Disc brakes have been a mainstay of UCI-sanctioned cyclocross since 2010, but the UCI looks to permit discs in WorldTour road racing starting January 2016. © Cyclocross Magazine
Disc brakes are becoming the defacto standard on new cyclocross bikes—while there are a few exceptions, Ridley and KindHuman come to mind, riders are hard-pressed to find a new ‘cross bike without disc brakes.
In 2010 UCI appended their rules to allow disc brakes in UCI-sanctioned cyclocross races, in a series of changes that among other things, permitted disc brakes, set a max tire width of 33mm and set max barrier height at 40cm.
UCI World Tour road racing has been slow to adapt—until now. CyclingTips reports that the UCI plans to permit the use of disc brakes in the WorldTour peloton starting in January 2016.
To alleviate the issue of neutral wheel service incompatibility, the UCI plans to put in a rotor and axle standard—160mm rotors front and rear, and front and rear thru axles on WorldTour all disc brake bikes.
It’ll be interesting to see the adaptation, as many bikes in the pro road peloton are well under the UCI’s 6.8kg weight limit, so the additional weight of discs becomes less controversial.
All you weekend warriors and non-pro racers rest assured, disc brakes have been, and still are, legal for USA Cycling-sanctioned road racing.
