This Popular MTB Trend Suddenly Banned From Leadville and Big Sugar
Life Time has decided to outlaw drop-bar mountain bikes at both the Big Sugar and the Leadville Trail 100 MTB races for 2026, with a new rule that states, “All competitors must use flat or riser-style handlebars. This rule will be enforced during pre-race inspections and on course.” And if you ask me, that makes sense, seeing as the Life Time Leadville 100 MTB race is a mountain bike race.
Santa Cruz
In 2025, we saw plenty of drop-bar MTBs line up for the start of the Leadville 100. Zach Calton, Dylan Johnson, Melisa Rollins, and the men's winner, Keegan Swenson, were all riding mountain bikes with curly bars clamped into the stems - but it was still very much the minority. In fact, Kate Courtney won the women's category on traditional flat bars, although she found some extra aero by using the fork crown as support for a super-tucked position.
When looking at the course, one might not assume it's an MTB race with almost 35 miles of paved roads out of the 100. The other 67% of the course is pretty smooth rolling as far as MTB is concerned, and the loophole of turning a cross-country MTB into a gravel bike for the added benefit of a more aerodynamic position makes a lot of sense. And it’s been proven to work, seeing as Keegan Swenson won the 2025 edition on a Santa Cruz Blur set up as a hybrid XC/Gravel bike.
Santa Cruz
With this new rule, will we see riders getting clever to work around it, or will the athletes looking for the podium spots accept the changes and settle for the simple togs or bar ends that are still permitted? The current restrictions on clip-on extensions and aerobars still allow for togs, but they must be 2 inches or less in length.
The official statement on why drop-bars are not allowed is: "For rider safety and course compatibility, drop-style handlebars (road or gravel bars with drops) are no longer permitted at any Leadville Race Series MTB event. All competitors must use flat or riser-style handlebars. This rule will be enforced during pre-race inspections and on course."