At one point track & field, manufacturers came out with spiked shoes. People with spiked shoes went faster. Athletes could choose to wear them or not.
And then facilities managers discovered that long track spikes tended to shred typical composite tracks, and it became common to tightly regulate spike length in order to preserve the track surface. The place my high school team usually competed at had a standard that the spike couldn't protrude from the shoe more than two quarters taped together and placed flat against the sole.
The $500 golf club will last for years, and can frequently be found on the secondary market for a reduced price. (Same with many other high ticket sporting equipment items. Play it Again Sports survives in many areas by recycling youth hockey gear) The same cannot be said for a suit you'll be lucky to get through a meet without tearing.
And cycling commonly rolls back UCI bike construction rules to more conservative standards. They've effectively killed the beam bike in the last five years.
At one point track & field, manufacturers came out with spiked shoes. People with spiked shoes went faster. Athletes could choose to wear them or not.
And then facilities managers discovered that long track spikes tended to shred typical composite tracks, and it became common to tightly regulate spike length in order to preserve the track surface. The place my high school team usually competed at had a standard that the spike couldn't protrude from the shoe more than two quarters taped together and placed flat against the sole.
The $500 golf club will last for years, and can frequently be found on the secondary market for a reduced price. (Same with many other high ticket sporting equipment items. Play it Again Sports survives in many areas by recycling youth hockey gear) The same cannot be said for a suit you'll be lucky to get through a meet without tearing.
And cycling commonly rolls back UCI bike construction rules to more conservative standards. They've effectively killed the beam bike in the last five years.
