After Wout van Aert suggested the idea of lower gearing on cycling’s WorldTour to improve safety during descents earlier this year, it looks like the UCI is now set to trial a maximum gearing rule at cycling’s highest level, which will begin on 1 August. First reported by Daniel Benson, this junior-style gear restriction caps riders at a 54×11 gear ratio on 700c wheels, and looks to be part of a broader push to improve safety by limiting top speeds. The rule hits SRAM-sponsored teams hardest, as their 10-tooth cog setup will exceed the new limit.
2024 midrange bike vs superbike sram red axs crankset (credit: road.cc)
In 2023, the UCI launched SafeR, a framework aimed at improving safety across men’s and women’s road cycling. Earlier this year, we reported on Wout van Aert’s call for restricted gearing, arguing that limiting the peloton’s gear range could help reduce speeds on descents and “make the sport a lot safer.”
Just last week, the UCI introduced controversial new equipment regulations affecting handlebar width, rim height, and fork width, along with a promised review of helmet standards as part of a broader safety overhaul. Now, the governing body looks set to trial a “Maximum Gearing” Test Protocol which will come into play on the 1st August, across selected professional one-day and stage races. The limit will apply only to mass-start events, meaning individual and team time trials will remain unaffected.
While 53-tooth chainrings were once the standard in the pro peloton, rising speeds and increasingly aerodynamic equipment have pushed many riders toward larger setups in recent years.
Victor Campenaerts’ 62T chainring at Omloop Het Niuewsblad (credit – Steve Chainel) (credit: Steve Chainel)
As we noted ahead of the 2023 Tour de France, the typical chainset for flatter stages is now 54/40t. Larger chainrings are often considered more efficient which has led some riders to adopt 55-tooth rings. At the 2023 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Victor Campenaerts debuted a massive 62-tooth chainring, made possible by Classified’s PowerShift rear hub system.
This new rule marks the first technical gear limitation in modern professional cycling and will cap the distance covered per pedal revolution of 10.46 meters – effectively limiting riders to a maximum gear ratio of 54×11. It’s a return to youth-racing protocols, with the UCI saying that commissaires will inspect chainrings and verify cassette sizes before the start of races.
Tadej Pogačar, stage 15, 2024 Giro d’Italia (Zac Williams/SWpix.com) (credit: road.cc)
This limits the highest gear a rider can use, which means that pedalling speed (cadence) becomes more of a limiting factor than raw power when it comes to reaching top speed.
The goal is to reduce maximum speeds, based on the UCI’s conclusion that gearing may be contributing to excessive top speeds in certain race sections, particularly on descents. By limiting gearing, the aim is to slow riders down, particularly on downhill stretches. This change is unlikely to significantly affect sprint finishes, which, although fast, are rarely the absolute fastest parts of a race.
How it affects manufacturers
Though we’ve seen many riders mix and match larger chainrings from other brands on their bikes in recent years, Shimano, Campagnolo and FSA now all have maximum gear ratios of 54×11, meaning they are largely unaffected. However, the rule with significantly impact SRAM-sponsored teams, whose riders use a 10-tooth smallest cog on the rear cassette.
2023 Team DSM shimano groupset (credit: Shimano)
Under the new 10.46 metre cap, any combination exceeding 54×11 is now prohibited. This means SRAM riders using a 10-tooth cog will be limited to a maximum 49-tooth chainring, ruling out the 50T and 54T setups that are common in the pro peloton.
As a result, SRAM-sponsored teams will need to switch to 11-tooth cogs, downsize chainrings, or mechanically lock out their gearing before races. The rule could also signal the end of 1x drivetrain experimentation at the WorldTour level, given these systems rely heavily on wide-ranging cassettes.
To understand the impact, dropping one tooth on the cassette (e.g., from 11 to 10) typically requires increasing the chainring size by about three teeth to maintain a similar gear ratio — for example, a 54×10 setup roughly corresponds to a 57×11.
Shorter cranks?
2023 Campagnolo Super Record Wireless – cranks.jpg (credit: road.cc)
In the last few years, a quiet revolution has been underway, as more and more people seem to be talking about crank length with bike fit experts recommending shorter cranks for many riders, and a growing number of professional riders now opting for 165mm cranks or even shorter. Jonas Vingegaard, for example, has been reported to use cranks as short as 150mm.
In the context of the UCI’s new gearing limits, shorter cranks don’t alter your actual gear ratio — a 54×11 remains a 54×11 whether you’re on 175mm or 165mm arms. However, shorter cranks reduce the size of the pedal circle, making it easier to sustain a higher cadence. In practice, that can allow riders to pedal faster before spinning out, effectively extending the usable range of their gearing.
So, will lower gearing make racing safer?
Will it work? That’s the big question. The idea is simple, cap gear ratios so that riders can’t pedal as fast on descents, but in practice it’s unclear how much impact this will really have.
Personally, I struggle to see how this will massively reduce maximum speeds and make a meaningful difference to safety. On descents, the real dangers come from high-speed cornering, poor marshalling, street furniture, bad weather and course design, not necessarily from riders spinning out at their top cadence.
Sam Welsford wins stage two of the 2025 Tour Down Under after crashing (Zac Williams/SWpix.com) (credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
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Even in sprint finishes, pro typically hit around 70km/h, which is achievable on a 54×11 at around 110rpm. If anything, this rule shifts the focus slightly toward positioning, lead-outs, and cadence efficiency – not a bad thing, necessarily, but not a safety revolution either.
While this decision is less baffling than introducing a 40cm minimum handlebar width (that some have slammed as ‘discriminatory’ against female riders), if the UCI is serious about making racing safer, greater focus should be placed on course planning, better crash response systems and clearer marshalling, to name a few, not just limiting equipment. For example, Tadej Pogačar pointed out that crashes have always been a part of cycling – and that, instead of focusing on reducing speeds, other measures can be emphasised to create a safer racing environment.
At the end of the season, SafeR will evaluate the trial and based on their review, a decision will be made on whether to implement permanent measures for future seasons. These could include setting maximum gear ratios, conducting further testing, or exploring alternative strategies to reduce speeds in specific race sections.
What do you think about this new ruling? Let us know in the comments section below.