A flared design enables compliance with International Cycling Union (UCI) standards, ensuring the bars meet established requirements while providing cyclists with inward-facing levers.
Italian brand releases images
Italian brand Toot Racing shared images of a new handlebar, which circumvents UCI rules that standardize brake lever positions.
It was announced at the end of last season that for 2024 and 2025 the UCI would crack down on the aerodynamic tendency of cyclists competing with their brake levers inwards. The logic behind this trend was to get cyclists to reduce frontal area and increase aerodynamic efficiency.
The UCI was against this standard, citing safety concerns for cyclists, with a consequent reduction in brake control.
UCI limit is 10º
From 2024, cyclists can have a maximum lever angle of 10 degrees outside the natural plane of the handlebars. This allows cyclists some space to find a comfortable position, but significantly limits the aerodynamic advantage.
What Toot Racing has done with this new handlebar is to comply with the new UCI lever rules, as well as the minimum equipment width rules. As it stands, the rules regarding width dictate that the widest part of the handlebar should be no narrower than 350mm.
The rig meets this requirement with the drops measuring the required 350mm, but the handlebars flare aggressively inwards to the tops, which measure 210mm.
Prices are not attractive
The equipment is not cheap, as the handlebars are 3D printed and for a possibly very small market. At €1,390 per set, you need to be very committed to get all the gains they provide.