Remember the whole handlebar width hoo-ha from June? It’s back.
To refresh your memory, the UCI announced a plan to implement a minimum width for all handlebars used in mass start road and cyclocross races, regardless of rider height or gender, from January 1 2026. This would mean a minimum width of handlebars (outside to outside) of 400mm, with a minimum inner width of 320mm between brake levers.
Why?
“The objectives of setting these limits is to contain speeds by ensuring a certain air drag from the width of the handlebars,” says the UCI.
In other words, the handlebar regulation comes from the same place as the UCI’s proposed maximum gearing rule which has resulted in SRAM launching legal action. It’s based on safety concerns.
> SRAM launches legal action against UCI over “fundamentally unfair” gear restriction trial
It would be a large understatement to say that the maximum handlebar width regulation didn’t go down well in some parts. Over 7,000 people signed a petition on change.org to appeal the new regulations.
That petition argued, “The new ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy does not account for the variety in body types and biomechanics among riders. Cyclists come in all shapes and sizes, and their equipment needs to reflect that diversity. Not every cyclist can perform optimally under the same conditions; some require wider handlebars to accommodate broader shoulders, while others need narrower grips for better control and manoeuvrability based on their body’s build. The regulation particularly impacts female cyclists who, based on our own extensive database (one of the largest in the world) and other studies, on average require a 38cm handlebar.”
The petition said that this regulation could inadvertently place riders at risk of injury – the opposite of the UCI’s intended consequence – on the basis that “improper bike fitting can lead to chronic pain and musculoskeletal issues”.
Dauphiné 2025 Markus Hoelgaard UNO-X Ridley Noah Fast (3).JPG (credit: road.cc)
Okay, that was all back in June. Now the UCI has returned to the issue after its Management Committee met at the Road World Championships in Rwanda, having apparently consulted “cycling’s stakeholders”, including unspecified representatives of the cycling industry and looked at “findings from extensive verifications of current dimensions used for bikes at UCI Women’s WorldTour and UCI WorldTour events, and work carried out by the UCI Equipment and New Technologies Commission”. What has it got to say this time?
“The UCI Management Committee confirmed the measurement of 400mm for the overall width of the handlebars (outside to outside), a maximum flare of 65mm and an inner measurement limit between the brake hoods of 280mm.”
Hang on! Wasn’t it 320mm last time? Our first thought was that the previous 320mm referred to the brake levers whereas this 280mm measurement relates to the brake hoods. On a flared handlebar, the difference in width between the top of the hoods and the ends of the brake levers can be significant. Whether the UCI is drawing this distinction is unclear, but judging by this diagram (below) it provided back in June, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
2025 UCI handlebar width measurements annotated (credit: UCI)
This diagram clearly shows a minimum distance of 320mm between the hoods. It looks like that has now become a minimum distance of 280mm, then. That’ll be the new rule, applicable from the start of next year. That’s not necessarily the end of it, though.
“The UCI Management Committee has requested the UCI Equipment and New Technologies Commission to review the measurement, which will be subject to consultation with stakeholders and the industry during the course of 2026, with a view to potentially increasing it for future seasons.”
In other words, the UCI is leaving the door open to increasing that 280mm minimum distance between the brake hoods as time goes on.
road.cc tech writer Emily Tillet, a cycling coach and former GB rider and national junior individual pursuit champion, says, “For me, my hoods measure 305mm internally, so I’m compliant with the new minimum hood width.
“However, the overall width limit of 400mm still feels restrictive. My bars measure 380mm at the ends of the drops. Even with this adjustment, many female and smaller riders continue to be affected. The rule claims to increase control and stability and reduce top speeds, but it may ironically leave riders feeling less in control, especially on descents, where most of us ride in the drops.”
It’s safe to say this isn’t the U-turn a lot of riders who favour narrow bars may have been hoping for, but the minor tweak to the controversial new rule might offer some hope among them that the UCI will be open to further relaxations in future.
No TT lids in the peloton, track bike price caps, crash barrier improvements: some more clarifications
Under the new helmet rules coming in next year, Alberto Bettiol won’t be able to race Milano-Torino in a TT helmet like he did for his 2024 victory (credit: road.cc)
The UCI also mentioned several more rule changes and updates coming in 2026 and 2027, mostly clarifications of announcements first made earlier in the year.
From January 2027, the handlebars on track bikes in UCI events will be subject to a minimum overall width of 350mm (outside to outside), with a maximum flare of 80mm and a maximum cross-section of 65mm.
After the money spent on cutting-edge track bikes reached astronomic levels in the previous two editions of the Olympics, the UCI has approved the establishment of price caps for track cycling equipment at the Los Angeles games in 2028 in an attempt to level the financial playing field. The UCI hasn’t expanded on what the cap will be and how it will be implemented.
Back on the road, clarifications were also made regarding “forearm support on handlebars”, namely making sure that riders only use the handlebars for forearm support if they are grabbing onto extensions: “The objective is to avoid unsafe rider positions and provide clarity for Commissaires in their decision-making”, says the UCI.
The UCI has also provided another update on its study of crash barriers at sprint finishes following a number of serious incidents in recent years: “The resulting specifications will set requirements for the dimensions, weight and centre of gravity of the barriers, as well as the critical strength of the attachment system to be able to withstand the force of a crash”, says the UCI. We’re told the exact details and test protocol will be published in early 2026; a long wait, since the governing body first stated that it would start reviewing crashes in 2020.
Finally, specifications for a simplified distinction between time trial helmets and ‘mass start’ helmet will be introduced from January 2026 on the road, and January 2027 on the track. Essentially, time trial helmets – and aero road helmets with TT-like features such as integrated visors and aerodynamic shells – will be banned in mass-start races and stages outside of time trials.
“These specifications will include minimum ventilation requirements, a ban on helmet shells or accessories covering or obstructing the riders’ ears, and a ban on integrated or detachable visors. These new specifications also aim to contain aerodynamics, and in addition will serve as a basis for distinctions between helmets used in different disciplines”, says the UCI.
What do you think of the UCI’s new measures “to protect rider safety and health”? Let us know in the comments as always