The present development within the professional peloton (and your native crits) is a protracted and tight setup. Slender bars – starting from 36cm to 38mm (principally) with an extended stem and never completely slammed just like the previous days. I rock an identical setup on my check bike (Canyon Aeroroad) with a 120mm stem and 37.5 bars (measured hood to hood), and I’ve by no means felt extra locked and loaded on a machine.
Nonetheless, bar width isn’t only for the aero-focused street racer. Bar width is private for the rider, particularly for smaller riders seeking to maximize their match, and ladies riders specifically.
Nonetheless, the UCI (the identical governing physique accountable for eradicating the Ritchey Rainbow stripes) and the restricted sock peak ruling are stating that these slender bars aren’t secure for the peloton. Sadly, that isn’t one thing that may simply have an effect on the professionals; it’ll quickly trickle right down to you too.
So, bike match crusaders, My Velo Vit (the web match device/app), is taking the bull (or bar, in the event you’re into puns) by the horns and saying they’re misinformed and, extra so – simply incorrect.
What’s the Deal With Bar Width and the UCI?
If the most recent UCI tech regulation on handlebar widths has you scratching your head (or worse, swapping components), you’re not alone. The crew at MyVeloFit—a platform sitting on the most important pile of rider-submitted match information on the earth — is pushing again. Arduous. And we’re right here for it.
The brand new guidelines state, “As of [1 January 2026], the minimal total width of handlebars (exterior to exterior) for mass begin street and cyclo-cross occasions will likely be set at 400mm, with an inside width of 320mm between brake levers.”
Key Factors About UCI Barwidth Guidelines:
Minimal width: The general handlebar width at its widest level (sometimes the drops) should be a minimum of 400 mm.
Brake lever width: The inner width between the brake levers should be a minimum of 320mm.
Efficient date: The rule will take impact on January 1, 2026, for street and cyclo-cross mass-start occasions.
Monitor racing: Monitor racing may have a barely narrower threshold, with a minimal width of 350mm, beginning January 1, 2027.
MyVeloFit Hits Again
MyVeloFit has launched a petition that has amassed 4,484 signatures and counting (you’ll be able to signal it right here). The petition merely asks the UCI to rethink its newly minted rule. It doesn’t sound like a lot to folks not immersed within the skilled pits, however in case you are, you realize it’s not gonna work. Not in the event you’re a smaller rider, or most ladies, or, effectively, anybody who’s really had an expert match.
Jesse Jarjour – CEO of MyVeloFit says “Based mostly on real-world information, the common handlebar width for girls ought to be nearer to 38cm—not 40. This rule dangers sidelining riders, growing harm potential, and messing with correct ergonomics.”
As of June twentieth, the UCI has issued a “clarification” of kinds, after the backlash from almost all sides of the biking universe. The up to date assertion clarifies the ruling barely, with the addition of diagrams, however the information stay the identical.
“These modifications, outlined in session with stakeholders, goal to make sure that all athletes, no matter their physique kind, can compete with gear that’s each high-performance and secure. As well as, the brand new rule contains one other most dimension regulating the flare design of the handlebar for street and cyclo-cross bikes: there should be a most distance of 50mm between the interior extremity of the handlebar and the outer fringe of the handlebar on the identical aspect. For observe, the space will likely be 80mm.”
So, Why is This a Huge Deal?
Right here’s what MyVeloFit—and the information—say the UCI bought incorrect:
Dangerous Match for Smaller Riders: The rule disproportionately impacts girls and smaller athletes, forcing them into setups that simply don’t match.
Biomechanics Bungle: Many riders rotate their levers barely inwards for higher wrist alignment. This rule might negate that, growing pressure and harm threat (particularly when you’ve got damaged your wrists a number of occasions, like me).
Fashionable Levers Are Already Broad: Some setups, like Shimano Di2, push lever spacing limits even with none tilt, including to compliance complications.
Security Takes a Backseat: Forcing riders to make use of bars which can be too large for his or her frames can result in long-term points, together with numbness, discomfort, and much more extreme issues.
Intent vs. Affect: Even when the objective is to curb aero beneficial properties or sketchy setups, this transformation doesn’t think about the total image, equivalent to what occurs when the bars are too large.
What’s the Answer?
MyVeloFit isn’t simply waving a flag—they’re providing an answer grounded within the largest world database of match measurements. They’re calling on the UCI to lean into real-world numbers and make guidelines that mirror the riders they govern.
“If there must be a rule, let’s make it a wise one,” Jarjour provides. “Thirty-eight centimeters is a way more inclusive minimal, and 28cm between levers would mirror precise rider wants, not simply guesses from above.”
Wish to again it? The petition is dwell now, and open to anybody—riders, fitters, mechanics, manufacturers—who assume the game ought to be inclusive, not unique. Particularly when the information is that this clear.
