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Comment by TomK32 | Hacker News Reader

Beside the UCI ruining everything for almost every cycling sport, you can't even do a superman these days, there's also the NJS in Japan who do the same for track cycling in Japan. Which is a massive sport and betting market.

Btw, Graeme Obree is/was one of the most innovative cyclists, he came up with ideas the UCI didn't like at all. But he's such an outstanding personality and inspiration.

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+1 for Obree - more people should know the history.

For those into cycling who don't already know them, the Obree book [0] and film [1] are worth the time.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231993.Flying_Scotsman_

[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472268/

NJS is intentionally heavily prescriptive since people bet on the outcomes of the keirin races. The racers even announce what tactics they'll use during the race so that gamblers can decide who to bet on.

I don't know anything about UCI but keirin is intentionally a very narrow and heavily restricted slice of sport cycling. I've never heard anyone who is into it have anything negative to say about NJS's equipment restrictions. It is like how even though riflery is a sport, archery still is too. The governing body of archery isn't doing something profane by restricting the technology of the sport, that restriction is the sport.

Agreed, Keirin (in my limited knowledge) aims to keep things pure in their particular area (making competition a level playing field). By comparison, the UCI wants to have control over a much wider part of cycling (and so want to rule over what innovations we can and can't have).

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