The UCI has announced sweeping revisions to its technical regulations, aimed at combating technological fraud and enhancing rider safety through stricter equipment standards – and not everyone in the industry is on board.
Set to come into force from 2026, the changes cover everything from rim depths and handlebar widths to helmet standards and frame dimensions. These changes mark one of the most comprehensive overhauls of technical regulations in recent years.
The changes, which were published in a statement on the UCI's website, stem from work by the UCI’s Equipment and New Technologies Commission and consultations with SafeR, the rider safety body. Despite claims of industry input, some insiders say their concerns were ignored.
“We’ve been in meetings about all these rules for ages now with WFSGI [World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry] and the UCI,” said an industry source who's worked with several WorldTour teams and is close to the matter.
“They ignored everything the industry said – literally everything.”
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Handlebar and rim size limits
From 1 January 2026, mass start road race bikes will be limited to a maximum rim depth of 65mm.
In a more controversial decision, the UCI will also enforce a minimum handlebar width of 400 mm (outside-to-outside) in road and cyclocross events, with a minimum width, as measured from hood-to-hood, of 320 mm. Track mass start events will see a narrower minimum of 350 mm from 1 January 2027.
“These new rules are hugely discriminatory against women and smaller men,” said our source. “It will shift the demographic of winning riders to taller riders.”
“In the last meeting we had, Cervélo said that 14 of the 18 women on Visma–Lease a Bike would need to change their handlebars.”
According to our source, this will cause problems for riders seeking ergonomic setups: “I tried to tell them that you can’t make an ergonomic bar with 400 drops and 320 inner hoods, as it would have a 2 degree flare and hurt your wrists.”
Fork width and frame design
Further standardisation comes with new limits on internal fork width. Road bikes will be capped at 115 mm at the front and 145 mm at the rear from 2026, with the same limits extending to track bikes from 2027.
This could have implications for current equipment, with our source warning that “Hope's track bikes [are] potentially gone too, as they’re wider than 145mm at the rear stays.”
New helmet categories and future approval protocols
Another major change is the introduction of distinct helmet regulations for road races versus time trials, taking effect in 2026. The UCI says this will allow for “clarified specifications” to suit the demands of different race formats.
A more formal helmet approval protocol – akin to standards like CE or CPSC – is expected by 1 January 2027 at the earliest. The UCI Equipment Unit is continuing work on this with manufacturers.
Behind closed doors, our source claims the UCI was pushing for rules stating helmets must have "3 to 4 vents minimum, and nothing that is marketed as a time trial helmet could be used."
Crackdown on technological fraud
In response to growing concern around hidden motors and other concealed performance aids, the UCI is expanding its anti-fraud regulations. As of next year, the rules will no longer apply only to equipment used during competitions, but also to any attempt to deceive or obstruct anti-fraud testing – regardless of where it occurs.
To support enforcement, the UCI Disciplinary Commission has been granted expanded investigatory powers. “Technological fraud cannot be conducted in the same manner as other disciplinary matters due to their fraudulent nature,” the UCI said in the statement published on its website.
More to follow…
