Last Thursday, the UCI quietly dropped a laundry list of equipment rule changes, including a reduction in rim height limits, maximum internal fork width, a potential ban on time trial helmets in road races and – most significantly – a wider minimum measurement on handlebars.
The new rule states that handlebars cannot be narrower than 400 mm (measured outside to outside, at the drops), with an additional minimum measurement of 320 mm between the inside of the brake hoods. The new rule, which is set to go into effect January 1, 2026, supersedes the previous minimum of 350 mm between hoods, put into place on January 1, 2024. The new bar measurement likely includes bar tape, although the UCI has yet to clarify the exact details.
Iain Treloar
This final rule change was met largely with anger and confusion from the women’s peloton, who will be disproportionately affected by the change. By regulating handlebar width, the UCI hopes to make road racing safer; in recent years, the peloton has favoured progressively narrower handlebars and positions in the name of aerodynamics, with inward-canted brake levers in particular raising questions about control in tightly packed pelotons.
However, for many female riders, narrow handlebars are less about performance gains and more about proportional bike fit, which would be upended by the new rules. Many are speaking out about how the rules would adversely impact comfort, health, and even safety.
“If this new rule does, in fact, come into effect for the women’s peloton, I completely disagree with it,” Amanda Spratt of Lidl-Trek told Escape Collective. “I don’t think it’s logical to potentially enforce a blanket rule on minimum handlebar width for male and female riders.”
Riders aren't the only ones concerned. After the rule change was announced, Lee Prescott, president of the International Bike Fitting Institute, released a statement voicing concerns. “While the IBFI understands and supports the intention behind the ruling – to discourage the unsafe use of excessively narrow handlebars – we believe the current implementation lacks adequate consideration of human biomechanics and rider safety," said the statement.
Where did the rule come from?
The decision to implement the rule was made in collaboration with SafeR, or SafeRoad Cycling, which is dedicated to making men’s and women’s road racing safer. It includes representatives from each of the major stakeholders in the sport: race organisers, teams, riders, and the UCI.
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