Sure, this is not a tri thing. But still worth discussing.
A decision by pro cycling’s world governing body to mandate wider handlebars in the professional peloton is drawing criticism from women riders and teams. They say the new rule ignores their physical differences and raises safety concerns.
Starting in 2026, all riders will be required to use handlebars at least 40 cm wide. And it doesn’t matter which gender the cyclist is. The regulation was introduced by the UCI in collaboration with SafeR, an independent group tasked with improving safety in the sport.
The rule states, “As of Jan. 1 2026, the minimum overall width of handlebars (outside to outside) for mass start road and cyclo-cross events will be set at 400mm, with an inner width of 320mm between brake levers.”
But the change is already facing pushback. “The women’s peloton is being forgotten again,” Belgian commentator and former pro Ine Beyen said to Sporza. “You can’t just compare men and women physically — most women have narrower shoulders. It still has to be comfortable.”
New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl – Trek) became the face of the protest after posting a photo to Instagram, showing a measuring tape stretched across her shoulders. The image drew attention to the gap between rider size and the new equipment requirements.
Fisher-Black, who stands 1.60 metres tall, typically rides with 36 cm bars. A 40 cm handlebar would be 10 centimetres wider than her shoulders. “Then it’s like suddenly having to ride a tractor,” Beyen said.
Teams have begun taking stock of the impact. WorldTour team, Visma-Lease a Bike, one of the top squads in the women’s WorldTour, says 14 of its 18 riders currently use narrower bars. Karl Lima, director of ProTeam Coop-Repsol, posted on X that all his riders fall below the new threshold.
Beyen acknowledges the intention behind the rule — to reduce crashes caused by aggressive riding in tight spaces. However he questions the one-size-fits-all approach. “If everyone keeps going narrower and tries to shoot through smaller and smaller gaps, that becomes dangerous. But this rule doesn’t acknowledge that women are built differently.”
Most elite women riders use bars between 36 and 38 cm. The wider spec may compromise comfort and performance, particularly for smaller athletes.
Whether the UCI will revise the rule remains unclear. “They should take another look,” Beyen said, “but I’m not sure they will. It’s become a habit — they just don’t take women into account.”
It’s become a trend in recent years to get narrower and narrower bars for male riders to be more aero.
Many pros angle their hoods to create an even narrower profile. In December 2023, the UCI announced a new rule, that took effect at the start of 2024, stating that brake levers could be angled inwards by no more than 10 degrees. Marginal gains is one thing, but the new rule may be even more controversial. The UCI has yet to comment on the relationship between the new handlebar width regulation and women, or riders who may have narrower shoulders.
The post ‘Like riding a tractor’: Women riders push back on UCI’s new handlebar rule appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.