This week, biking’s governing physique, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) quietly introduced adjustments to its Technical Laws – the rulebook which impacts the bikes and tools utilized by cyclists in UCI-sanctioned competitors – that may start to roll out in 2026.
In a press launch, the title of which targeted on the 2026 WorldTour calendar, that was printed Thursday, the UCI shared an extended checklist of bulletins. It included the shock rejection of One Biking, provisions for the event of girls’s biking, the dates for upcoming world championship occasions in Gravel, BMX and Monitor, and extra.
Amongst them was the announcement of adjustments to, and the introduction of, a number of guidelines pertaining to bikes, wheels and helmets.
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Most fork and seatstay width
Maybe probably the most on-topic, given the very latest introduction of Issue’s wild new prototype aero bike, which, sarcastically, was ridden to victory by Jake Stewart on the Critérium du Dauphiné at virtually precisely the identical time because the UCI’s announcement was printed, is the introduction of a rule limiting the width of a bicycle’s entrance fork and rear seatstays.
The announcement states that, “For bicycles used within the street (as of 1 January 2026) and monitor (as of 1 January 2027) disciplines, solely a most inner fork width of 115 mm on the entrance and 145 mm on the rear (measured alongside your entire size of the entrance fork and rear triangle) shall be permitted.”
We weren’t in a position to measure the fork once we bought shut up with Stewart’s bike on the Criterium du Dauphine, so it is not completely clear whether or not the Issue bike shall be affected, however given via axles are 120mm lengthy on the entrance and the fork bows outwards away from it, it definitely appears to be like near the restrict.
Cyclingnews reached out to Issue for clarification, and the model declined to remark, nevertheless it’s common for a model to refuse to reply questions on a motorcycle that hasn’t truly been launched but.
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To attempt to discover out a special manner, we did a little bit of measuring in Photoshop, utilizing our photograhy of Stewart’s bike.
Like most street bikes, Issue’s via axles are sometimes 120mm lengthy. Assuming the identical stays true right here, and utilizing this picture, which exhibits a reasonably flat perspective of the fork from the entrance, we are able to ‘measure’ the via axle utilizing a crimson line after which evaluate it to the fork.
As you may see, all three of the overlaid crimson traces contact each fork legs at every finish. In fact, we will not be 100% certain the angle on this picture hasn’t affected the result, however based mostly on what we have now, it appears to be like like the brand new Issue aero bike may simply be okay.
If it does fall exterior the brand new guidelines, although, one assumes it could put the model in a really troublesome place, probably forcing them to drag their new bike from manufacturing when it’s clearly so close to to launching. This is able to include extreme monetary implications, and it is unlikely the UCI could be keen to foot that invoice.
The optimistic different, after all, is that the UCI communicated these measurements to Issue and different manufacturers a very long time in the past, and the bike was designed inside these predetermined limits.
Nonetheless, that appears unlikely, as a result of Hope’s Robin Godden instructed Cyclingnews “we’ve solely simply discovered like everybody else.”
Even when the Issue bike does fall throughout the guidelines, there’s one bike that fairly definitely is not going to. The Hope monitor bike utilized by Workforce GB has super-wide fork legs and seatstays, designed to be in keeping with the rider’s legs, and Godden confirms that the bike “falls exterior of [the UCI’s] measurements.”
The UCI’s press launch explains that the identical rule will apply to trace bikes from 2027 onwards, and whereas that is an 18-month lead time to implement a change, at this level, the model is a bit blindsided by the information.
“That one caught us without warning,” Godden continued. “It’s the first we have now heard of the foundations because the UCI hasn’t communicated them with us, so in the mean time, we aren’t actually certain what it means for the bike.”
Wider handlebars
The second change pertaining to tools guidelines is a rise to the minimal handlebar width, and an accompanying adjustment to the space between the hoods, affecting how far inward they are often positioned.
The UCI’s announcement states:
“The minimal general width of handlebars (exterior to exterior) for mass begin street and cyclo-cross occasions shall be set at 400mm, with an internal width of 320mm between brake levers. In the meantime, the minimal general width of handlebars (exterior to exterior) for mass begin monitor occasions shall be set at 350mm as of 1 January 2027.”
It is a revision of the rule that got here into pressure firstly of 2024, which presently stands, and states: “The minimal general width (exterior – exterior) of conventional handlebars (street occasions) and base bars (street and monitor occasions) is proscribed to 350 mm.”
Primarily, in layman’s phrases, which means that handlebars narrower than 40cm, when measured at their widest level, shall be unlawful. Handlebars that place the hoods narrower – for instance, 38cm – with a flare outward that places the drops over 40mm huge, shall be okay. Even narrower handlebars with a extra aggressive flare can even be okay, as long as the information of the brake hoods are not any nearer than 32cm aside.
Within the males’s discipline, this can possible solely have an effect on a choose few riders who get pleasure from an aggressive, slim cockpit, however within the girls’s discipline, there’s an opportunity {that a} larger variety of riders will fall foul of the foundations, merely because of their bike match preferences, the place 38cm huge handlebars are extra frequent.
Rim peak restrictions
One other newly launched rule pertains to the depth of wheels in mass begin occasions, which is being set at 65mm.
The frequent alternative for WorldTour professionals is mostly between 40 and 60mm anyway, however there are many exceptions the place riders would select to run a deeper wheel in street races.
Going again just a few years, I recall Hunt sponsoring Qhubeka-NextHash, and Victor Campenaerts selected to run 80mm wheels. Extra pertinently to the WorldTour peloton proper now, although, is that the Enve SES 6.7 wheels sometimes utilized by Tadej Pogačar embrace a 67mm deep rear wheel, which as of subsequent season, shall be outlawed.
In fact, that is not a lot of a difficulty for groups with sponsorships and a finances as huge as UAE Workforce Emirates, nevertheless it may develop into a supply of competition amongst smaller groups or newbie athletes.
It is presently unclear whether or not these guidelines will trickle all the way down to extra grassroots races with nationwide governance. British Biking adopted the handlebar width and shifter angle rule introduced in 2024, for instance, in its regional and nationwide races.
It could definitely irk newbie riders if compelled to spend much more cash on tools to allow them to race in 2026.
Helmet categorisation
There are two new guidelines regarding helmets within the UCI’s announcement, and at face worth, the primary appears to be like prefer it’s attempting to fight the rising pattern of utilizing time trial helmets in street races.
It states: “The UCI Administration Committee accredited the introduction of a distinction between street and monitor time trials on the one hand, and street races on the opposite, with regard to the helmets that could be used.”
Over the previous two seasons, groups have turning to time trial helmets because of the aerodynamic advantages they provide. It was first finished by Uno X, when Alexander Kristoff wore the Candy Safety Tucker, a beforehand discontinued helmet that was reborn as an aero lid with just a few small adjustments. Extra not too long ago, the follow has been popularised by Visma-Lease a Bike with the Giro Aerohead helmet, and by Picnic PostNL’s Casper van Uden profitable a stage of the Giro d’Italia.
Many onlookers, together with former professional Luke Rowe, have known as out the follow, with Rowe saying “we’re going to appear to be a bunch of UFOs, Starship Troopers, and aliens driving bikes” on a podcast he shares with Geraint Thomas.
Individually to the categorisation, the UCI’s second helmet rule pertains to a ‘helmet approval protocol’ to be in place from January 2027. The small print of this are unclear, however assuming it follows the trail set out by the frameset approval protocol, will contain manufacturers submitting helmets for testing previous to approval, and a UCI-approved sticker for every ratified mannequin.
Technological fraud
The ultimate tech-related inclusion within the UCI’s announcement states an intention to “additional strengthen the combat in opposition to technological fraud.”
Whereas no particular adjustments are listed, the assertion says the UCI has made steps to make pursuing motor doping instances extra easy, after which guaranteeing the right individuals have the mandatory investigatory energy to deal with them.
It states that there shall be “modification of a number of provisions within the UCI Laws,” which can “embody all actions which have the aim of contributing to technological fraud, together with any type of help or try to deceive or keep away from technological fraud testing, wherever such actions might happen.”
The particular provisions being modified are unnamed, however the assertion continues, including that adjustments are additionally being made to the “procedural guidelines of the UCI Disciplinary Fee to make sure that it is supplied with satisfactory investigation powers to deal with instances of technological fraud.”
