The new ruling from Life Time also includes Big Sugar MTB
Josh Weinberg
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB race is known for its gruelling 100-mile course through some of Colorado’s highest-elevation roads and trails (reaching over 12,000 ft / 3,650 m) with almost as much elevation gain for racers. Except for a handful of single-track descents and steep rocky climbs, much of the terrain traversed in the race is on fire roads.
While the course is too chunky for gravel bikes, an increasing number of athletes have chosen to add drop-style handlebars (instead of traditional flat bars) to their mountain bikes. With this strategy, racers tough it out through the technical sections and reap the benefits of increased speed and a wider range of hand positions on the fast gravel roads.
But Life Time, which owns and operates the Leadville race as part of its Gran Prix off-road series, has made it official: no more drop-style handlebars in races it considers mountain bike events. This includes Leadville Trail MTB 100 and Little Sugar MTB.
The Rules and Scoring page on Life Time Grand Prix’s website now includes a section specifically dedicated to dropbars. It reads:
Dropbars: For rider safety and course compatibility, drop-style handlebars (road or gravel bars with drops) are no longer permitted for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Life Time Little Sugar MTB. All competitors must use flat or riser-style handlebars at these events. This rule will be enforced during pre-race inspections and on course; violations may result in disqualification.
With gravel racing’s influence on the hybrid nature of the Leadville 100, tech is shifting more and more toward maximizing aerodynamics and efficiency. Like in road and gravel applications, dropbars allow riders to achieve a lower position than traditional flat MTB bars, which can shave time and watts on flat, fast stretches of the lengthy course.
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