The UCI’s proposed new rules on minimum handlebar and brake lever widths were meant to improve rider safety. Instead, they’ve triggered one of the most unified backlashes modern pro cycling has seen.
From fitters and coaches to mechanics, teams, riders, and bike brands, almost every corner of the sport has voiced concern. The new 400 mm minimum handlebar width, combined with a new 320 mm minimum internal brake lever spacing, designed to prohibit excessive lever angle that the UCI says is a safety risk, has been accused of ignoring bike fit fundamentals and would make a huge portion of the current peloton's setups illegal. As Escape Collective’s on-ground reporting at the Tour de France revealed, 50 out of the 50 bikes we checked at this year’s Tour de France fall foul of next year’s rules.
The new rules, if fully approved, would go into effect on January 1 of next year.
Anatomy of an error
The controversy looks set to deepen. In a letter sent by Adam Hansen, president of the CPA riders' union and a member of the commission that recommended these rules, to the UCI’s Technologies and Equipment Commission, Hansen has apologised, admitting he misunderstood a key measurement error in the rule’s drafting. Escape Collective has viewed the letter. In it, Hansen explained that he “initially agreed to the 32 cm requirement based on the understanding that it was measured centre-to-centre.”
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