Small changes to Part1 (Closed for comments)
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Section 1C.2 explains the required events at Unicon.
-under Other Racing it refers to "section ??" we need a number here for what section it is actually referring to.
-under Muni it says that both Orienteering and muni-trails are required events -i'd really like to se those events at Unicon, but since its actually never being done, maybe its time to either highlight this line, or consider making it a recommendation instead of a requirement.
Section 1C.19 Explains about the IUF Public Meeting.
the section says "the host will provide time in the convention schedule for the IUF Public Meeting." and continues explaining. but it never say anything about at witch event the the public meeting should be held. could we change the first sentence to "during Unicon the host will provide time in the convention schedule for the IUF Public Meeting:" ?
Section 1D.1 Definitions This Section explain and define the most general terms in unicycling.
-Here Unlimited unicycle is defined as following "Multiple wheels are permitted, but only one may touch the round and nothing else. Is human powered only. Gearing and/or transmission are allowed." -I know this is probably a text that is meant to also cover a giraffe-unicycle with multiple wheels instead of a chain. but when I read this line for me it leaves a competitor in a road race to actually competed on a normal bicycle -as long as he ensure the director that the front wheel will never touch the ground. i suggest that we leave the part out saying "multiple wheels are permitted".
-And finally the two titles Prop & Wheel walking, are very freestyle specific and already very well explained in chapter 7 Freestyle and 8 Standard Skill, can we please delete this, to prevent readers from reading unnecessary stuff?
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Good comments. For the IUF Public Meeting I'm tempted to recommend some guidelines for the meeting venue. Too often we have ended up in rooms with terrible acoustics that make doing an actual meeting very difficult. This most recent version, in San Sebastian, and kind of a different format, where it was really more of a presentation without any feedback from the "audience". This works better in a huge room, but was disappointing as a meeting, since there was no opportunity even to ask questions.
Years ago, we did voting at those meetings, for staff positions and sometimes to get opinions from the members present. The Board of Directors always had the power to override staffing votes, but I don't think that ever happened, and the choices of members were respected. I do NOT recommend that for the future, especially with hundreds of people attending who may know nothing of the inner working, who is actually qualified for positions, etc. But I would like to see more of a meeting than just a presentation.
I guess what I'm getting at is that Section 1C.19 should also define expectations of what this meeting is for, and who is recommended to be interested in attending. I see this as an opportunity for the IUF to educate the public on what it's all about, and bring people up to date on what the Board and committees have been up to. We members really don't know, unless it's been published somewhere. Also it should be seen as a tool to motivate and recruit people to get involved on all levels.
I also agree on updating that Unlimited Unicycle definition. Does it really start with "Multiple wheels"? Did I write that? I think the intent was to be inclusive, and also, at the time, it may have been to cover an anti-bike bias in the Unicycling Society of America. I'll spare you the details, but it may have also been meant to cover what can be used in a Freestyle performance (including bicycles). I don't think we need to cover multiple wheels if the definition is for racing events. :-)
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Commenting on Lasse's points:
The ?? are probably a leftover from editing. Yes, we need a number there.
You misinterpreted it. The introduction above that sentence about Muni includes the phrase "at least one event from". So not all of them are required, but (at least) one.
I agree with your suggestion to make it explicit that we have the IUF meeting at Unicon, not at just 'any' convention.
Not sure if we should leave the reference to multiple wheels out. A three-stack is considered a unicycle but does not have one wheel (as a standard unicycle does). But the rule should be rephrased to exclude bicycles (I wouldn't trust a promise to only use one wheel). By the way, we should look at both definitions. For example, why is it stated for an unlimited unicycle that it must be human powered, but not for a standard unicycle?
Prop is indeed defined more elaborately in chapter 7. But the definition should be in chapter 1, since it is also referenced elsewhere (e.g. from Chapter 11).
I didn't find a definition of Wheel walking in chapter 8. Did I miss it? Regardless, I think Chapter 1 is the right place for this definition.
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An artistic bicycle could be used in routines and races as long as it is ridden as a unicycle on only one wheel touches the ground, right? Just as a stacked two wheeled unicycle can be used. Or a regular freewheel bike as long as they are doing a wheelie the whole time. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think we leave the "multiple wheels" definitions as is, unless we want to ban the above.
I'm assuming the reason the IUF is a presentation is that we don't want a 3 hour long meeting. Yes it would be nice to have a questions and answers maybe at the end...if we wanted that my suggestion would be to limit it to like 15 minutes and have people that want to ask questions line up in a line.
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A stacked two-wheeler (or three-wheeler) is considered a unicycle. It can only ride on one wheel, if more than one wheel touches the ground it stalls for technical reasons. Therefore, such stacked multiwheelers are allowed in our unicycle races.
I'm not sure if the Rulebook allows regular freewheel bikes if the rider promises to do a wheelie all the time, as Jamey supposes. A bike, freewheeling or not, is not a unicycle, regardless how it is ridden. Also, there is no technical reason he cannot ride on two wheels, and cheating is around the corner (literally, I guess). I would want to ban bikes.
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So the way I se this, is that we only talk about unlimited unicycles in road races, and I'm not sure that I would want a 20" 3-stack to be starting in a heat full of 29"-ers that is obnoxious and potentially unnecessary dangerous to the serious rides.
I fell that writing about allowing "multiple wheels" is a lack from old times, a old feeling of a need to allow odd and weird "unicycles" to the races. -And have nothing to do with a serious race.
and as answer to what Jamey said. Yes I would like to ban artistic bicycles from our races, I'm my opinion, if the wehicle is capable of having two (or more) wheels touching the ground while being riden it's not a unicycle. -but where's does the rulebook say this?
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Sometimes people ride "odd" unicycles in races, like a 12" unicycle in the standard class 10k at Unicon15. It complies with the rules, they do it for fun, and it adds some colour to the race. No problem in my opinion, it's good for a laugh. By the same token I would continue to allow multiwheelers (in Unlimited).
As to your last remark: the Rulebook defines unicycles on pages 19 and 20. The rulebook now says that under Unlimited unicycle that only one [wheel] may touch the ground and nothing else. This allows a bike doing a continuous wheelie. Indeed I think we should sharpen up the definition of Unlimited unicycle along the lines you suggest.
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Chapter 8 (standard skills) is referring to the "standard skill list" which is to be found on unicycling.org>publications and covers something like 30 Pages full of Skills (for Freestyle and standard Skill)
i dont Think charter 1 is the place to definere any specific skills, that can be done somewhere else in the book (witch is already done) and if chapter 1 absolutely have to define specific skills, then I would like it to also explain skills like "push mush" witch is constantly being used in the flatland competitions but not explained anywhere in rulebook.
i guess what I'm trying to state here is that to me chapter 1 should be general, not explaining specific stuff for freestyle.
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I think we should ban bikes and any other multiple wheeled unicycle in all races as I don't see a point in having them. Someone could still ride a 12" Uni if they wanted to add laughter to the race.
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I'm not for banning if we can avoid it. But clearly our events are intended for unicycles, which is why we didn't go into detail about what to do with a bicycle in a unicycle race. You have to trust the Referees to figure some stuff out. :-)
So do we really need to cover multi-wheel stacks and bicycles in this rule? Let me think. Hmmm, unicycle nerds..... rules..... Duh. If we don't do it now, it'll surely come up at some point. So, at the end of the definition, after the more useful points, we can mention that stacked wheels are fine (how can a 3-wheeler be dangerous unless it can go fast?). Also if someone wants to ride a bicycle in a unicycle race I think it should be fine... as long as they remove the front wheel. Same would apply to anything else that could be ridden with more than one wheel on the ground.
@Lasse in regard to Chapter 1 definitions:
Anything that was listed there was probably to define it for racing purposes, like Wheel Walk (I still can't get unicycling.org to load, so can't see the document we're referring to). If that's true, it should move to the Track section unless we are trying to keep all definitions in a single "dictionary" area.
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About the Bikes Ban, it make sense but also not as a rider who is not allowed to touch the bottom with his front wheel can simply dismount it and then a bike is a geared unicycle. There already exist records where Bike riders ride down a complete Alp pass without a front wheel. So if we ban Bikes, it must be defined what it means to be a bike. Maybe the movable Stearng bar is more usefull but for sure not simply "bikes". It is not that easy to limit the unlimited :)
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If someone removes the front wheel from a bike, the remaining contraption is legal in a unicycle race, in my opinion. It cannot ride on more than one wheel, I think that is the essential point.
Next question, however: what to do with the Dutch rider who has (had?) a small wheel mounted on the front end of his LARGE handlebar, to help prevent damage in a crash? It isn't immediately clear whether it can be ridden on two wheels.
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Here's a definition we've been working on in the Road section (most recently posted version):
"Unlimited unicycle: Is human powered only. Gearing, shiftable or not, and/or freewheel are allowed. Multiple wheels are permitted, but only one may touch the ground and nothing else."
I would add to that that in the case of any cycle that can be ridden with more than one wheel on the ground is not permitted. If the vehicle in question is a bicycle, the front wheel must be removed to use it in a race.
In the event of a "safety" wheel that protects the handlebar, I would argue that the unicycle cannot be ridden with that wheel on the ground, or at least cannot be ridden well. It would not be a problem. If it is unclear whether the vehicle can be ridden with two or more wheels on the ground, it must be modified, similar to the bicycle, so that it's only possible to ride it with one wheel on the ground at a time. That would presumably cover the case of a "safety" wheel that was unusually large and also steerable, for example.
If we're talking about the performing competitions, such as Freestyle, you can ride whatever you want. The judging rules cover how to judge any tricks done on a bicycle (basically Presentation points only).