Originally Posted by
Morelock
you can just buy soccer lace covers (much cheaper than specialized
)
(Not directed to Morelock, just generally speaking...)
I was under the impression they needed to be part of the shoe (like the DMT P1's) to be legal... although any time you are talking about a UCI rule it's open to interpretation... a la trip socks ok, trip sleeves and/or just the trips on the leg, not ok. (Even if they meet height requirements... which is another nightmare depending on who's measuring from where)
Note for those racing with "not sure" gear: Ask the highest level official at your event
before you race.
A competitors, coaches, and officials can (and should) contest the use of unapproved gear when the stakes are high. It's rare, but it does happen.
It would suck for a person to place well in an event only to have the result thrown out because of a piece of equipment that was not approved.
Asking can benefit one as well. When the Casco Warp helmets hit the scene in 2009 or 2010, they only had the european certification, not CPSC (Consumer Product Safely Commission) certification, which USA Cycling requires for use in USA Cycling events. So, basically, if an event was held under USA Cycling license, that helmet was unapproved for use.
Word got out about this and lots of people who owned the helmet didn't use it in USAC events, obeying the rules.
Then came Elite Track Nationals and Masters Track Nationals. These are USAC events, so the same rules apply, right? NOPE. These are also UCI events, so UCI rules supersede USAC rules...and the helmet was allowed.
Same for the Catlike Whisper helmet that was very popular among pros back then.
So, when in doubt, ask. You may be pleasantly surprised.