 74 cm (29“).

      2. The maximum rise of handlebars on both standard bicycles and cruisers shall be 30 cm (12“).

      3. Handlebar grips are mandatory and must completely cover the ends of the handlebars.

      4. Handlebars that are cracked or bent are not permitted.

   3. Steering Head.

      1. The forks must turn smoothly in the headset bearing without binding or excessive play.

      2. The stem may not protrude above the headset lock-nut by an amount that exceeds the manufacturer's recommendation or by more than 5 cm if no maximum height mark is inscribed on the stem.

   4. Wheels.

      1. With the exception set forth in paragraph 4b. below, all bicycles used in the standard 20“ class must be equipped with matching wheels that are nominally 20“ in diameter. The total  diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, shall not exceed 22 ˝“ (57 cm). The total diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, in the cruiser class shall measure at least 22 ˝“ (57 cm), and the total diameter of the wheels, inflated tires included, shall be no larger than 26" in diameter.

      2. The bicycles of riders aged 6 and under may be equipped with wheels smaller than 20“.

      3. Wheels must be laced with the full complement of spokes for which the hubs and rims are intended. Spokes must be properly tensioned and hub bearings must be adjusted to eliminate noticeable play.

      4. Tires must be of one-piece construction and have thread sufficient to provide adequate grip on the particular surface that the track presents.

      5. Tires must be inflated to a pressure sufficient to assure safe riding under race conditions.

      6. Quick release axles are not recommended but may be used if the release levers are taped or wired in the locked position.

   5. Brakes.

      1. All bicycles entered in competition must be equipped with an effective rear brake, which may be operated either by foot (coaster brake) or hand (caliper brake).

      2. The reaction arm of a coaster brake must be securely anchored to the frame by means of a mechanically fastened clip that completely surrounds and firmly grips the chain stay. Attachment of this arm to a lug brazed or welded to the stay is not permitted.

      3. The rear brake cable must be secured to the frame.

      4. A front brake may be fitted, but is not required.

      5. The free end of the handbrake lever must be smoothly rounded or covered in such a manner as to prevent it from presenting a hazard.

      6. All exposed cable ends must be capped, soldered or covered to prevent fraying.

   6. The Seat.

      1. The seat base must be constructed of material that is sufficiently strong to resist penetration by the seat post.

      2. The seat post must be secured to the seat tube by means of a seat post clamp. This clamp's fixing bolt may protrude from the body of the clamp by no more than 5 mm.

   7. The Cranks, Pedals and Transmissions.

      1. Cranks of either one-piece, two-piece or three-piece construction are permitted. Crank arms may be of any length so long as they do not compromise the bicycle's ground clearance.

      2. The bottom bracket bearings must be adjusted so as to allow the cranks to spin smoothly and without noticeable play.

      3. Pedals must be securely attached to the crank arms and adjusted so as to eliminate lateral motion of the pedal body along the pedal axle. Pedal axles must be of sufficient strength to withstand the rigors of competition. The teeth on pedal cages must be sufficiently pointed and prominent to offer effective grip on a rider's shoes without being so sharp as to pose a safety hazard. Toe clips and straps are not permitted. Interlocking pedal-cleat systems however are allowed. Where an interlocking pedal-cleat system is used, the rider must be able to demonstrate the ability to engage and release from the pedals upon any request from an official at an event.

      4. Multiple speed gear systems are permitted.

   8. Safety Pads.

      The following safety pads, each having a minimum thickness of 1 cm are required:

      1. A pad that surrounds the crossbar of the handlebars;

      2. A pad that surrounds the top tube of the frame;

      3. A pad that covers the stem connecting the handlebars to the fork.

   9. Number Plates.

      1. Each bicycle entered into competition must have a number plate attached to the front of the handlebars. The upper edge of this number plate may not extend above the crossbar safety pad on any handlebars having a crossbar.

      2. Number plates must be made of plastic or other similar flexible material. A number plate shall have a height of 20-25 cm and a width of 25-30 cm.

      3. Riders must use the plate and number color combinations specified for the class in which they are racing as follows:

         Championship level
         Elite Men, Elite Women - Yellow plate, black numbers;
         Junior Men, Junior Women - Black plate, white numbers;
         Elite Cruiser, Junior Cruiser - Red plate, white numbers.
         
         Challenge level
         Men, Boys - White plate, black numbers;
         Girls - Blue plate, white numbers;
         Cruisers - Red plate, white numbers.

      4. In all PhilNBL sanctioned BMX events a rider must display the number assigned to him according to the rules set forth in Appendix 4. A rider who fails to display the correct number will not be scored.

      5. Each numeral on a number plate must be at least 80 mm high and be composed of lines having widths of at least 10 mm.

      6. The area of the plate that provides a background for the number must, during the entire duration of a competition, be kept free of markings, stickers or other impediments to the number's legibility. Riders may not cut, mutilate or put additional stickers or marking on their number plate if it is provided by the Organizer.